Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-24
BACK FROM THE ARCTIC.
PEARY EXPEDITION RETURNED TO
PHILADELPHIA.
Royal Welcome Given the Explorers.
Mystery Surrounding the Fate of
John AZ. verhoeff-His Sis
ter's Suspicfons.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 23.-The little
whaling steamer Kite, with Lieutenant
Perry's exploring party on board, ar
rived at her dock, in this city, at noon.
A large crowd had assembled, and the
arrival of the steamer was greeted with
much cheering.
All the way up the river from the
breakwater, the vessel was greeted by
the steam whistles and bells of every
craft, and an anxious crowd assembled
at the docks. Among the first to board
the vessel was Mics Verhoeff, sister Of
John M. Verhoeff, who failed to return
with the party, and who is thought to
have fallen into crevasse. His rela-
tives discredit the theory that he was
killed, and several Of these firmly be-
lieve he is exploring the interior of
Greenland, having voluntarily remained
benind. The members of the expedi-
ton, however, do not share this belief.
The stories about differences between
Verhoeff and Peary are denied by the
latter.
Lieutenant Peary, the explorer, and
Prof. Angelo Heilprin, commander of
viz iOtiSi OObA CADICSS EdtlSIdC-
ton with the results which have been
achieved, saying both expeditions were
eminently successful.
Verhoef was last seen alive by Lang
den Gibson, August 18th, when he told
Gibson he was going TO take trip to
Kookern, an Esquimau settlement,
and might not return for several days.
Gibson told him that the settlement was
| deserted, and advised him not to 90, but
Verhoef insisted. When he failed to
| return, Peary secured a number of Es-
duimaux and began search, which was
kept up for several days and nights, but
no trace of the missing man was found.
VerhoeH's actions from the time the
party reached Greenland are described
as peculiar, and pointing to his inten-
ton to stay and live with the Esaui-
maux. His sister had long talk this
morning with Lieut.. Peary, and she later
declared it was most unsatisfactory
| ''Peary's treatment of me-" said she,
"was far from what it should have been,
and only strengthens my belief that he
acted in anything but a kindly manner
toward my brother"
Miss Verhoeff firmly believes her
brother is not DEAD, but that he volun-
tarily left the party 30 he might con-
tinue to go further north, as Peary had
| agreed before the exposition started.
But little information was gained
from Lieutenant Peary, or any member
| OF the expedition in regard TO the scien-
| tific results of the journey.
| Lieutenant Peary and wife are under
contract to New York papers to give
them the results of the expedition first,
and the other members ale pledged to
| silence. The lieutenant said, the most
important work accomplished, of course,
was the discovery of great bay named
| independence bay, on the northeast coast
OF Greenland, and the practical out
lining of the entire northern coast of
| Greenland, settling once for all the
vexed question as to whether Greenland
stretched across the pole in northern
continental mass, or not. Greenland, as
the map now willshow, is q great island
| reaching from its present known posi-
ton to little above the SD parallel of
| latitude.
"The upper part of Greenland" he
said, ''is much like it's southern end.
The ice cap ends south of Victoria ford,
and the mainland mass does not stretch
very much further north. The north and
northeastern coasts are bordered with
islands until you come to the great bay
l discovered in latitude 82 degrees, "a
minutes. On the southern ehore OF the
bay great glacier protrudes, and, after
running to the northeast of the North
| Atlantic coast, runs northwest to the
highest northern point discovered by
Lockwood in 1882.