The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-22
PRIVATIONS ENDURED.
Great Suffering on One Jour-
ney Owing to a Scarcity
of Provisions.
ALL THE DOGS HAD TO DIE.
Lee Became Sick and His Two
Comrades Drew Him Over the
Ice on Sleigh.

ST. JOHNS, N. F., Sept. 21.-The Peary
relief steamer Kite arrived here this after
noon bringing Peary, Lee and Hanson safe
home. The Peary expedition party en-
dured much hardship last winter, but un-
daunted started northward again in April
in an attempt to make new record.
They succeeded in reaching Independ-
ence Bay, where they camped. They were
unable to make any pronounced advance
northward owing to the weakness of the
party, both Lee and Hanson being ex-
hausted. The work of the expedition is
believed to have been unimportant. The
Kite reached Peary's headquarters August
3 and started to return on September l.
They spent the intervening time exploring
in the interest of the Greenland Scientific
Expedition.
Members of the party are very reticent,
but generally conceded that in the main
the expedition was practically failure.
Last winter was passed uneventfully at
Anniversary Lodge in preparing for the
great expedition over the ice cap, which
left Anniversary Lodge April l. All three,
Peary, Lee and Hanson, took part, having
five sledges and forty-nine dogs besides
supporting party of natives during the
first stages of the journey.
When they arrived at a point 135 miles
from headquarters, where he had cached
provisions on the failure of the expedition
in 1895, Peary could not find the cache,
which had evidently been showed over and
buried. Consequently he decided to con-
tinue on toward Independence Bay, hop
ing to augment his limited stock of
provisions by shooting game. He expected
to reach the bay and do some coast ex-
ploration, which two hopes were realized,
although at the cost of dreadful hardships.
Lee gave out and had to be hauled for sew
eral days till the bay was reached, where
they contrived 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 He
did some coast exploration himself, while
Lee recuperated, after which they began
their return journey to camp. The dogs
became emaciated from want of food and
then developed contagious diseases. Ulti-
mately the stock of dogs became so re-
duced that only one remained when head
quarters were reached on the return Jour
ney.
During the return Lee again collapsed
and had to take to the sledge, which Peary
and Hanson, with the remaining dog, drew
over frozen snow until he recovered.
For over two weeks all three lived on
one meal day. They ate their last ounce
of food twenty miles from camp, and
passed many hours without food before
they succeeded in reaching home. They
got back July %, just week before they
heard news OF the relief expedition. The
Kite reached the mouth of Inglefeld Gulf
July q, but could not penetrate Northum-
berland Sound owing to ice. Being forced
south by the icepaek, she tried Murchison
Sound, but failed, and eventually entered
Mccormack Bay on August 2.
The relief expedition started and walked
thirty-five miles to Bedouin Bay, where
they found the gallant trio. The parties
returned to the ship August 4. She then
started on a walrus cruise. She proceeded
thirty miles north of Littleton Island, on
the east side, and then crossed to Cape
Sabine, on the west coast, whence she
cruised south, entering Jones Sound and
proceeding fifty miles up it, until stopped
by ice.
Next she followed the coast and crossed
Melville Bay to Cape York, where she ex-
plored for meteorites and contrived to get
two safely shipped, one weighing halt a
ton and the other three tons, but stone
commonly known as Slr Jonn RoSs an
immense block of almost pure iron, weigh
ing about forty tons, it was found impossi-
BILE to move and they were compelled to
abandon it. They drilled several holes in
it, hoping to force off piece, but failed.
On September the Kite was caught in a
pack off Disko aud remained there four
days. She barely escaped being nippcd
and sinking. The Kite has on board the
most valuable collection ever brought
out of the Arctic regions. All the mem
bers of the combined expedition agree that
this is the death blow to any Arctic expedi-
ton under American auspices for many
years to come. Peary feels his failure
keenly and much sympathy is expressed
tor him here.