Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-27
OFF FOR THE ARCTIC SEAS.
The Peary Relief Expedition Sails From
New York Today.

The Red Cross Line steamship Miranda will
sail from Robinson's stores, Warren street,
Brooklyn, this afternoon at 4 O'Clock, for st.
Johns, N.F. She will carry, among other pas
sengers, Prof Angelo Heilprin Of the Philadel-
phia Academy Of Natural Sciences, and the
members of his expedition, which goes to the
relief of Lieut.. B. E. Peary and his companions
in arctic explorations.
Prof Heilprtn's associates are Capt. Richard
Pike, the "icemaster," who participated in the
/ Greedy expedition of 1881; DIR. Henry G. Bryant
of Philadelphia, s. L Entricken, A. W. Worse,
/ +. W. Stokes, c. E. Hfte, DR.. J. n. Mills and
William j. Meehan, all of Philadelphia
At ST. Johns the steamer Kite will be manned
and commanded by Capt. Pike she will be
headed for the north. The Kite is the vessel
which landed the Peary party at Mccormick
bay July IS. 1891. Nothing has been heard Of
the latter party, which includes Lieut.. Peary's
brave little wife, since August, 1891. It's mem
bers are believed to be not far away from the
Sith parallel of latitude, at the actual furthest
northern point touched. Il is for that region
| that Prof. Heilprtn and his companions are des-
/ tined.
PEARY's EXPEDITION.
There hns been much quarreling in the Acad-
envy of Natural Sciences over the ''relief ex-
petition. Many Of the members assert that
NAlcl4 pau ING eAptuko IN tfdu>poh
Peary TO the arctic country they did 80 on the
distinc. understanding that the lieutenant was
to get back by himself in his wnaleboats. In
his program be represented the trip from Whale
sound to Upernayik, the nearest settlement
where he could gets vessel, as one not diftcuit
to perform. but Peary had never been in Mel
vile bay, the home Of the iceberg, foe and sea
fog, and knew nothing about the difficulty OF
crossing ii with a party such as his. Some
members of the academy said that this was his
business and not theirs, and that ne must get
away rom the results Of his miscalculations In
his own way.
However, Peary will not be forced to cross
Melville bay In an open whaleboat. Such
journey would compel him to leave behind
whatsoever curiosities he has added TO his out
fit. ii would be impossible for him to trans
port any thing but actual necessities across the
ice. Ii would necessitate the abandonment Of
the Saratoga trunk the feather beds and the
toboggan suits of DR.. Cook, his surgeon. The
expedition hoped to secure number Of ethno-
logical exhibits for the worlds fair, and these
would take up large amount Of space. SO 1t
Is a good thing that the steamer Kite is making
another journey to the north.
On the last trip there was a good deal OF
trouble over the collections made by Prof.
Heilprin's party. These consisted of walrus
and nsrwhaf ivory, bone images and trinkets
Of the Esquimaux and al sorts of specimens Of
dress of sealsdn, dogskin and bearskin- They
were purchased from the natives at the per-
sonal expense Of the members Of the expedi-
ton and the aggregate cost mounted up
good deal.
On the return to civilization the academy
demanded all these articles without Offering to
make any return Tor the outlay, and the voy-
ayers wondered. In the cases Of the Hooiogist
and the taxidermist who went Is representatives
Of the academy it was though that their collec-
tons belonged to the institution, but the othArs,
who had been invited simply on account Of
their contributions had an idea that what they
bartered from the nAtivee was theirs. This
time no such trouble win arise, as every man
signs a declaration, In which he says that every
thing he collects will go to the academy, and
that he viii make every effort to acquire col
lections.
Another point that viii be better regulated
than on the las. expedition will be that Of writ
ing for newspapers and magazines. 1t was
question of honor that none should interfere
with the work of the historian Of the party.
The newspaper he represented had helped the
expedition generously and 1t was agreed that it
should have the first news Of what had been
accomplished. No sooner had the Kite reached
st. JOHN s, however, before two dignified scien-
tific men jumped on the dock and had footrace
to the nearest telegraph office. There they be-
gan peddling accounts of their exploits to vari
GUS newspapers that would use the stuff.
Prof. Heilprin this time Is resolved to save
the expedition from any such humiliation, and
he has made all his party sign an agreement
not to write anything, directly or indirectly for
any newspaper or magazine from the date of
sailing until five days after the return to st.
Johns without his permission.
II is proposed by the professor to do little
exploration on his own account. Last year the
Kite could have reached point much further
north than she wenthad not Peary disregarded
the advice Of that knowing old ice pilot, Capt.
Pike, and insisted on her being put in the ice
foes three weeks too soon, causing her to
waste 100 tons Of coal in a fruitless attempt to
force the season. The consequence was that
when the Kite left the Peary party she had no
barely enough to get back with, and when she
reached st. Johns there were about five tons in
her hold. This year. however, the expedition
starts three weeks later, and Melville bay should
be pretty open when she gets there.
PRESENTS FOR THE NATIVES.
1t is probable that the party will be split in
two at Mccormick bay, one section making a
dash north over the Inland ice cap and the
other along the coast, both going toward tho
Humboldt glacier, which Is about sixty miles
wide. One of the most graceful duties of the
expedition viii be to give aid to the Arctic
Highlanders at Cape York, Ittihlu and at w.
rious little settlements where they are found.
The Esquimaux of this region, which is far
north OF the limit Of Danish rule, see a few
white men nowadays The gradual decadence
Of the whale fishery makes the visits of civilized
beings more of rarity. No more refined, gen
Tie and kindly people Is found any shere among
the so-caued ssvages. They are honest and
peaceful and well worthy Of little help from a
nation that sends missionaries and money to
the most undeserving. The Kite viii carry to
them from various contributors plenty Of
knives, hatchets, files, spearheads. needles and
tough wood. In the high ATTITUDES which they
inhabit no wood grows and they have to de-
pend upon what drifts to their shores or what
some chance exploring vessel leaves them.
WOOD Is THEIR GOLD.
As result little timber is of untold worth
70 them. Wood is their gold. They have no
means Of extracting iron from the earth, and
until they met the white man ivory was their
substitute. The Kite laSt year found arrow
heads made Of iron given to the Esquimeax by
DR. Hayes thirty years ago. This is proof of
the care with which they preserve an article Of
so much value, though with their other belong
ings they far from frugal, wasting their
meat for one month and starving during the
next.
The party will 60 to st. Johns In the steam
ship Miranda and viii embark on the Kite on
July 4. taking the supplies with them and well
armed with weapons for the slaughter Of the
poor polar bear. Simultaneously With their do
parture is another arctic event. Dr.. Robert n
keeiy, u., of Philadelphia, surgeon Of the Kite
last year, has published q book, plentifully
illustrated, containing excellent account OF
the voyage. There Is very little about Green
land that cannot be found in this work and as