The herald., 1897-03-30
PEARY'S PLAN
To Put a Flag on the
North Pole
NOT AN ARCTIC EXPEDITION
JUST A TRAMP WITH THE
NATIVES
Will Take Plenty of Provisions and
Live Like the Eskimos--A
Feasible Plan
NOT AN ARCTIC EXPEDITION
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
NEW YORK. March 29.-The Adver-
tiser this morning says: Lieutenant
Peary recently laid plan for Arctic
research before the council of the Amer
lean Geographical society. The plan
includes the reaching of the North pole.
1t was heartily indorsed by the council
and a subscription toward its accom-
plishment promised. Should the plan
succeed the United States would reap
the glory. Lieutenant Peary's plan, as
now matured, is considered by Arctic
explorers one of the most feasible yet
advocated. First of all, IL is not to be
an expedition in the usual sense OF the
term. 1t will, besides Lieutenant Peary
himself include only one or two white
men, II one, he will be surgeon. II
two. the other will be scientist.
The party will be conveyed by a char
tered whaler to the point on the western
coast of Greenland which Peary has SO
often made the basis of his explorations.
At this point live a tribe OF Eskimos
They form the most northerly settlement
of human beings. as far as is known,
upon the globe. They know the explorer
and have every confidence in him. From
them he will select five or six young mar
ried copules, and will with them push
along the northwest coast of Greenland
as far as possible, and perhaps into the
archipelago which, 1t is believed. sur
rounds the North pole.
All their goods, including dogs and
sledges, will be taken with them, and
when no further progress can be made
north Lieutenant Peary and his COM
panions will be landed at some spot
and a new colony formed. The ship will
leave a supply of provisions for three
or four years and make its way back to
civilization before the ice closes in.
From this basic point two or three white
men will make their explorations. Lieu
tenant Peary figures that this colony
will not be over $50 miles from the pole.
The Esquimaux will be able to with
stand the climate, and he believes that
they will be contented as long as they
have enough food.
The women will be taken along to do
the cooking and attend to the clothing
and foot gear.
I'VE will live like the Eskimos," said
Peary. I'VE will take no house with us,
and as little of other membranes as
possible. Perhaps our snow shoes viii
be kept cleaner and drier than theirs.
but that is all
AS soon as the ice conditions are pro-
pitious an attempt will be made to
reach the pole The Eskimos and their
dogs and sleds will be used II possible,
but In any case the white explorers will
push on until the Stars and Stripes
have been planted near, II not on, the
pole itself. Lieutenant Peary figures
that under favorable conditions his lit
tie party will be able to make ten miles
a day through the ice and fields of snow
On this basis they could make the dis
tance and return in about seventy-two
days. This period he regards as short
one to be away from his colony or base
of supplies. On two former occasions
he was absent for a much longer time.
Lieutenant Peary, while hoping, does
not expect that the favorable moment
for making this venture poleward from
his colony will come at once. He says
it may be two, three or even five years
before the conditions are just right.
If necessary he wants to be prepared to
wait ten years, but he firmly believes
from his own experience that the time
will come within three years.