New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-24
SURE VERHOEFF IS DEAD.
LIEUTENANT PEARY EXPLAINS AWAY
AN ARCTIC THEORY.

AND THE HOPES OF HIS RELATIVES THAT
1T IS HE. AND NOT NANsEN. WHO HAS
BEEN SEEN. ARE VAIN.
Relatives Of John 81. Verhoeff, 1t Is said In
Philadelphia believe that the recent news Of an
Arctic explorers appearance in the northern
part of Siberia relates not to Nansen. but to
young VerhoeN; and It is eaid further, that
they had sufficient funds, relief expedition
would at once be sent out TO seek him. Nerhoef
was tho young mineraogist Of the first Peary
expedition who disappeared on August IL. 1892
on which day the party was 10 sail for home on
the relief ship Kite, from Mccormick Bay He
could not be found and was thought to be dead,
as his companions concluded that Vernoei1 had
fallen down a crevesse while exploring alone.
His relatives and friends have asserted that this
fact was never proved however. Tney DO not
believe that he is dead. his estate has never
been administered, and they allege that they
have strong circumstantal evidence to prove
that he stayed behind Intentionally when his
party left Greenland that for years he had
MANNED to make a solitary expedition, and had
prepared himself for living with the Esqumaus.
Tho theory that 1t Is VerhoeT and not hansen
whose appearance has been reported in the
frozen North seems Ike an improbable one on
rs face But T. IL interesting because OF the
meaere news from tho Polar regions winch mas
set the 9cientifc world to thinking lately, and
has caused general speculation as to whether
mr. not the Pole has been reached. Tribune
reporter last evening went 10 the one man VINO
is best able TO give an opinion on thls theory
Iieutenent Poary was seen at MS nome IN
Brooklyn and asked whether ne thought II was
poss,ble that Verhoef was the man whose ap-
noarance had been heralded from the New 81
berlar Islands
lieutenant Peary said he believed that
srch n thing is impossible. He believes YER
hoeff Is dead and that even If he had not been
killed by falling into crevasse, IL would nave
been utterly impossible for him. with the means
nj his command to have reached the Poe or ina
New Siberian Islands. He said that searches had
been made for Verhoof in a thorough ana ex-
haustive manner and that none OF the Esqui-
maus in the region in which Verhoen had mys-
teriously disappeared had ever heard OF the
young mineralog,st
THOROUGH SEARCHES MADE
"Cn August Q. 1892" said the lieutenant !
started with a party. including some tsquinaus.
ard took Verhoeff along at his request, because
10 wanted T. examine some specimens on the
northeast shore OF Inglefeld Gulf We left him
there and it vas his intention to proceed north
ward and then westward 10 an Esqulnau village.
When he got near the eastern end OF McCormicH
Bay. to the north. he met Gibson. VINO was on
hunting expedition, and told him that ne was
going IN the valley to collect minerals. Suisse
quently we learned that Verhoef rad gone in
northeasterly direction and had probably
changed mis- intention OF visiting an Esquimau
village to the west. on the north shore OF Rob-
orteon Raw lust why he changed his mind we
do not know In the searches that were made
for him the valley ana glacier were searched
| thoroughly We had along with us the best
trailers In the Esquiniau tribe. and We tracked
Verhoen to the glacier. where. as the surface OF
the glacier Was hard, the tracks disappeared.
haven't the slightest doubt that he fell down
the glacier and was killed In our search
through the valley We divided up so that we
quartered the valley thoroughly We covered
almost every foot Of the ground, ard iouna no
further trace OF Verhoeff. although handKer-
chief. dropped by member OF an expedition III
the valley before was found.
'Verhoeff when he started out, had proNlslOhs
for three days. He also had revolver wnicn
/ had lent him. and some cartridges. he ala not
| nave his scientific instruments with him. ana ne
was wholly unprepared for a long trip as II was
his intention when he started out 70 visit an
Esqumau village. IN all our later searches we
never found a trace that would tend to dispro'e
the theory tina; he had fallen into crevasse
| Searching inquiries made OF the Esquimaus.
but hey had neither seen nor heard OF him
He WOULD HAVE HAD A LONG JOURNEY.
Then l. eutenant Peary produced small chart
showing the Arctic regions and the headquar-
ters OF the expedition from which Eerhoen had
disappeared. He showed conclusively that If the
missing man had ever found sus;enance and aid
from the Esquimaus. he would have had u travel
about .curteen hundred miles 20 the New ST.
beran Islands in taking the nearest distance be-
tween the two points which would have led
him almost across the Pole. lying between the
islands and the place where he disappeared. ANY
other course to the New Siberian Islands would
have made necessary equally impossible jour-
rev around the Pole.
Lieutenant Peary was asked whether Verhoer
had shown any strange mental symptoms.
He replied that he had heretofore said that Ver-
hoeff peculiar" and that Verhoefs re,a-
tives were best able 10 answer other questions
to his mental condition He said that. not
withstandirg al suggestions To the contrary.
Nerhoen, so far as he knew. had never. by any
thing he had said TO him, indicated desire 10
leave the expedition and go such a fool
hardy trip as that which his relatives think he
Intended 10 MAKE. Lieutenant Peary said there
never had been any quarrel between NerhoeT
and the members OF the expedition and he be-
lieves that the young man met his death sud-
denly while trying 10 cross the treacherous
glacier Ice. Ii would have been impossible said
/ the Lieutenant. for Verhoeff 10 have found
means of sustenance without being aided by the
! Esgumaus, who had heard absolutely nothing OF
! him
MUST WAIT FOR NANSEN'S REPORT.
In speaking " certain criticisms which have
| been made since Engineer Melville. other Arctic
explorers and himself expressed their doubts as
10 the finding Of the Pole by hansen, Lieutenant
Peary referred 10 letter written by himself 10
! The Tribune and published in this paper on De-
cember I. 1888. This letter was written just after
! Nansen had crossed the lower part Of Greenland
| from one shore 10 the other. and in II Lieutenant
! Peary, who in 1886 had made trip on a whalek
To the same region. defended Nansen against
some critical comment EXPIRE sed by people who
did not believe that he had accomplished certain
things on his Greenland trip. In this letter Lieu