The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1896-07-07
THE $4,000 ARTIC MgTORlTE.
Lieut.. Peary and Prof. Dyche
Racing to the North to Bring
The Monster Mass Of
VII AAVai'

Two men, both of whom know
from experience the perils OF the ice
bound oceans to the North, who have
travelled over the snow covered wastes
that keep eternal watch and ward
around the pole, are racing thither,
each determined to bring back, il
any power can be found to raise aid
and to transport it, the greatest meteor
lite that science has any knowledge Of
This gigantic mass of solid iron,
weighing at the least estimate hundeds
and hundreds of tons, lies on the
shores of Melvin bay. Explorer
Franklin was the first white man who
ever set eyes on the marvel. The
natives who showed it to him told
him that it had been there forever,
and all through the northen regions
the fame of it has lived among the
tribes lmmemorial. They call it "the
great iron stone."
How big this monster mass of soft
iron is not even the Esquimaux know,
for only small portion of it protrudes
above ground. 1t is, judged only by
what is visible, worth fat, fortune
even in these days of billionaires.
The two men who have entered on
this swift race, with this huge iron
goal, are Lieut.. r. E. P, airy, of Arctic
fame, and Prot, l.. l.. Dyche, of the
University of Kansas. There is a
dispute between the two explorers as
to which is the real owner of the me-
teorite. Lieut.. Peary insists upon the
priority of his claim but Prof. Dyche
says that when he went to Greenland
to bring Peary back from his Inflated
Artic expedition the natives showed
the wonder to them both, and both
spoke then of the feasibility of bring
ing it to the United States.
Now Prof Dyche has disappeared
boundon some far, mysterious mis-
zion, and the wise ones in the West
say he has gone to get the meteorite.
From his home in Kansas the word
comes, that after leaving there, which
he did quietly, he went to Chicago and
then came to New York. In both
cities he has wealthy friends, who
have promised to back him with
money in his big undertaking.
But the latest explanation of the
whole matter is even more startling.
Last winter Prot. Dyche said TO re-
porter for Kansas City newspaper
that he was secretly planning for this
summer a journey of Acrtic discovery,
which, if it should prove successful,
would be one of the greatest ventures
of the century.
His program was, he said, to go to
Alasks, and from, there to make a trip
across the very northernmost bound
aries of North America, coming out
somewhere in Labrador. He would
gather on the way specimens of ami
mails, floral and geological formations
for the Kansas University, and, be-
sides all these would bring back a
treasure from the North that would
startle the scientific world.
Now, bearing in mind the decara-
tions he made before his departure
about o bringing of the meteorite and
his indisputable claim to the posses
sion of it, the theory which his friends
admit may be the right one is that
while he is jOurneying across the con-
tinent from Alaska, vessels equippcd
by his wealthy New York and Chica-
60 friends are to be taken to the
North, that he and his party are to
join them there, and proceed to the
site Of the meteorite and stay right by
it at any cost.
Meantime Lieut.. Peary is not re-
naming idle. He is conscripting
party, and pushing the work ofequip-
ment forward with all haste consis-
tent with security. He expects to be
ready to set sail for the North some
time earley in July.-Evening Wis
consin.
National Educational Association.