The sun., 1893-06-30
Peary's Arctic Explorations.

Lieut.. PEARY will sail to-day to resume
his researches In northern Greenland. He
has already given four or five Of his best
years to this undertaking. for long before he
went north in 1891 every dollar he could save
went toward the expenses OF his first cx-
pedition. His equipment and transporta-
tion charges for the present enterprise rep
resent a cash outlay OF $25,0OO, and he
has the satisfaction OF knowing that
he has asked no man nor society for q
dollar. His entire investment Is the out
come of q seasons hard work on the lecture
platform from Maine to Colorado. and Of his
writings. This achievement has filled the
nine months since he came home with labor
as arduous as that Of his three months on
the ice-cap: and 1t Is worth mentioning. for
it is something new for an Arctic explorer
to supply. not only preGminent fitness. but
also the wherewithal to place him advan-
tageously in the field.
Tho detailed report OF Lieut.. PEARYs first
expedition has not yet been published, and
until it appears. most students Of Polar
exploration will not fully understand
how conspicuous that year Of Arctic re-
search really was: for in some respects the
who have had the opportunity to study.
PEARY's note books from beginning to end.
have seen there pictures Of Arctic labor and
life to be found in no other history of Polar
endeavor. They reveal the man and his
methods. They show most interesting
phases OF his doings. to which he has al
ready referred in his lectures and writings !;
and we may briefly refer to one or two Of
them here. because they indicate how he
will go about his coming researches.
Nearly every waking hour Of the winter
darkness OF 1912 was devoted to inces-
SAINT experimentation In every phase OF
equipment and preparation for the spring
campaign on the inland ice. For instance,
the question OF the clothing best adapted
for comfort at different temperatures was
minutely studied and decisively answered.
The heat-preserving qualities of skins and
furs procured from animals killed at differ
ent seasons Of the year were carefully in
vestigated. Tho best sleeping outfit for
men camping out OF doors In the bitterest
weather, was devised as the result of numer-
GUS experiments by PEARY long before he set
foot on the ice-cap. He made fifteen sledges.
including seven different types. and the
throe he took north were those that best
stood the tests he applied to them. When he
climbed the ice-cap alone. on a very cold
spring day. in skin suit weighing less
than winter attire In New York, ther-
mometer under his clothing recorded his
body heat at various temperatures OF tho
air from sea level to three-fourths OF a
mile above It, With thermometers placed a
foot apart. he recorded the temperatures in
Red Clin House from floor to roof, and he
solved the problem Of cheerful and
comfortable home for living aud working
In the depths OF an Arctic winter. No frost
invaded his cabin. and only seven pounds
OF coal were burned on one of the coldest
winter days.
Numberless experiments such as these
embraced everything from the toggles of
his snowshoes to the most vital phases OF
his labors and items of his equipment The
result OF oil was that his outfit and train
Ing were perfectly adequate for the work
he had to do, that his men were athletes
when the time came for tho field. and that he
made the greatest sledge journey ever per-
formed by two men with q team OF dogs.
travelling on the ice-cap as for as from this
city to Omaha without q single advance
cache OF supplies.
A year ago this month. PEARY was toiling
eastward along the northern edge OF Green
lands ice-cap. the most stupendous body
OF ice OF which We have any knowledge.
Through riffs In the hills to the north. he
caught glimpses every now and then OF the
channel that marks the northern edge OF
the great island. He saw this channel at
Its western outlet. and he followed 1t until
he saw it Join the Arctic Ocean on the east
ern side Of Greenland. He had proved the
insularity OF Greenland. and this was his
greatest discovery.
He is going back now to take up the In
vestigation where no was compelled TO leave