Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-03-27
pgAay's PLANS.
SOON TO MAKE A SUPREME EXPORT TO
REACH THE POLE.

With the early days Of this month
Lieutenant Peary, II all has gone we'll
with him since be severed his connection
with civilization last August by sending
his depot ship Windward home will be
organizing his little band Of whites and
Esklmos for what bis friends believe
will be his last daring attempt to reach
the North Pole.
The sun returns to gladden. the eye Of
the Greenland wayfsrer on Feb. II, and
Il Is followed by week or two Of vio-
lent storms, usually succeeded by perl
cd Of fine weather.
His intention IL to utilize this period
for land march to Fort Conger, and
thence, after q rest and reorganization
Of his expedition, to push on to Cape
Joseph Henry and from that over the
unbroken Ice foe Of the Polar Basin to
the Pole itself, II he can reach there, and
II not, to ~ high a latitude As he can
make bis way.
From Cape Sabine. which IL twenty
three miles across Smith Sound from
Etah, Peary has cleared post road, by
means Of crowbars, dynamite and hard
work, right to Fort Conger, following
the coast line. Peary might have re-
manned at Conger all this winter, and
thus have escaped all the hardsbips Incl
dent to winter march over such
stretch, but by falling back TO Etsh he
WAS able to assume the personal super
vision of the preliminary work among
the natives. He had several tons of sup
plies landed from the windwsrd and
laat nd shAr laA
wslruses for him before they left for
home.
All these stores Peary intends to carry
across the Sound this month on the Ice
and then convey them up to ConRer
stage by stage. As provision against
possible disaster, and to be last resort
In case OF extremity, he has provided
caches Of stores already at Capes Sabine,
Durville, Napoleon, Fraser, shaw and
Lawrence, the most prominent headlands
along the route. At Fort Conger, too,
he has three tons OF stores, besides the
remainder Of the Greeley outfit, and he
has also boat there and one at Dur
vile.
These caches will not be disturbed by
Peary II he can avoid doing so. He will
depend for the sustensnce OF himself
and party, as we'll as OF the Eskimo
colony which accompanies him, upon
the stores they bring and upon the musk
OF they can secure along the route. That
these Are fairly plentiful is instAnced by
the fact that last winter Peary and those
with him secured twenty-eight. II the
weather favors him Peary should have
all his supplies stored at Conger by the
end Of March, and be able 10 advance
into the unknown In April.
Much will depend upon the condition
OF the Eskimo dogs and the number OF
them available, as last winter distem-
per killed of many and left the remainder
altogether unfit for the work In hand.
Peary will make due allowance for such
contingency as this, and an extra trip
or two will not disArrange his plans. IL
he IL able to act down his native allies
and all the impedimenta Of the expedi-
ton ut Conger by the end Of this month
he will have done well. Then from
among the several families he will select
ten or twelve whose heads are strong,
sturdy workmen, dog drivers and trsv-
cling experts, and with these and all the
available dogs he will push on 10 Cape
Joseph Henry, ut the northern extrem-
ity OF land, so far as Is known, In that
section Of the Polar circle, where be will
establish an advance basis, set up camps
for the women and children and store up
supplies for their use and that OF the
selected party who will make up the
personnel OF the Pole attacking expedi-
ton.
These will consist Of Peary and his
two assistants, Dederick and Henson,
and ten picked natives, each man driv-
ing team Of eight 10 twelve dogs, the
sledges being laden with stores for fifty
five days. The trip will be somewhat
like that OF Nansen and Johannsen, the
principle underlying it-thst Of reaching
the pole by sledge travel-belng the
same, though the Norwegians' expert
ence has enabled Peary to Improve upon
their plans.
That Improvement Is chiefly found In
the employment Of the Eskimos. They
are the best dog drivers In the world and
can get almost half IS much more work
out OF the animals as could be obtained
by those unfamiliar with them. The sd-
vantage, too, Is next found In the size of
the party. hansen and his companions
met with many difficulties which they
could not surmount for lack Of physical
strength. Being but two they were
checbmsted frequently where II would
be possible for Pesry's larger party to
mske Roadway, especially as the In
stinctive ingenuity Of the native would
be available In the latter's behalf. In the
multitudinous difficulties Of trip over
the broken foes, piled with great masses
OF RATED Ice, scanned with giant Gre
vases. and at times presenting hillocks
lIN,..,tt Snrtid,a ttoos ha