The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-05-23
LIEUTENANT PEARY HERE.
Old AcquaIntences Visited Yesterday
-he Has No Dread OF tho Ice
Fields.

Lieutenant Robert K. Peary. who Is about
to start on the Greenland expedition, was
about the city yesterday. He Is visiting
with relatives at Cape Elizabeth Depot. and
making final preparations for departing for
the North about the first Of June. The par
ty will sail from New York on a steam seal
er which Is coming from st. Johns, N. f., TO
meet them In New York. The Peary party,
which Is to make the Greenland expedition
will consist Of six persons; but a party Of
scientists from the Philadelphia Academy OF
Natural Science will accompany Lieutenant
Peary to Whale Sound. and after the land
ing Of his party. will cruise about Bafin's
Bay In search Of such scientific data as may
be found In those regions.
Lieut. Peary talked very entertainingly
yesterday to a reporter Of the PRESS regard
Ing the journey. He does not anticipate any
dangers whatever. The Ice Is smooth and
free from hostile men and fierce animals.
There are storms and the cold. but he will
go provided against both Of them. He says
that man provided with proper sleeping
bag may crawl into 1t, stretch out on the
bare Ice field and sleep warm and comforta-
BILE with the thermometer indicating IS de-
grees below zero. One Of these sleeping bags
Is made Of reindeer hide. and Is shaped like
a aspectacle case. 1t may be single or double,
that Is, fitted for one man or two. When the
explorer wishes to go to bed on the ice field,
with the wind bowling around him at the
rate OF 20 miles an hour and the mercury
down to 30 degrees below zero, he does not
go down cellar, pile coal onto the furnace,
heat soapstone for the foot OF the bed and
go to bed beneath great pile Of bedelothes.
de simply sits down on the Ice field, pulls
himself down into the sleeping bag, which
comes up to his chin. and then reaches out
and pulls the flap around over his face. Then
he turns on his side and breathes through
the opening left where the roll OF the flap
covers the edge Of the bag. Lieutenant
Peary has provided himself with sleeping
bag made up of double thickness OF reindeer
skin. 1t Is nearly three inches thick, and as
warm as animal hide and fur can be. The
jacket which he will wear In the day time is
also to be made Of double thickness Of
reindeer skin. 1t Is made la a single piece,
with hood and long skirts, and is pulled on
over the head.
When well provided with fur garments
there is not the least trouble from cold, in
Lieutenant Peary's opinion. The most dim
cult part OF the expedition will be the hard.
bone and muscle work OF walking and drag
glug the sledges Of provisions. The party is
to travel 1900 miles In all. COO up and GOO
back. Probably they will not be able to use
dogs, 50 all the work will have to be per-
formed by manual labor. No help can be
obtained from any Of the natives OF Green
land. There Is settlement Of Greenland.
ers at Whale Sound, but they stay by the
coast. A native no more would think Of
venturing onto the ice field than a devout
white man would of essaylng to reach the
lake Of eternal fire, supposing that to be ac-
cessible To the Greenland native the Ice
fed Is the abode Of all the devils and evil
spirits that his superstition affords. Lieu
tenant Peary did succeed In getting one ma.
tive onto the edge of the Ice field on his form
er expedition, but the poo creature covered
in the tent all day like a thoroughly fright
ened dog At every little sound hs would
shudder. as II he expected to see the evil one
enter the tent the next instant.
While the natives are kept from the ice by
their superstition. the animals are kept from
1t because there Is absolutely no food for
them there. Lieutenant Peary will pass
through an icy solitude.
In appearance Lieutenant Peary Is about
six feet tall. spare and active. A cut pub
llshed in Harper's Weekly this week is an
exact picture Of him. so exact that he Is east
ly recognizable from it. He Is thoroughly
enthusiastic over the expedition and we'll
informed upon all subjects relating to 1t. He
is delightful couversatiOnallst, and will be
good company for the FIVE men who 90 with
him during the dreary halts Of the journey
towards the pole.