The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-13
CLOSE TO THE POLE.
Lieut.. Peary Returns From
Greenland's Icy Mountains.
HIS EXPEDITION A SUCCESS.
He Brings Back Much Valuable scien-
tifc Information, and Lost Only
One Member Of the Party.

81. JOHNS, N. f., Sept. 12.-Lieut. Peary
made a sledge journey with dogs of 1900
miles over the interior ice, which he found
favorable. He was out ninety days and
returned all right on August 4. He made
important discoveries confirming his
theory. Mrs. Peary remained at their
winter quarters at Mccormick bay and en-
joyed excellent health. Had the steamer
Kite not arrived the party meant to re-
treat toward the south in open boats. Mr..
Verhoef. the meteorologist of the party,
went out alone from Mccormick bay on
two davs' journey. Search was made for
him for several days, but in vain, and it is
believed he fell into an ice creyasse and
persisted. The Kite brings home in splen-
did condition specimens Of the flora and
fauna and exceedingly valuable records OF
observations taken. The expedition was
successful. Lieut.. Peary brings home five
Esquimaux dogs. He killed many musk
oxen in the far North.
The chronological work of the expedition
is probably more complete than any here
tofore conducted in the far North. A
complete census of all the Arctic high
landers or Esquimaux living north of the
ice barrier of Melville bay, with the name
and relationship of the different individu-
ais, was taken, together with photographs
OF more than one-half of the entire popu-
lation. The enumeration shows a total of
less than $50 souls, but the most isolated
tribes live in simplicity which finds no
parallel. Several blocks of the famous
meteoric stone of Ovifaka, aggregating
more than 200 pounds, were secured
through the assistance of Esquimaux.
WASHINGTON CRY, Sept. 12-The Stars
and Stripes have been planted at the two
nearest points to the North pole yet
reached by civilized man. The navy de-
partment today received the following
telegram from Lieut.. Peary, at st. Johns,
n B.:
The United states navy claims the highest
discoveries on Greenland's east coast. at Inde.
pendence bay, 81 degrees north latitude and 81
degrees west longitude, discovered on July 4,
1892 The Greenland ice cape ends south of
Victoria inlet The highest point heretofore at
tanned on the east coast is about rs II degrees
and was made by Holdenby, German.
The Peary polar expedition party. under COM
mand OF Robert E. Peary, was sent out by the
Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia,
to study the geology, natural history and orni-
thology OF the far northern regions. Besides
the commander the party consisted of Mrs.
New York; Prof. Astrop, q Norwegian scien-
fist; John NJ. Verhoef and Matthew Hen
sen. SCIENTISTS; negro servant and
half dozen men. The expedition
left New York July 6. 1891, in the steamer Kite
Mr.. Peary 10 civil engineer in the navy, and
some years previous to this expedition went as
far north as Godhavn, on Disco island and from
there penetrated long distance into the inter-
Tor OF Greenland. This gave him the desire of
making another trip to more remote region OF
the far North. and he took his scheme to the
Academy OF Sciences, q society that has always
been liberal with the means for solving scien-
tific problems His idea was to reach Nc
Cormick bay. in lat II deg. 43 sec. north. or
about 400 miles beyond the northern
most Esquimau settlement, which is at
Upernavik, at which point would be his base
OF operations. On tho way up to Smiths
sound, when the Kite was butting against
the ice in Melville bay, on July IL, large piece
OF ice struck the rudder with such great force
that it whirled over the iron tiller and damned
Pearys leg between it and the wheel house
Two OF the bones of his leg just above the ankle
were broken, and when the vessel reached Nc
Cormick bay the injured man was taken ashore
and put to bed under q canvas tent This was
on July "a and the vessel had transferred the
party to the shore and started homeward three
days later. At this time Peary's leg was doing
well and everything pointed to his early recoy.
turn, the wooden house, which was to consist
OF two rooms, had been rooted In and foored,
the windows were in place, and the fuel, con-
sisting o! seven tons Of coal, had been landed
The station at Mccormick bay Is in q desolate
and almost inaccessible region, but the relief
party was provided with ample provisions for
eighteen months. SO there was absolutely no
danger OF starvation. The expedition was pro-
vided with ample clothing of suitable character
with which to pass an Arctic winter or encoun-
ter the peris and exposure Of al escape In open
boats to Upernavik or Disco. The station at
Mccormick bay was to be the starting point for
another expedition to the pole itself; or rather,
to determine whether the span of 400 miles il
filled in with a frozen ocean, or whether there
is chain Of islands giving tolerably easy access
to the pole. Tho expedition, as will be seen
from the dispatches, was entirely successful,
as to the fate OF the party. relief party. under
the command OF Prof. Angelo Hertprn, left
New York for ST. Johns, n F., June p, and
sailed from ST. Johns for Greenland July II. in
the Kite. The Kite brought back the explorers
Lockwood and Brainard, the American ex-
plorers, in 1852 reached latitude SO degrees "a
minutes north, or 40 miles in a straight line
from the North pole. From this point they dis
tnctly deserted Cape Washington, the norther-
most land yet discovered on the globe. 1t lies
to the north of Greenland, with which 1t is
probably connected by intermediate ice bound
tiordS lockwood and Brainard reached the
highest northern latitude. Their route Law
along the west coast of Greenland, while Peary
followed the east coast