Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-13

carried into it. I made him bed upon
some patent fuel boxes, from which he
could watch the progress of the house.
Here also the boys could come to him for
any information they might want, as they
were all novices at the work. Two days
after Mr.. Peary was carried ashore all our
provisions had been landed, with seven
tons of coal from the Kite, the walls of the
house were up and the floor down, and, al
though not plank toward the roof had
been nailed, he decided to turn the Kite
over to Prof. Hellrrin that he might start
on the return trip as soon as possible.
Temptation to Return.
That same evening all our shipmates, in
cluding dear old Captain Pike and his Off
GERS and crew, bade us goodby, many of
them expecting never to see US again. The
captain pleaded with me to return with him,
said it was next to impossible for me to
stand the long cold, dark winter, and utter
ly impossible for me to stand the boat jour-
ney through Melville Bay. But I re-
mained firm in my determination to stay
with my husband as long as he wished me
to stay. That night all the boys slept on
the Kite for the last time, MI. Peary and
sleeping in the tent on shore. Had any
thing happened during the night the only
help could have had was from the Kite,
lying half a mile from shore.
Early the next morning our boys landed,
and the little vessel with our friends on
board sailed for home. Overcome by sleep
and exhaustion, did not even hear the
farewell shrieks of the Kites whistle, nor
the cheers and shouts of the little party in
the whaleboat, who were heading for the
shore of the unknown Arctic country, away
from friends and home.
1t was, of course, very necessary that the
house be under roof and the doors and
windows in place, for although we had had
beautiful weather for some time, no one
could tell when it would change, and the
little tent could not possibly give all of US
shelter. So the boys worked away on the
roof, singing and whistliDg, while the wind
grew fresher and fresher and great clouds
began to roll up from the south. 1 pre-
pared our lunch OF Boston baked beans,
coffee and buscuit, and called the workers.
Seated about on boxes and boards, inside
and outside the tent, tin mess pans and
spoons on their knees and cups of coffee be-
side them, they certainly did Justice to the
meal
A Supper Under Difficulties.
Long before supper time it was raining in
torrents and the wind constantly increasing
in force and velocity until the BOYS were
compelled to stop work and seek shelter in
the half-roofed house. For supper we had
corned beef, stewed tomatoes, biscuit and
tea, served in the same sumptuous style as
our lunch, except that some of the boys
crowded in the tent, while others seized
their mess pans and ran through the pour
ing rain into the house where the water was
running in streams along some portions of
the floor and the wind whistling through it
like mad. The storm grew worse and
worse, the little tent swayed and rocked,
and expected from moment to moment TO
see it 60 That day and the following night
passed very slowly to me, for every minute
was full of anxiety. By noon of Saturday
(the second day after the Kite left us) the
house was under cover, the doors aud win.
dows in place, our stove up and roaring
fire of blocks and shavings drying out
everything, and in the afternoon Mr.. Peary
was carried in and placed on a pile of sun
dries in one corner. What relief to get
under a shelter that did not rock and sway
with every gust of wind, and where I could
step about without sinking in mud to my
ankles.
I stretched pair of blankets across our