The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-04-22
TO REACH THE POLE,
Peary's Plan to Reach 1t by Regular
Approaches.

AppAVnOhOcs
His Forces To Consist Primarily of Whale
Be Kept OPP enc by Means of Caches.
Either for Bringing up Supplies for
Retreat.
Developments of the last few days make
1t very probable-in fact, almost certain
that Civil Engineer r. e. Peary, U.
S. N, will within few weeks start on
the preliminary journey of an attempt to
reach the North Pole Mr.. Peary's plan
comprehends a systematic effort which
shall be extended, If necessary, over a
period Of ten years. But it Is just posi-
bic that the most ambitious aims Of the
expedition will have been accomplished
withia little more than two and one-half
years of the present writing, or In the
early fall of 1899.
The plan lay in allegiance at first be-
cause Of the lack Of funds and then,
just as the REQUESTS sum, $3.50, 900, was
within sight for the expedition, an unex-
pected obstacle was put in the way by
the order issued by the Secretary of the
Navy transferring Mr.. Peary to the Mare
Island Navy Yard at San Francisco. The
timo was all but up for him to pack up
and leave for the Pacific coast when, at
ths end of last week, Charles A. Moore
of Brooklyn, an old friend of Secretary
Longs. was moved to undertake a hur.
ried trip to Washington, where he made
such representations to MIR. Long that
the Secretary after an extended discus
sion rescinded his order to Mr.. Peary to
report at Mare Island. OF this revoca-
ton Mr.. Peary has received notice, and
although 10 arrangements have yet been
made for the necessary leave of absence
for the carrying out of his plans, measure
for their accomplish it 10 believed,
" i'll soon lie taken.
MIR. Moore made an exhaustive pressn-
tation OF the facts AS he sees them, and
as the friends of Mr.. Peary and of he
American Geographical Society sand the
American Museum of Natural History
see them, to Mr.. Long, and he also had
a talk with President Mckinley on the
subject during the busy day he spent in
Washington. The benefits to science and
to.thenworld of 1.-The proposed expedition
were thoroughly gone over. Mr.. Peary,
in his capacity ms an able engineer in the
navy, WIS wanted in California, but
science. it was admitted, had greater
claims on him. The glory of the Ameri-
can flag, whose prestige in the far North
had been surpassed by that of the Nor
wegian flag, after an ascendancy of
dozen years, was a factor, without doubt
in the decision to which the Secretary
came.
MIR. Peary should in the nature OF
things.get started for the north on his
preliminary journey before the end of
June. He will, however, be BILE to
say On what date he can start until his
desired leave OF absence shall have been
granted. Mr.. Moore pointed out to Sec
Rotary Long that an appropriation from
Congress might with propriety be asked
as other nations grant them, hut that
private citizens Of this country stood
ready to supply all needed funds.
According to MIR. Peary's plan, the
preliminary trip, on which he expects &c
start soon, will be made solely for the
purpose OF arranging with the Eskimo of
the Whale Sound country to meet him at
a fixed point in the summer Vt $685.
There are, all told, men. women and
children, about $50 Of these Arctic High
landers, who are migratory within a
region extending over coo. miles Of. latitude
ha xpindinO eff limo Of iob d
haps 1000 miles long. They move from
their encampment or village when the
game of the locality tecomes SCARCE and
go. on ito district where this food sup
ply has had time to he replenished. They
may continue at one settlement for o
couple of years.
81 know them ALL" Mr.. Peary said,
land every one of them is my friend.
They know me and have confidence in
me because they have seen Inc SO often
and l have done SO much for them,
giving them knives and wood and sup
plies which they neeh. They will do
whatever want them to and 60 where
l want them to 60, and will be perfectly
content to come north and stay while
with me SO long rs we are supplied with
stores. My plan. which / have pointed
out to be the only feasible one for reach
ing the highest latitude is to utilizs these
people who are Injured by generations Of
life there to tie Arctic conditions, just
the conditions that prevail all the way to
the p0ls. l purpose to pick out perhaps
ten families Of them, all young and
hardly, the best. fitted. to 60 upon such IAN
expedition MS is projected. want to en-
gage them this coming summer, and
have them prepare the walrus meat and
fur clothes, canoes, and sledges, and
train the dogs between that time and the
following summer, when they will be
prepared to meet me at some point fixed
upon, ready to rail as tar north as we
can get the ship. By arranging with
them in this way to meet me at AN np-
pointed time oil the loss of time which
would follow upon having to work along
the coast to pick them up in 1893 will be
avoided.
"After making these necessary arrange
ments with the Eskimos this summer.
my plan is to come back with the ship
and in the summer of 1858 sail to the
RENDEZVOUS on Whale Sound with the ship
fully supplied with concentrated proyis-
ions ana all the necessary stores for a
protracted siege of life in the Arctic
regions. There we shall take on tb Els.
inlos and nuSh ae for north nc xra ~,