The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-09-28
RETURN OF THE KITE,

Bringing Peary, Lee and Henson Safely
Home from Their Arctic Explorations
An Interesting Story of Their Experience
Which, However, was = Failure So Far
rs the Chief Object of the Voyage Was
Concerned.
ST. JOHNS, n. F., Sept 22.--The
Peary relief steamer Kite arrived here
yesterday afternoon, bringing Peary,
Lee and Henson safe home. The
Peary expedition party endured much
hardship last winter, but undaunted,
started northward again in April in
an attempt to make a new record.
They succeeded in reaching lndepend-
ence bay, where they camped. They
were unable to make any pronounced
advance ~northward owing to the weak
ness of the party.
The Peary party are very reticent.
but generally conceded hat in the
main the expedition was practically a
failure. Last winter was passed I'M
eventually at Anniversary Lodge in
preparing for the great expedition
over the ice cap. which left Anniver-
sary Lodge April 1. All three. Peary,
Lee and Henson, took part, having
five sleds and forty-nine dogs, besides
a supporting party of natives during
the first stages of the journey.
When they arrived at a point 1875
miles from headquarters, where he
had cached provisions on the failure
of the expedition in 1894, Peary could
not find the cache, which had evil
IDENTIFY been showed over and buried.
Consequently he decided to continue
on toward Independence bay, hoping
to augment his limited stock of pro-
visions by shooting game. He ex-
pected to reach the bay and do some
coast exploration which two hopes
were realized, although at the cost of
dreadful hardships. Lee gave out and
had to be hauled for several days till
the bay was reached where they con-
triyed to shoot several musk oxen
Owing to the smallness of the party
and the fatal defect OF a scarcity of
food, Peary could not make his way
northward. The dogs became enact
ated from want of food and then de-
veloped contagious sickness Peary
was compelled to kill the weaker mes
by degrees to supply the stronger ones
with food.
During the return Lee again col
lapsed and had to take to the sledge,
which Peary and Henson, with the re-
manning dogs, drew over the frozen
snow until he recovered. For oyer
two weeks all three lived on one meal
a day.
The Kite reached the mouth of In
gletield gulf July 81, but could not
penetrate north of Umberland sound
owing to ice, and eventually entered
Mccormack bay on August {.
The relief expedition started and
walked thirty-fve miles to Bowdoip
bay, where they found the gallant
trio. Both parties returned to the
ship August 4. She then started On a
walrus cruise.
Next she followed the coast south
and crossed Melville bay to Cape York.
where she explored for meteorites and
contrived to get two safely shipped,
one weighing 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, it was found impossi-
BILE to move, and they were compelled
to abandon it.
The Kite has on board the most
valuable collection ever brought out
of the Arctic regions. 1t is mainly
the work of Prof. Dyche, of Kansas
university, who collected nearly 1000
specimens of birds, eggs and animals.
in the neighorhoOd of Holsteinburg.
Peary secured many valuable meteor
illogical data. All the members of the
combined expeditions agree that this
gives the death blow to any Arctic ex-
pedition under American auspices for
many years to come. Peary feels his
failure keenly, and much sympathy is
expressed for him here.