The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-26
FROM THE ICEBERG REGIONS
LIEUTENANT PEARY AND PARTY
ARRIVED AT ST. JOHNS
YESTERDAY.
TERRIBLE SUFFERING FROM IN
SUFFICIENT FOOD.
They Report 1t Miracle That They Ho'
Back at All-Two Large Meteor
ties Brought Back-No
New Discoveries.

st. Johns, N. F., Sept. 21.-The Peary
steamer Kite arrived here today. Lieu
tenant Peary and Hugh Lee, with his
colored servant, were safe on board.
They were found at Whale Sound on Au-
gust 3, waiting for the Kite, and had only
10 days previously returned from great
overland expedition, which proved
compartive failure. The most northern
point of Greenland was reached early in
June, but they were deferred from any
great undertaking by insufficient food
They were obliged, ON this account, to
abandon the attempt to make further
progress, nearly all the dogs perishing
and the remainder had to be shot owing
to the inability to provide them with
ANYTHING TO eat. Inc hlte met win
splendid weather North and started to eX-
plore the west of Smith Sound and trav-
ersed the whole coast visiting Jones
Sound, Cape Sabine and Littleton Island.
Two meteorites of almost pure iron were
taken aboard the Kite, but another
weighing about 40 tons they could not
get on board. Sensational stories are
current among the crew of the extreme
ties to which Peary, Lee and Henzen
were TeuuCcu. ACCOTulIB W lnt SlOllNoj
which the explorers decline to deny, they
were almost starved and were forced to
eat seal and other refuse to keep alive.
The exploring party, it is certain, were
deferred from any great undertakings
by the insufiiciency of their good supply,
an obstacle which was foreseen last year.
All of those who participated in the jour
ney were greatly reduced from the lack
of food, and were obliged to abandon
30 1yn ct,rt
In this respect this years work was
but repetition of last years failure, al
though the weather experienced was
much more favorable this year than last.
Peary and his companions have but
little to say in regard to their expert
ences. The overland expedition to indie
pendence bay, it is learned, was not only
not as satisfactory as had been antici-
pated, but came very near resulting
fatally to Peary and his party. They
started late in March on the journey and
after reaching Independence bay were
unable to proceed more than few miles
along the coast. Just beyond their for
mer stopping place they reached the top
of a mountain and were unable to pro-
coed further on account of the precipitous
nature of the descent During this trip
an unexpected contingency arose, owing
to the fact that Peary was unable to
lOCule ub HluThb VI IuSL year. lie was
unable to discover any trace of them or
the place where he deposited supplies,
and was compelled to continue his jour
ney without the ample food supplies
on which he had relied. The three men
went at once on short rations, husband
ing as much food as possible but before
many days their sufferings became in
tense and Lee broke down altogether.
The strain had been so great on him
hat hnn 30 Ill I
sledge, which the other two drew His
illness gave further cause for alarm,
because of the fact that adequate medical
supplies were not on hand, and it was
feared, during the first stages, that he
would die from exhaustion, but he rallied
eventually. All three owe their lives to
the shooting of eight musk oxen, but
during the journey they had to sacrifice
the weaker dogs and feed their flesh to
the others, for it was necessary to sus-
tain some of the animals as long as pos
sible to enable their supplies and instru-
ments to be brought along. Out of 40
dogs which started only one returned
alive. All five sledges were abandoned
during the two days just previous to the
return of the party to Anniversary lodge.
Their safety they looked upon as almost
hardly particle of food passed through
the mouths of any of them and the strug-
gle to reach their home was one of ever
increasing suffering. When the relief
expedition reported at Anniversary
lodge they showed marked evidence of
their terrible experiences.
Lieutenant Peary was extremely nom
committal in regard to the expedition
generally and all of the party declined
to express an opinion on the work DONE
or what new discoveries had been made. |
The Kite cruise, after finding Peary, |
was not prolific in results, or if it was, |
not much is being said of the nature of |
the discoveries. A number of warus |
and seals were shot for museum speci- |
mems and Professor Dyche made an I'M |
usually large collection of birds at Hos
teinburg.
The twin meteors which were found |
are of large size, one weighing three tons.
The great iron stone reported by Sir John |
Ross, which was also seen, could not be /
gotten on board, on account of its weight. |
1t Is believed by the members of the |
party that the expedition could have |
made point much further north in the |
Kite, as there was open water rs far |
north as could be seen from Littleton
island, DIR. kane's winter quarters, the
most extreme point visited by the Kite !
after taking off the Peary party.
SAILED JULY IL.
New York. Sept 21.-The Kite sailed |
from st. Johns on July II for Peary's |
headquarters in Inglefeld gulf, Green
land. On board the steamer were n |
company of scientists under the direc-
ton of Emil Rebeicht brother of Mrs.
Peary. Included in the party were
Prof. Rollin ID. Salisbury of Chicago |
University, Prof L. L. Diche of Kansas
State University; Theodore L. Boutilier
of Philadelphia and DR.. John E. Walsh
of Washington.