The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-31
TO REACH NORTH POLE
Lieutenant Perry Confident That
He Can Do II.
PLANS ARE SAID TO BE FEASIBLE.

In Company with Only One or Two White
Men He VIII BE Landed on the Western
Coast OF Greenland and Thence Proceed
ON His Journey in Search OF the North
Poie-Wfl Form a Colony of Eskimos
About $50 Miles from the Pole.
New York. March S0-Lieutenant
Perry has laid a plan for arctic re-
search before the council of the Ameri-
can Geographical society. The plan in
cludes the reaching of the north pole.
1t was heartily Endorsed by the council
and subscription toward its accom-
plishment promised. Should the plan
succeed the United States will reap the
glory
Lieutenant Peary's plan as now ma
| tured 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. in
clude only one or two white men. If
one he will be a surgeon and if two the
other will be scientist. The party will
be conveyed by a chartered whaler to
the point on the western coast of Green
! land which Peary has so often made his
! basis of exploration. At this point lives
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.
Along the Coast of Greenland.
From them he will select five or six
young married couples and will, with
them, push along the northwest coast
of Greenland as far as possible, and
perhaps into the archipelago which, it
is believed, surrounds the north pole
All their goods, including dogs and
sledges, will be taken with them, and
when no further progress can be made
north the Eskimos and Lieutenant
Peary and his companions will be land
ed at some propitious spot and a new
colony formed.
The ship will leave a supply Of pro-
visions for three or more years and
make its way back to civilization before
the ice closes in. From this basic poin
the two or three white men will make
their explorations Lieutenant Peary
figures that the colony will not b'
|
Eskimos will be able to Withstand TIL
climate and he believes they will b,
contented as long as they have enough
food The women will be taken alont
to do the cooking and attend to tn
clothing and footgear.
1--WE will live like the Eskmos," sai'
Lieutenant Peary I'VE will take n
, houses with us and as few incum
: house will be kept dryer and cleane
than theirs, but that is all.
0 AS soon as the ice conditions are pro
! pitious an attempt will be made t
, reach the pole The Eskimos and thei
dog sledges will be used if possible, bu
in any case the white explorers wi
push on until the stars and stripes hav
s been planted near if not on the pole II
; self.
= Can Make Ten Miles Day.
Lieutenant Peary, from his abundar
e polar experience, figures that under ia
= vorable conditions his little party wi
e Ne able to make ten miles a da
through the ice hllocks and fields {
snow. On this basis they could max
r the distance and return in about seI
# enty days.
al | InlS DellOu Il Noiy iNSS'iN
4 as a short one to be away from his co
:, ony or base of supplies. On two form'
@ occasions he was absent for a muo
longer time. Once he travelled over II
iceflelds for ninety EIGHT days, accom-
panied by these very Eskimos, and
another ninety -four days. On each o.
cosion they were out of sight of faml
10 lar landmarks and had to guide then
h. selves by the compass.
V, Lieutenant Peary, while hoping, DO
ID not expect that the favorable mome
h, for making this venture poleward FRO
y. his colony will come at once. He sa
20 IL may be two, three or five years %
eo fore the conditions are just right.
=; necessary, he wants to be prepared
al wait ten years. but he firmly believ
I'd from his own experience that the tr
ed will come within three years.