The evening times., 1900-09-28

PeaIy's ship the Windwsrd, should b.
this time. unless some uEtoward a-c--
dent has happened, have reached the
explorers winter quarters at Etah.
Peary himself. again if no accident mas
happened. should have returned to Etah
from his last attempt to gain the goal o.
his ambitions. the North Pole.
II he has returned to that little cabin,
perched on the barren rocks of Etah, the
gallant explorer has found a joyful and
unexpected surprise awaiting him, for he
had no knowledge that his wife and
child were again to join him in the frozen
North. The Windward. with Mrs. Peary
and her little daughter Marie, and carry
ing a crew of thirteen, sailed from ST.
Johns. Newfoundland, on July 20. The
ship's destination was Etah. an inlet in
Smith Sound. well up the coast of Green
land, and here it was expected that
Feary would be found. or if he had not
returned from his dash for the fcle, hare
he was to leave instructions fer the
ships future movements. The crew OF
the Windward have signed articles for
thirty months. and the snip is proVis-
ioned for the same period. for should
Peary not succeed in reaching the Pole
he will make another attempt next
spring unless he decides to change his
plans
Before he started on his pres n Arctic
trip Peary outlined his plan for attack
ing the Pole and submitted it &c the
American Geogra phieal SCciety- After
outlining in detail his proposed route
and method of procedure. the explorer
said:
The programme is to secure every
mile of advance just as far as there IS
land, and then attempt TO accomplish the
remaining distance in one effort. In ase
the conditions are imDraC ticabie the Il s
season l shall return TO my Eskimo /
lage (Etah1, winter there, and start
again next spring, and ii cCnditiCns are
not favorable the second year. come hack
for the winter ana start again ami Cgaia.
] believe that at any point IN tie Ar-tlc
regions at Cne time or another, at One
season or another, the dOkr is open or
can be opened, and the man who is II
readiness and waiting fer the favorable
opportunity get where he wants to.
when an expedition goes Norm for Cne
or two years cnly il may net find The IA
vorabIe opportunity, but il it can staF
the four or FIVE years which l am IRE
pared to stay. il necessary, some time
in that period the favorable occasion Is
sure to come, and the door viii be open
or can be pushed open
Has Peary found the door open; has he
pushed it open; has he found the Pole?
The answers to these questions are prob
ably known at Etah today. but they will
not reach the civilized world until the
Windward on its return voyage touches
the nearmCst conIne to civilization But
there are other questions continually
heard upon every hand which clam0r to
be answered every time an Arctic expe-
dition is fitted cut. every time a bold
explorer sets forth to question the mys-
terious sphinx Of the North. These ques-
tions are: What is the use CT Arctic
exploration, anyway? What is the use of
finding the PoIe?'
Value of Arctic Exploration.
The answers 10 these questions involve
the solutions CT so many problems of i'm
mense advantage to the human race that
but the briefest summary cf what polar
exploration has done for the world can
be given. The discovery of the Pole, in
itself magnificent geographical feat
would be but a coTollary TO THE general
work of polar exploration and # the sci
entifc Investigations carried on in the
polar regions. One question is involved
in the other.
There are three great lines Of human
endeavor to which polar exploration has
made notable additions-ge geographical
knowledge, scientific research, and com
mercial profit. Surrounding the North
Pole there are three million square miles
of the globe still to be explored, but still
vaster tracts have been brought within
our ken and the conquest is ever going on.
AS a field for scientific investigation the
polar regions have afforded material for
new chapters in a history greater but less
known than that of mantle history of
the world the history of the universe The
increase of our knowledge of nature, of
what we call science. has brought US
vast increase of physical comforts but
there is scarcely a department of science
which has not benefited from Arctic ex-
ploration.
Arctic exploration" says General Gree
~, has contributed generously to the
material interests of mankind and to the
sum Of human knowledge. In polar lands
some OF the rarest secrets of nature have
been disclosed to scientific voyagers Con-
1rtbutions to all sciences have been levied
from the air. the earth the ocean, and
even the universe. Within the Arctic cir
Gle have been located and determined the /
poles OF the triple magnetic forces Study |
Of the varying phases of barometric pres |
sures in the far north has given the world !
better understanding of the climates of /
Northern America. Europe and Asia
Soundings Of the sea. aerial tempera- !
lures. and photographic surveys IN the |
Arctics have given birth to that most sat |
fsfactory and important theory of a YER |
tical inter-oceanfc circulation. A handful |
OF dried Arctic plants enabled a botanist |
TO forecast the general character of un-