The sun., 1894-09-30
Lieut.. Peary's Story of the
Retreat from the Ice Cap.
CAUSES OF THE DEFEAT.
A Summary Of the Conditions Making
Further Advance Impossible.

fsurths ef the Dogs Out or the Race
cest.-es Worn .. Iee-csp sissei.s-
Fe.ry sleeps tn Cs.rsrt on che suov ..
. Temperature fEe Beiow zero-The
Es-ip-e.t n. Took On the Journes .
Nsture OF ithe Iat.,d Ics-Me VIII Buiis
Shelter. Tor His Dog. o. Next sprire'.
se.rney Eskinos A.nou.ee the Return
90 thsI ship-Tbs Espiorer's Plan. for
Nest Tssr sss His Consde.ee that
sseeess VIII Fin.iiy Reward Hin.
Crus suu prntsd sept 90 Lieut Pearys recital Of
efs hsroio attempt, under whslnningly adverse
sonditons 10 reach the north OF Greenland He
closed this chapter At the time when at distance OF
1at miles from tho edge OF the Ice cap and 95 miles
rom his winter camp, he found it necessary to
back In the following letter he describes the homo
ward march and subsequent evsnts.l
Having decided that our Journey TO the north
coast OF Greenland must be given up for this
season, tho next thing to do was 10 cache the
pemmicsn and mark It's position by prominent
signal. This was done by pilng tho pemmlcan
bags on each other around the base of four
tssn-foot bamboo pole driven into the snow two
and onc-half feet till II came 10 q bearing upon
IN icy crust. The bags were then covered deep
With snow. forming n pile some fve feet high
The pole Just above this was braced by tripod
formed OF two ski aud sledgo runner and the
Cop Of the pole itsolf was surmounted BY an
empty cracker tln firmly wired to II. This sig
nal could be easily seen for a distance of be-
tween two and three miles under ordinary con-
ditions, and with the sun In favorable position.
90 as to have Its rays reflected from the sides Of
the cracker tin, probably twico that distance.
This cache 10 situated 124 miles northeast
half east ttrue, from the moraino camp and IL
at m elevation Of some $500 feet above tho sea
level The surface Of The inland Ice before
reaching this point had been practically level
during the last two or three marches and It was
apparently tho same In every direction from tho
cache, though probably still rising slightly TO
tho northeast and east.
The work Of erecting the signal, together with |
the rearranging of tho sledge loads and repair |
Ing the harnesses, took up the whole day. and |
the following morning we started back over our |
outward sledGc tracks.
ANOTHER HARD STORM
On our irst return march wo covered eighteen
and . half miles, owing TO tho reduced loads and |
down grade. and the fact that the wind was now
behind us instead of In our faces. Then the
dogs played out and wo campcd. During this
march another dog wss attacked with the
ptbiocto fGreenland dog diseased After reach
ing camp three others that showed undoubted
symptoms Of the disease were shot. As we
made camp there were all tho indications Of
another storm, n solid mass OF dark, sullen
clouds sweeping rapidly over us from tho south
east. BY the time our dinner was finished the
storm burst upon us. and furious wind with
snow and drift held sway throughout the night
and until lat. the folInwino s,,ornoon ,.har
thsrc came lr,I y,ht,h on.h,.a a.. .,,.i, a. |
die out tho s,sdcs. and ,or -. .ho-, A., -, |
homes Of our beIng abls 40 movo on ano,hos
dog was found at his last gasp and put out of
misery. The lull was of short duration. and the
wind and drift closed In on US and drove US
psid,vIn IN nm .,,or,n, % 80. .,
,orv .I.dg. y,.s ,hro,sr 49,, -, 49, - s,.'.
Wind ncsrix .pf,oco,.d hv On. d.,,, .n, -, ."o
y,sd hocE IN ,bo Ton, hIs ,,o,h,n - s'n,
m, ans ,nou and he hIm..r, 80, .na 49,, .' y.
heInIes. viii tho cold E.r,v ,ha 80, ..I.
m. storm c.,ssa and found ,,vo 80. =,
DOG, dead and sno,h.r ,ro,.n =, .hn,.r u.
which he wa. f..,snsd and sv,asn,in %, go
for mors than one NOR. mach Tn 49,. 49,
nom wa. ,nsn, IN d,s,ina on, ~. s'.sa.os
tent and In untansling the dogs. In the after
noon we covered fourteen more miles on our
return. MT Entrtkin was obliged TO ride all day
on account OF the condition Of his feet.
Words are powerless TO give an idea Of the re-
lief AFFORDED US by tho calm night which we
passed at this camp, after the days and nights
or storm and wind shrieking past the tent.
The next morning the thermometer at my
head was up TO -32'. yet three more of my dogs
were unable 10 travel, and were killed before we
left camp. This reduction In the number OF
dogs. and the exhausted condition OF those left,
compelled me to cache here some 800 pounds OF
supplies During this days march we covered
sixteen miles In what seemed 10 US summer
weather ana compiete calm, tho Thermometer
registering - when placed upon piece OF fur
aud exposed directly To the rays OF the sun.
This day again Entrikin, In spite Of repeated
snorts to hooble along with his feet muffied in
several thicknesses or FUR as cushions, was
obliged 70 ride the entire distance.
Monday April 10, was n clear. calm day, with
tho Thermometer at -40' Fair. | found two
more dogs nearly dead In the morning, and big
kessuh. the most powerful animal In the pack.
was taken very sick soon after we started.
Eleven miles from the camp was obliged to
rache ClArk . siedge and the greater portion OF
NE LOAD and divide his dogs between Entrikin