The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-09-24
Miss yerhoeff Refuses to Believe Her
Brother Is Dead in Icy Greenland.
Unsatisfactory Interview with Lieutenant
Pesry. Who Spent Seven Days in Searching
for the Missing Kentucky Mineralogist
Denial of the Report that Harmony Did
Not Exist in the Expedition.
The Missing Man Described as Ambitious, with
sDesire to Secure Fame for Himself-His
Fate Not Likely to BE Ever Known.

Cept- 91-lho WV
whaling steamer Kite, with Lieutenant
Peary's exploring party and the Peary re-
lief party ON board, arrived at her dock In
this city at noon. A large crowd had as
sembled, and the arrival of the steamer
was greeted with much cheering. As al
ready reported. both Ok expeditions have been
emineDtly successful, making exceptionally
quick passages. without sickness or storm
of any kind. Lieut. Robert Peary. the ex-
plorer, and Prof. Angelo Hellprin, COM
mander of the relief party, expressed sat
isfaction with the results which have been
achieved to crowds of their friends, fellow
scientists of the Philadelphia Academy
and representatives of the newspapers.
many of whom steamed down the Della
ware in tugs to meet the returning ex-
plorers.
The stanch little whaling steamer Kite.
Captain Pike commanding. which has
safely weathered the arctic seas twice in
the last two years, was detained over night
at the breakwater by federal quarantine
officials. This morning. at an early hour,
she was allowed TO proceed, having n clean
bill of health. Sho arrived ct the state
quarantine MT $50 A. Ne. and, after an hours
examination by the port ply stefan. steamed
up 10 her dock at the foot of Christian
street A continual ovation from steam
whistles and bells on every craft in the
harbor greeted the Kite. 1t was ll:SO
o'clock when the dock Was reached. and
an anxious throng of waiting relatives and
friends of the members of both parties at
once swarmed over the decks. A reception
committee from the academy was already
on board, having met the Kite some miles
below the city.
Miss Verhoef. a sister of John NJ. Yer
heoff, who failed to return with his fellow
explorers. being reported dead. accomPa-
MED the reception committee with her
aunt and uncle. They discredit the theory
that the missing minerafogist was acci-
dentally killed. and firmly believe that he
Is now even exploring the INTERIOR of Green
land. having voluntarily remained behind.
Lieutenant Peary himself refuses to say
anything concerning Verhoeff's disappear
ance beyond what has already been men
toned in the dispatches. lie denies, how
ever, that differences existed between him.
self and the independent but ambitious
Kentuckian. Other members express ig-
norance of any trouble between the two
men. or of VerhoefPs intention TO explore
for himself. William T.. Nj. NOLAN, the
botanist Of the relief party. said that the
search for the mineraloRist occupied seven
days, M that every member of both expe-
ditlons. nine Esqulm aux and the ships
crew were engaged In it, Traces of Yer
hoeif had been found on the sixth day near
number of large crevasses. into which
there was every reason to believe he had
fallen.
BRIEF TALK WITH PEARY
In relation to Verb oeff, d disappearance the
young mans uncle. Rev. A. n. KeigiviE. of
Wilmington. Del. and his cousin. II. d..
Elliott. of Louisville. held a long confer
ence with Lieutenant Peary on the way MP
the river. What he told them only
strengthened their conviction that the
mineralogist il alive. Miss Matte Verhoeff
was not 30 easily satisfied. On boarding
the Kite she walked straight mp TO where
Lieutenant Peary stood on the quarter
deck, aud asked abruptly.
What. have you to tell me about my
brotherp
II am sorry he is not on board" began
is that all you can tell mel" she inter-
rupted warmly.
Friends persuaded the anxious girl to
await q more favorable opportunity for
privately questioning the lieutenant. The
latter. with tears In his eyes. had already
assured Mr.. keigivin and Mr.. Elliott that
he had done Everything In his power. and
rchearsed tie story OF the disappearance
and search for Nerhoeii already told. The
two relatives questioned other members of
the expedition. hut were met by considera-
ple rctIcence, due to the fact that the
stories published concerning q rupture be-
tween Peary and Verhoeff had reached
their ears. and that they wished to avoid
interferences. Verh0eifs uncle and cousin
give as n reason for supposinG him alive
the fact that he went away on o trip for
minerals TO an Esquiman village, saying
that no might be gone two days. but toll
ing his feilOw-explUrers not to be- alarmed
IL he stayed four. He took with him IN ok,
Colts revolveA nifty cartridges. an oil
skin suit and compass. apparently prepar-
contsmpIated going away said Mr.. Kei.
givin, Il Judge from the fact that he asker
several of his fellow-exDlorers. before the
arrival of the relief expedition, whether u
man could remain at tho north IL he so de-
thing would not bs permitted. and that
Peary would force him to go back"
Peary himself thinks there is not one
chance IN n Thousand for Verhoeff being
alive. IL he is living, however. tho lieuten-
ant declares he can c-oinmunicare with his
friends by whaling vessels which visit Nc
Cormick's bay in November. Supplies for
eighteen months have been left where the
lost man can reach them.
Lieutenant Peary was asked Ia lt true
that there were differences between Yer
hocn and yourselff"
1T is not: we we're out In a boat together
several days before starting back, and no
was perfectly friendly"
"lsit true that he rave g.. coo toward the
expenses OF Your expedition on the under
standing thai he was to be you companion
northf'
"It is not trne. IL was understood before
our expedition started from here that the
selection should not be known until after
we arrived in Greenland. aud that was car
ned out"
''iou bad tho selection of your own CON-
~panionf"
q did. and there was no reason why Yer.
hoeii should be selected any more than
anyone else in the party"
On other subjects tho explorer talks more
freely. He says that be could get further
north IL the sea of ice was un broken. He
is satisfied that Greenland Is an island.
Laugdon Gibson. q native of Long Isl-
and CITY. was the last man who saw Yer
hoetf alive. and Miss Verhoeff piled him
with questions. Gibson was one of the
seen Nerhoef at Robertson's point, and
that he mad not enough clothing and food
tn last longer than n few days. Il think
he 10 dead" said the sailor, though | did
not tell his sister. He was right near the
Esauimaux. and they will take care of him
II he 10 alive"
WHEN ASST SEEN ALIVE
Verhoeff was last seen alive by Gibson on
Ana. Il. the latter being encamped at the
head of Mccormick bay. shooting birds to
add TO his collection. Yerhoeff told Gibson
he was gong to take a trip TO Kookorn. an
Esquimaux settlement. and might not
DO back for two or three days. Glib
son told him that the settlement
was deserted. and advised him net TO 90.
but Nerhoeft insisted. Verhoeff's actions
from the time the party reached Greenland
are described as peculiar. and as poin tin 2
20 on intention 20 stay and live with the
squimaux IL IL said that no con-