The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-09-28
RESCUE OF EXPLORER PEiRY
North Pole Hunter and Party
Suffered Great Privation.
Reduced to One Meal for Twenty Days
Had to Pull slet.es by hand-1hs
Failure IL Hard Blow to
Polar Expeditions.

st. Johns, Newfoundland, Sept. %
On arrival of the steamer Elite here Sat.
urday Lieutenant feary and Hugh j.
Lee with his colored servant, Hensen,
were found safe on board. They were
found at Whale Sound on August 3,
waiting for the kite, and had only ten
days previously returned from an over
land expedition which had proved q
comparative failure. independence bay.
the most northern part of Greenland
vas reached early in June, but they
were deferred from going on by insufh-
cheney of food, and We're obliged 10
abandon the attempt to make further
progress. Nearly all of the dogs per-
tshed and the remainder had to be shot,
owing to the inobdlity ITO provide them
with anything to eat.
Many sensational stories are current
among the crew of the eXtremities to
which Peary. Lee and Hensen We're re-
duced. According TO the stories. which
the explorers decline to deny, they We're
almost starved, and were forced to eat
seal and other refuse to keep alive.
Members of the party are very reti-
cent, Il generally conceie that in the
main the expedition wa practically a
failure. Last winter Was passed un-
eventually at Anniversary Lodge in pre-
pairing for the great expe Hilton over the
ice cap, which left Anniversary Lodge
April l..
All three, Peary, Lee and Hensen,
took part. having five sledges n forty-
nine dogs, besides a supporting party of
natives during the first stages of the
journey. When they arrived at a point
1876 miles from headquarters where he
had cached provisions on the failure of
the expedition of 1894. Peary could not
find the cache. which had evidently been
showed over and buried. Consequently
he decided to continue on toward In
dependence bay, hoping to augment his
limited stock of provisions by shooting
game. He expected to reach the bay
and do some COAST exploration, which
two hopes We're realized. although at
the cost of dreadful hardshtps. Lee gave
out and had to be hauled for several
days till the hay 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 north
ward. He did some coast exploration
himself while Lee rec~uperated, after
which they began their return journey
to camp. The dogs became emaciated
from want of food and then developed
contagious sickness. ultimately thu
stock of dogs became SC reduced that
only one remained when headquarters
were reached on the return journey.
During the return Lee again collapsed
and had to take to tie sledge, which
Peary and Hensen, with the remaining
dog, drew over frozen snow until he re-
covered. For over two weeks all three
lived on one meal a day. They ate THEN
last ounce of food twenty miles from
camp and passed many hours without
food before they succeeded in reaching
home. They got back July 25, just a
week before they heard news of the re-
lief expedition. The Kite reached the
mouth of Ingleield gulf July p. but
could not penetrate northumberland
by the ice pack she tried Mulchison
sound. but failed, and eventually ems
tered Mccormack bay on August 2.
The relief expedition started and
walked t%hirty-five miles to Bowdoin
bay, where ut found the gallant trio.
Both parties returned to the ship Au-
3 Just T.. oIc llSI started vi d WdIlGS
cruise. She proceeded thirty miles
north of littleton island on the east
side, and then crossed to Cape Sabine
on the west coast, whence h cruised
south. entering Jones sound and pro-
ceeding fifty miles up it until stopped by
ice. Mex she followed the coast south
and crossed Melville bay to Cape York,
where she explored for meteorites, and
contTived to get two safely shipped, one
weighing half a ton aid the other three
tons, but a stone commonly known as
Sir John Ross. an immense block of al
o pure iron, weighing about forty.
tons, it vas found impossible to move.
and they We're compelled to abandon it.
hoping to force off a piece. but failed.
On September I the Kite was caught in
a pack off 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. E
All the members of the combined ex-
peditions agree that this gives the death
blow to my Arctic expedition under
American auspices for many years to
come. Peary feels his failure keenly
and much sympathy Is expressed for
him here.