Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-04-13
PRESS COM MENTS.
Is VerhoeH Alive or Dead?
public LEDGER

Since the return of the Peary expedi-
ton from North Greenland in ls92 there
has been much speculation in newspapers
and elsewhere concerning the fate of
John Nerhocff. one of its members The
Peary party and the relief expedition re-
ported that the unfortunate man had
lost his life by falling into the crevasse OF
a glacier which empties into the north
end OF Robertson's bay. and produced
strong evidence In support of their state
ment Notwithstanding this. the rea-
tiNes and many acquaintance of MIR.
NeIhoeft refused to believe the story and
held that he had purposely absented
himself from the Peary party for the pur-
pose of continuing his Arctic explorations
ing alive and pursuing i poleward course
through rieir knowledge of his character
before he sailed to Greenland, and on
his well known and often expressed en-
thusiasm for Arctic work and determine
ton to reach the North Pole if il was
They say that he carefully prepared him
self for his arduouS task by inuring him
self to hardships of all kinds. by living
for considerable periods on small guam
titles of food. and that he proposed when
he reached the North to live as much as
possible with the Eskimos, learn their
ways and language and conform his ways
TO theirs. From time to time some of
these friends and acquaintance. notwith-
standing the overwhelming testimony of
his death. have allowed themselves 10 he
publicly interviewed on the probability of
Mr.. Nerhoen being alive-a few even 60
ing the length of expressing an opinoin
that it was he, and not DR. Nansen. who
was approaching the new Siberian Islands.
as rumored about month ago. This
last thought is almost too absurd even
for moments consideration by those
who have the slightest knowledge of the
Arctic regions. Assuming for a moment
that Mr.. Nerhoeff did not meet death as
rotated - ma CIT
be impossible for him. with his Scant
equipment. to reach those islands. The
arguments advanced for his being alive
would be reasonable if Mr.. Nerhoeff had
carried out all the plans he is said to
have mapped before going North. but he
did not. Circumstances arose which led
him to voluntarily abandon many of his
| intentions. He maintained his abstemious
life, he ate only two meals day. he
dressed invariably in as scanty an attire
| as he could endure. but he did not frater-
| niZe with the EskimoS: he did not become
familiar with their language or adopt
| their manner of living. For reasons not
| necessary to give here. but which We're
creditable to his high ideal of manhood.
| he held aloof as much as possible from
| the natives. Moreover. before Mr.. Peary
and Mr.. Astrup started on their great
overland ice journey to Independence
bay he frankly acknowledged his doubts
| as to his ability to endure such Il trip.
d
| Everything is against the assumption
| that Mr.. Verhoeff meditated remaining
| after the expedition sailed southwark.
| When ne was last seen he was dressed in
| scanty attire, he had very small supply
| OF food, and only a revolver and a few
rounds of ammunition. He had secreted
| no instruments or clothing. and he
! could not have hidden away food without
the fact being known. These are indis-
putable facts. On the other hand. he had
once before crossed a glacier success
fully at Il point similar to the one where
| his last footprints were found in August,
but he could hardly have left the body of
ice on which his last signs were found
| without the fact becoming apparent, and
| 1t was not. correspondent of the Pub
| lie Ledger staff was on the Relief Exped-
ton of 1892, and was one of the search
party. Who after the finding of Mr.. YER
| hoeffs Footsteps, traced them to the
| creVasse in which he is believed to have
been lost. Any thinking person who
read this correspondent account of the
search. published in the columns of the
| Ledger. must have been convinced of the
| impossibility of the young man being
| alive.
Pope says Hope springs eternal in the
human breast" but there is no room for
hope in this case. 1t is far pleasanter to
! think that Mr.. Verhoeff is still living and
| making great discoveries in the Land of
| the White Death" but it is idle to enter
tain any such thoughts when there is
nothing tangible on which to base them
and In the face of Overwhelming testi-