The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-22
PEARY EXPEDITION FAILED.
The Kite Returns With All Safe On BoaTd,
But With Little 10 Tell.
LEE TAKEN SICK AND The DOGS DIED.
Forced Out of Her Track by the Pack Ice
the Vessel Reached Independence
Bay After Hard StruggIe-Naiu-
able Collections Brought Back.

ST. JOHNS. ". f., Sept. 1.-THE
Peary relief steamer Kite arrived this
afternoon. bringing Peary. Lee. and Hen
son safe home. The Peary expedition
Tarty endured much hardship last winter,
but, undaunted started northwarl again
in April in an attempt to make new
record. They succeeded in rslching In
dependence Bay. where they campcd.
They were unable 10 make any pro-
nounced advance northward, owing to tho
weakness Of the party. both Lee and
Henson being incapacitatel. \ number
OF the dogs died from plague common
/ amongst them. Tie work Of the oxpedi-
| ton IS believed TO be unimpOrtant.
| The Kite reached Peary's headquarters
| August Sd. and started 10 return on Sep
| tember 1st They spent the intervening
time exploring in the interests Of the
| Greenland scientific expedition.
Messrs. Dioitsch, Salisbury, Diche, Le-
| boutillier, and Walsh, who were on board
| surveyed many miles of unknown coasts.
They also discovered two larger meteor
| ties which they brought home, and an
other Weighing forty tons. which it was
| impossible to take away They also
found it impossible to bring home Peary's
| house.
Many sIecimens Of deer, walrus, and
northern animals and birds. flowers Heb
ems, were secured, but the captures were
not as extensive as had been expected
| owing to the time for exploring being
| cut short in tho hurry 10 return. The
| Kite visited Jones Sound, Cape Sabine
| and many points south OF Greenland
| They had a pleasant and uneventful
| passage.
PRACTICALLY A FAILURY.
The Peary party are very reticent. but
| generally concede that in the main tho
expedition was practically a failure.
Last winter was passed uneventfully at
| Anniversary Lodge, IN preparing for tho
| great expedition over the Ice Cape, which
left Anniversary Lodge on April lst. All
three, Peary, Lee, and Henson. took part,
| having five sledges, and fOrty-nine dogs,
besides'a supporting party Of natives dur
ing the first stages of the journey.
When they arrived at point one hun
dred and thirty-hve miles from head
quarters, he had cached provisions. on
the failure of the expedition in 1894.
| Peary could not find the cache. which
had evidently been showed over and
| buried. Consequently. he decided to
continue on toward Independence Bay.
hoping 10 augment his limited stock OF
| llONlelDIr DN FADhilNS game
lie hoped TO reach the bay and do
some coast exploration, which two hopes
were realized, although at the expense
| Of hardships. Lee gave out and had
| TO be hauled several days. until the
Bay was reached. Owing 20 the small
ness of the party. and a fatal defect
| of scarcity OF food. Peary could not
make his way nOrthward. lie did some
coast exploration himself. while Lee re-
cuperated after Which they began their
| return journey TO camp.
| The dogs became cmaciafcd from want
Of food, and then developed contagious
| sickness. Pcary was compelled 10 kin
| the weaker ones by degrees, 20 supply
| the stronger ones with food. Ultimately
! the stock Of dogs became 50 reduced tha-
| only one remained, when headquarters
were reached on their return Journey.
LIE COLLAPSED.
During the return Lee again collapsed,
! and had TO take TO the sled. which
| Poary and Henson. with the remaining
dogs drew over the frozen snow until
he recovered. For over two weeks all
| lived on one meal day.
They ate their last ounce Of food twcn-
~ miles from camp and passed twenty
six hours without food before they sue
ceedod in reaching home They got back
| on July 18th, just a week before they
| heard news Of the relief expedition. The
| Kite reached the mouth Of Ingleteld
| Gulf July DIST, but could not penetrate
! Northumberland Sound. owing 10 the ice.
Being forced South by the ice pack, she
tried Murchison Sound. but failed, and
eventually entered Mccormack bay on
| August "a.
The relief expedition started and walked
| thirty-fve miles TO Bowdern Bay, whore
they found the gallant trio. Both parties
returned to the ship Angus 9Th. She then
started on a walrus cruise. She proceed
ed thirty i4las north of Littlet)n Island,
| on the east side and then cruisod 10
Cape Sabine on the west coast. whence
she cruised south. entering Jones Sound
and proceeding Afty miles up 1t until
stopped by ice.
Next she crossed Melville Bay 10 Cape
York, where she explored for meteorites,
and contrved to get two safely shipped.
one weighed half a ton and the other
three tons, but a stone, commonly. known
as Sir John Ross, an immense block OF
almost pure iron. weighing about forty
tons, was found impossible 10 move,
but they were compelled 10 abandon IL.
They drilled several holes In it. hoping 70
force of piece. but failed.
On September I'M the Kite was caught
I'm a pack OF disks and remained there
four days. She barely escaped being
nipped and sinking. The Kite has on
board the most valuable collection ever
brought out of the Arctic regions. II IS
mainly the work OF Professor Diche, OF
the Kansas University, who collected
nearly 400 specimens OF BIRDS eggs
and animals In the neighborhoo'NN liol-
steinburg. besides which the following
srecimens were also secured during the
Kites cruise: q walruses, narwhale,
., seals. u polar bears, and number Of
other animals.
Peary made many valuable meteorologi-
cal data lie thoroughly surveyed Ingle-
field Gulf and the neighborh0Od. All the
members OF the combined expeditions
agree that this gives the death blow 10
anv arctic expedition under American
auspices for many years 10 come.
Peary feels his failure keeniy. and much
svmpathv is expressed for him here.