The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-03
THE OUTLOOK FOR PEARY.
EFFECT OF THE WINTER ON THE
RACE FOR TIE POLE.

BRrGus, ~ f., Aug 29-Ths little fishing
village is keenly Interested In the progress Of
| Peary's Arctic work, and his chances OF out
doing syerdrup the Norwegian who appro-
priated his plans and is now endeavoring to
rival tho American in the region the latter has
claimed for his own. Together with this in
terest thereis considerable anxiety among the
Brigusians AZ to tho welfare OF Peary's ships
and men. This will not be thought strange
when IL is remembered that both the Wind
ward-Peary's own steamer. which has been
north with him all tho winter-and tho auxi-
larry steamer DIANA which went north last
month, are commanded and manned by
Brigus men. Thirty men from this village. rep
rescnting as many families and almost a tenth
OF the total adult male population arc mum bercd
among these ships com panies, and any disas-
ter to either would be Il crushing blow to the
little fishing hamlet, where most OF tho people
are related to one another.
Brigus is the home OF tho Bartlett family
famous as ice-navgators. and tho main rcli-
ance of American explorers in the far north
for the past thirty years They have been SO reg
ulary and honoraby associated with the work
OF Arctic discovery that now It has come to be
regarded az in BILE that an expedition from
the United States to the frozen zone should
have a Bartlett as shipmaster and Ice pilot.
And the Bartletts take with Thorn mon they
know and can trust, hence the part Brigus
plays in the record The patriarch Of tho vii
lage is Capt Isaac Bartlett who first won re-
nown by his rescue OF tho Polaris party from
an Ice foe Off Labrador in 1872, after they
had been adrift 1913 days lie afterward COM
manded several cxrcditlonary ships to the
north. and is m authority on the region. Iio
is an uncle of Capt. John Bartlett. who has
commanded all the Peary ships since 1892 and
pft IN pt Sop,ual par hrothor ~ Inhp
who is the master OF tho Diana Capt Isaac
has followed closely every love pm en- re poet
ing the Peary cruise. Speaking out of the
plentitude OF his experience, he expresses the
belief that the Windward has made splendid
northing this year. probably reaching a higher
latitude than any ship has ever done by the
West Greenland waterway. and only exceeded
by the drift of Nansen's Fran in her famous
voyage. He bases this conclusion on the fact
that the present is an exceptional year in the
Arctic vast bodies o., ice having been dis
charged from the Polar Basin into the North
Atlantic. bringing an early season aud free
channel.
One has only to study the daily papers to see
tho force OF Capt Bartlett's argument The
like Of such ice foes was never before seen
along Labrador as this summer Other years
that coast is clear and the Straits OF Belle Isle
arc naviGa BILE by the first week in July. but
this summer the colonial mail steamer rum
ming to Labrador was INSTRUCTED for days in
the first half OF August. while ocean liners be-
tween Montreal and England were met by
foes $50 miles east OF Belle Isle and had to
abandon that route and skirt around the south
coast OF Newfoundland In order to enter the
Gulf of NJ. Lawrence. Experienced mariners
OF this colony say they have rever seen the
like OF such ice conditions for where former
ly a procession OF bergs passed south these are
now ACCOMPANIED by fields Of ice reaching rs
far as the eye can see. This abnormal condi-
ton, OF course. means that there is much less
ice to be met by north bound steamer this
year. and those who know Peary are quite
satisfied that he will make the fullest use Of
this opportunity. which fits in so we'll with
his plans for max ing a new record.
1t will be rcmem bered that the scheme on
which Peary is now working provides for his
endeavoring to reach high northern latitude
Sherard Osborne Ford. lat. Sl.4O. for prefer
ence-where he would unload his stores from
his ship and set MP his headquarters. Thence
ho and his companions. including ten Esqui-
maux families whom he has with him. would
push stendily northward. establishing depots
at certain suitable places. until he reached a
position whence he and one companion would
make dash for the pole. the others remaining
as reserve upon which he could fall back in
the event OF any accident or dsarrangement Of
his plans. In pursuance OF this project he
started north in the Windward last summer
taking the whaer Hope there also. to hunt
walrus so that he should have an abundant
supply OF meat for his dogs before the Norwc-
gan. Sverdrup. who is in tho same region on
tho Fran. with an almost identical pro-
gramme. could secure his stock OF this indis-
pensible requisite. On Aug. u. 1898. the
Windward and Hope parted company in
Foulke Ford. West Greenland. the former
with Psary and his fortunes. TO make her way
north: tho latter to return to st. Johns. Since
that date nothing has been heard Of the Wind
ward.
Capt. Isaac Bartlett thus succinctly reviews
the likely subsequent proceedings:
I'm nv opinion" he snys The Wjpdward
want ;rto ,,intor o,,,rtar, -, 49,, a,,,ht
Wen. '''" "'i',ei fu"t'ets very soon ai'er inns
The weather then was cold and winter already
setting in The night before they senor,ted
ioo r,,,,, /, ~. b,rhor aa ,hto,. 49,. ~ -
,e' 'i'1ue III Tue i'''uo' 80 ''''cA .nu' the nope
had to force her way out through 1t NEXT morn
ing at considerable expenditure OF pover The
,yi,ar.rd 60, ,,on,t - a., -, Nv
VIM" aiu soihe hottn "ouu iihu theSe con-
ditions intensity as she proceeded. and as she
ia not "a powerful as the Hone the time vnuId