Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-09-17

| CAPT PEAHY. Two WccKS lotcr, In6
house being completed externally,I sent Gieson
in the Faith with DR.. Cook Astrup ind Yer.
hoefI to Northumberland and Hakluvt islands
TO bring back native hunter and family ana
supply OF birds from the eatlamerics on these
| islands. The party returned in six days, after
| o successful trip, bringing o large number OF
| birds, and my hunter, Ikwa, with his wife,
Name, two children, dogs tupic sledge and
kayak or boat Work then commenced on tho
outer stone and turf wall which was 10 inciosO
Red Cliff house and protect II from the cold and
storms Of the long arctic night
| On the LIST OF September the entire party went
| to the head of Mccormick bay TO start the Hum
boldt glacier depot. The party-Astrup, Glib
| son and Verhocn-left on September and re-
| turned four days later. baficd by bad weather
and deep snow. Astrup and Gibson started
again on September - and returned seven days
later having penetrated an estima cd distance
of thirty miles toward Humboldt glacier. Dur.
ing the absence OF these parties made several
boat trips to different places for deer and then
| attempted TO explore Inrleaeld gulf. accom-
panied by Mrs Peary, Dr. Cook Matt Henson
ind ms native hunter.
Twas stopped by young ice and nearly lost
my boat in an attack from q herd OF angry
walrus. seven Of which we killed.
On October the young ice stopped all further
boat work. and two weeks later sled trips were
inauguratcd BY this time I had discarded
crutches and could hobble about with cane
The beginning OF the long night found us With
thirty-one reindeer. several seals and walrus.
and several hundred birds in our larder, and
warm snug house TO shelter US More natives
came and settled near US. and the winter passed
rapidly in the preparation OF our deer skins,
the making OF our fur clothing sledges, skier
and other equipment and the visits OF the
natives from all parts Of the coast The return
Of the sun In the middle OF February was marked
by o furious storm, accompanied by torrents
" rain and o temperature OF more than W %
Fahrenheit During forty-eight hours the en-
tire region was swept and washed almost bare
OF snow, and Red Gin was nearly flooded
The fine weather in March ana April. though
the temperature was between 400 and 5!o be-
low zero, found us oil in good condition aud
gave opportunities for ski and snowShoo prac-
tice and the completion Of my inland leo equip
ment
In the middle OF April with Mrs. Peary and
my native driver on y sledge drawn by thir-
teen dogs, started on tour OF the islands and
shores OF Whale sound ana lngiehcld gull.
Seven days later I was back 1T Rcd Gin. haV'
Ing Travelled some 25) miles behind my wild
wolves, visiting all the natives In the gulf and
discovering the Leidy, Helpin, Tracy, Farlu-
har, Melville. Meehan, Sun, Brinion Hart,
Hubbard, Sharp and Dahlgrcen glaciers. Mounts
DAILY Putnam and Adams and the sculptured
cliffs OF Kanak. Upon my return DR.. COOK
Astrup, Gibson, twelve dogs and oil the male
and Esqumaux at Red Cliff began transporting
the inland ice supplies aud equipment 10 ana
upon the ice at the head OF Mccormick bay
I Joined them with Matt and twelve dogs on
May 3, and after interruptions and delays from
storms and the steep grades OF the outer por-
ton OF the inland ice, everything was brought
to the rolling surface Of the true ice cap Ut On
elevation of some 1000 feet The real start
may be said TO have commenced on May 10. AZ
this time there were four OF US and sixteen
dogs, Matt having been invalided homo
On May q. on the edge OF the great basin OF
the Humboldt glacier, about 100 miles from NC
Cormick Day, Gibson and DR.. Cook. forming the
supporting party turned back with two dogs;
Astrup and myself with the remaining dogs,
went on At midnight OF May 81 we looked
down into Petermann ford from the edge OF its
great glacier feeder basin Eight DAYS later
we saw the land ut fho head OF st Georges
ford and then for two weeks were panied ana
harasscd by storms, fog, crevasses and steep
ice slopes while trying TO weather the FEEDER
basins OF the ST. Georges and Sherman os-
borne glacier system, the Hatieras OF the
northern inland ice sea-
On June % we were under the sd parallel
when the land which I had been keeping IN
north and northeast and then TO the east de-
fecting me 10 the southeast After marching
four days 10 the southeast the land stu eN-
tending southeast and east / made direct Tor
II toward large opening in the mountains.
visible over the nearest submits, and landed
on July
On July I, after three days travel overland
reached the head OF Great bay, latitude 81 de-
grces, a minutes longitude q degrees opening
\ .faV NNsln II Ia M
bay In honor OF the day. and the great glacier
flowing north into II Academy glacier.
Preached the inland ice again on July with
foot.geas cut 10 pieces and ourselves and dogs
exhausted or dead. We were lame from the
hard climbing, sharp stones and frequent falls
we had met. This land, red and brown In
color, and almost entirely free from snow, Is
covered with glacieral debris and sharp stones
Of all sizes Flowers. insects and musk oxen
nre abundant We shot five musk oxen and .
large number OF birds Traces Of foxes, hares,
ptarmiEan and possibly wolves, were seen
The surface OF the bay was covered with win
ter's still unbrokcn ice, prisoning the iceoergs
from the great glaciers.
On July we started on the return, taking
course more inland In seven days we were
struggling through the soft snow and wrapped
in the snow clouds OF the great interior plateau.
more than 1900 fOet above the sea level We
remained IN the clOuuS soule iouItcch ueyo'
when we descended from the east OF the Bum-
boldt glacier. Then with dogs and ourselves
trained down 20 hard pan. we covered more
than thirty miles per day for seven days, TIL
our eyes were gladdened by the deep green leo
burg dotted waters Of Mccormick bay. On the
last day. as I came over the summit OF ihe
great ice dome, lying between the border Of the
true inland Ice and the head OF the bay, saw
moving figures q mile or two ahead on the next
ice dome From that party burst almost In
stantly a cheer. aud 10 was not long before
was clasptng hands with Prof Heilpuin ana mis-
men, who were out on u reconnaissance prenar-
atory to going in toward Humboldt glacier 70
meet me A few hours later climbed over the
side OF the Kite, anchored 1T the ho1d OF MO
Cormick bay, ana the SD mile journe9 was az
IN end Two days later the Kite steamed down
10 Red CHI Elght days after this oil tho
work was completed AMI nearly everything was
on board the Kite