St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-09-27
PEARY'S LETTER.

Il was unable 10 carry out my
plan last spring to reach Independence
Bay, on the northeast coast OfGreen-
land, on account of the terrible
weather which set in after we had
started on our journey" said Lieut..
Peary in letter to the New York
Sum- LAS l had planned, | made a
very early start. We set out from
Anniversary Lodge on March 6. The
winter night was at an end, and the
sun had risen above the horizon
about two weeks before. The party
comprised eight men-Astrup, who
was my companion on the journey
to the northeast coast in 1892, and
Messrs. Entrikin, Lee, Baldwin, Vim
cent, Davidson and Clark. We had
90 dogs and - sledges. Five ma
tives assisted US during the first two
days of the march.
Our intention was to make
straight over the inland ice for indie
pendence Bay, about $50 miles away.
Our course was to be about mid way
between my outward and homeward
track in 1892 Eight days after we
started Lee and Astrup were COM
PEELED to return to our winter quar-
tiers. Lee had a frozen toe that rem
dered it impossible for him to go on
with US. Astrup was i'll and unfit
for further marching. We were
therefore crippled from the start, for
we needed all hands if we reached the
north coast in order to carry out my
plan of dividing the expedition into
three parties, each TO undertake a
certain part of the work.
Terrible Storm.
For the uext six days, to March
20, we made slow progress and on
that day we were compelled to go
into camp after making three miles.
We could make no progress against
the furious head wind. The temper
allure was 35 degrees below zero,
Entriken, Baldwin and l occupied
one hut and Vincent, Clark and Dav-
idson were in the other. Here we
were imprisoned by the binding
storm for three DAYS On the 22d inst.
two days after we went into camp,
Vincent, Clark and Davidson were
compelled to retreat to our tent to
escape smothering. Davidson and
Clark were considerably trost-bit-
ten.
The storm subsidized on the 23d
inst, and we had our first opportu-
nifty to inspect the condition of the
camp. We dug the dogs out OF the
snow that buried them. They were
in most pitiable condition. Some
were dead and frozen solid under
the snow. Many were frozen fast to
the ice, and we had to chop them
loose. The thermometer showed that
the average wind velocity for 81
hours was As miles an hour. The
thermograph showed that the aver
age temperature had been 50 degrees
below zero. The lowest tempera-
ture during the storm was so degrees
below zero. We were encamped on
the ice cap, 5000 feet above the sea.
| believe that this was the severest
storm ever experienced by an Arctic
party on a sledge journey.
"Davidson's frost bites made it
necessary for him to return to Ami
versary Lodge. Clark desired
to continue with us. Davidson
could not return to the winter camp
alone, and so DIR. Vincent was de-
tailed to go with him. They left US
on March "a, and then our party
was reduced to tour men,
The March Resumed.
1--WE resumed the march on the
2Sth inst, in a furious gale of wind,
ind with the snow drifting badly,
Entrikin repaired sledge, and while
at this work froze his feet badly.
Still l determined to keep on, and
we struggled ahead, fighting wind
and weather as best we could, until
April 10. The dogs suffered greatly.
They could not rally from the effects
of the terrible equinoctial storm
through which we had passed.
Deaths occurred among them every
day. To our dismav we found that
the piblockto, or Greenland dog dis
ease, which for many years has from
time to time made great ravages
among the native dog teams, had
gained a firm foothold among our
animals. We faced the probability
that we would soon have no dogs
to draw our sledges.
Compelled to Turn Back.
The facts that my dogs were be-
ing exterminated, that we were still
less than one-tourth the distance on
our way, and that the season was
getting late, decided me to return to
our winter quarters and to save
what provisions, alcohol, and so on
! could for another trial on the in
land ice next spring. At our hating
place, 125 miles on onr journey, l
cached good quantity of supplies.
and erected prominent signal that
will enable me to identify the spot
next spring. Then we began the re-
treat under much difficulty.