Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1900-01-25
PEARY'S EXPEDITION
Accomplishments of the Great Arc
tic Sledge Traveller.
A Large Amount OF successful Work
in Extending the Path Toward
the North POle--His Pres
cnt Expedition.

1t will surprise no one who knows
he uncertainties of Smith sound navi-
ration to learn that Mr.. Peary was un-
.ble last year to force the Windward,
.arrying his supplies, nearer than 300
niles of the point he hoped to reach
IS his winter quarters and base OF op-
,rations for his attack upon the pole.
The Greedy relief vessel Proteus was
crushed and sunk at the south end OF
he channel in 1883. Sometimes the
channel may be navigated with great
lif.iculty, as in 1875, when it took Mares
,essels 20 days to advance 23O miles
rom Cape Sabine to Lady Franklin bay.
sometimes again the channel is compar-
l1ively free from ice, as in 1851, when
ireely made the same journey i'll six
lays.
During the year his vessel was beset
the ice Peary was very busy with his
,edge expeditions, and he has again
justified the compliment which Sir Gle
nents Markham paid him when he
called the American explorer 1.-The
greatest of Arctic sledge travellers"
His routes have extended over l,50O
miles, and he has covered much new
ground and obtained most interesting
knowledge about the geography of the
region near Smith sound. Hayes sound.
northwest of Cape Sabine, was thought
% penetrate through the land mass 10
he Arctic ocean on the west. and thus
separate Grinnell land from Elesmere
land. Peary has discovered that the
:o-called sound is merely a narrow in
let, and that Grinnell land and El!es-
mere land form one land mass. The
explorer has also surveyed and mapped
some of the larger inuen1atiQns on the
west coast Of the Smith sound route 10
he north: he has crossed the northern
ourt Of Ellesmere land, a journey never
before made, and has connected his
surveys of its western coast with those
If Lockwood on the north, thus re-
,ealing Il stretch of unknown coast
inc. From a geographical point of
view there is no doubt that the large
amount of accurate information feary
has collected for the enrichment Of our
maps fully justitles all his expedition
1as cost.
But he has done much more. The
far north is his goal, and with enor-
nous labor he has cached four tons Of
provisions for 25O miles along the chan
mel lie must ascend TO reach the north
Of Greenland These caches are not
more than 80 miles apart, and the sup
oies they contain, with others he will
move north, will enable him to reach
4 high latitude even if the Windward,
next year, is unable to push on to
Sherard Osborn ford with the three
years stores she will carry to the eX-
plorer. He will thus make himself
partly independent of his steamer, for
even if she is unable to reach his north
ern base, the line Of caches he has plant
ed and will extend farther north may
be replenished by such sledge Journeys
as he has made in the past year.
The explorer has thus done large
amount of successful work, both in
extending exploration and in further
ng the interests Of his enterprise, which
may keep him north for several years
10 come. None but the most dauntless
IS men could achieve what Peary has
done in the past year, handicapped as
he was by an unusually bad season. and
by serious accident that temporarily
crippled him. His results thus far jus
tify the hope that his further efforts
will be crowned by the rich additions
to geographical knowledge which this
great explorer seeks to add 10 the work
he has already done.-N. Y. Sun.