Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-09-29
PEARY'S EXPEDITION.

in this city at noon. large crowd had
Assem- bled and the arrival of the steam
er was greeted with much cheering.
AS already reported both expeditions
have been eminently successful, making
exceptionally favorable passages with
out sickness or storm of any kind.
Lieut. Robert Peary, the explorer, and
Prof. Angelo Heilprin, commander of
the relief party, expressed satisfaction
with the results which have been
achieved to crowds of their friends, fell
low scientists of the Philadelphia acad-
envy and representatives of the press.
A reception committee from the
academy was on board, having met the
Kite some miles below the city. Miss
Verhoeff, sister of John M. Verhoeff,
who failed to return with his fellow
explorers, being reported dead, and
about whose disappearance some mys
terry prevails, accompanied the recep-
ton committee with her aunt and
uncle. They discredit the story that
the missing mineralogist was acct
dentally killed and firmly believe that
he is even now exploring the interior of
Greenland, having voluntarily re-
manned behind
Lieut.. Peary himself refuses to say
anything concerning Verhoeff's disap-
pearance beyond what has already been
mentioned. He denies, however, that
differences existed between himself and
the independent but ambitious Ken
tuckian. The members of the expedi-
ton express ignorance of any differ
ence between the two men or Verhoeff's
intention to explore for himself. Will
liam E. NOLAN, the botanist of the re-
80 i
| mineralogist occupied seven days and
that every member of both expeditions,
| nine Esquimaux and the ships crew
were engaged in it. Traces of Yer
hoeff had been found on the sixth day
near a large number of crevasses. into
which there was every reason to believ,
, he had fallen.
Later-The following are the facts
surrounding the disappearance of Yer
hoeff as far as could be learned from
| different members of the expeditions:
Verhoeff was last seen alive by Lang
don Gibson on August Is, the latter be-
| ing encamped at the head of Mccormick
! bay shooting birds to add to his collec-
| ton. Verhoef told Gibson he was GO
| ing to take a trip to Keel1eren, an
| Esquimaux settlement, and might
not be back for two or three
| days. Gibson told him that the
! settlement was deserted and adj
vised him not to go, but VerhoeH
| insisted. He did not return and Gibson
went to the appointed place and after
| a search was unable to find him, and
returning he reported the matter to
| Peary and plans were at once begun for
searching for him. Peary secured a
! mum Der of Esquimaux to assist in the
search, as they can see an object at ten
! times the distance that white man
can distinguish it and promised them
each a knife, the one thing priced by
an Esquimaux.
The five-glacier valley is situated in a
| long, narrow cape, bounded on the
south by Mccormick bay and on the
| north by body of water unnamed on
any chart, which they named Robert
| sons bay. Peary took himself and party
| all through the valley, skirted Cape
Robertson and met the Kite party near
| the big glacier, where the little pile
of stones was found and up to
which they found Verhoeffs foot
prints. Peary and his party crossed
| the big glacier, which was COW
cred with big crevasses All the glac-
iers around were searched and the
|
seven days and nights but no trace of
the missing man beyond the footprints
and the pile of stones could be found.
The search was then abandoned as
hopeless, as he had only taken five
| days provisions with him and was
thinly clad. The crew Of the Kite re
ported having seen smoke in McCor-
mick bay, but could not trace it.
! VerhOetf's actions from the time the
party reached Greenland are described
as peculiar and pointing toan intention
to stay and live with the Esquimaux.
1t is said that he continually wore
| American trousers and the scantiest
kind of clothing and that almost every
day he would go into the water naked
where holes had been cut in the ice
He would protest that he was not cold
and did everything in his power
to inure himself to the hardships of
the climate and went around with
his shoes torn and his bare feet touch
ing the ground. These facts taken il
connection with his mysterious feeler:
put out during the winter as to the
proba bility of Lieut.. Peary letting him
stay up north led some of the party anC
others of the crew who knew Verb oef
to the conclusion that he may hav;
taken q notion TO stay with the ESquf
maux in hope of making a journey t.
the furthest north point yet discovered
and to win fame.
In speaking of the fate of Verhoef
Lieut. Peary said he had no right to in
dulge in surmises, but he gave the i'm
preston that he believed Verhoeff wa:
dead. An interview took place between
Miss Verhoeff and Lieut.. Peary in re
gard to Verhoeff's proba BILE fate. After
the interview Miss Verhoef said:
My interview with Lieut.. Peary wa
, most unsatisfactory. Mr. Pearys treat
ment of me was far from what it SHOULD
have been under such sad circumstance
and only strengthens my belief that N
acted in anything but kind name
toward my brother, his companion in
great expedition and his equal, if no
superior, in scientific attainment"
Il Narrow Fscape.
OMAHA, Neb.. Sept a+.-The Missouri
, Pacific passenger train from St Loui
had a narrow escape from being burie
, beneath an enormous landslide Will
entering Omaha. Just after the trail
passed the bank caved in and an ava
lanche of earth descended upon tn
| west track and against the work trail
standing upon it. The caboose il