The evening times., 1900-03-12
PEARY'S GOAL THE POLE.
The Arctic Explorer to Make a Dash
Over the lee.

tenant Peary, il all has gone well Win
him since he severed his connection with
civilization last August by sending his de-
pot ship Windward home, will be Crgan-
izing his little band of whites and Es-
kimo for what his friends believe will
be his last daring attempt to reach the
North Pole.
The sun returns to gladden. the eye Of
the Greenland wayfarer on February Il,
and it is followed by a week or two of vio-
lent storms, usually succeeded by period
of fine weather.
His intention is to utilize this period for
land march to Fort Conger, and thence
after a rest and organization OF his ex-
pedtion, to push on to Cape Joseph Henry.
and from that, over the unbroken ice foe CT
the Polar Basin 10 the Pole itself if he can
reach there, and if not, to as high latl-
tude as he can make his way.
From Cape Sabine, which is twenty-three
miles across Smith Sound from Etah,
Peary has cleared a post road, by means or
crowbars, dynamite, and hard work, right
to Fort CongeT. following the coast lire.
Peary might have remained at COnger all
this winter and thus have escaped all the
hardships incident to a winter march over
such a stretch but by falling back TO Etah
he was able to assume the personal direc-
natives. He had several tons of supplies
landed from the Wirdward and Diana last
season, and they killed 119 walruses 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 Conger stage by
stage AS a provision against possible dis
aster, and to be last resort in case OF
extremity, he has provided caches OF stores
Z OH Ity Of Nahf 10
! leon, 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 Greedy
! outfit, and he has also a boat there ard
/ one at Durvlle.
| These caches will not be disturbed by
| Peary if he can avoid doing So He Will
! depend for the sustenance Of himself and
/ party. as well as of the Eskimo colony
| which accompanies him, upon the stores
| they bring and upon the musk OK they can
secure along the route. That these are
| fairly plentiful is nstanced by the fact
| that last winter Peary and those with him
| secured twenty-eight. If the weather ia
! vOrs him Peary should have all his sup
| plies stored at Conger by the end Of March
! and be able TO advance into the unkno" n
| in April.
| Much will depend upon the condition Of
4 the EShtfliC uOES anu the HulibCI VI lutLIl
| available as last winter distemper killed
! off many and left the remainder unfit for
I the work in hand. Peary will make due
I allowance fer such a contingency as this
/ and an extra trip or two will not disar-
/ range his plans. II he is able TO set down
! his native allies and all the impedimenta
! of the expedition at Conger by the end OF
| this month he will have done well. Then
/ from among the several families he viii
! select ten or twelve whose heads are
strong sturdy workmen. dog drivers and
] travelling experts. and with these and all
| the available dogs he will push on 70 Cape
/ Joseph Henry. at the northern extremity
! of land so far as is known, in that section
| OF the Polar circle, where he viii estaD-
/ lish an advance basis set up camps Tor me
/ women and children and store up 1Hpplies
| for their use and that of the selected par
! " who will make up the personnel OF The
| Pole attacking expedition.
These will consist OF Peary and his two
| assistants, Dederick and Henson, and ten
picked natives each man driving team
! of eight 10 twelve dogs, the sledges being
J laden with stores for fifty 10 fifty-tiye
! days The trip will be somewhat like that
/ OF NanSen and JOhHnnsen. the principle
| underlying it-that OF reaching the Pole
by sIedge trayel-being the same, though
I the Norwegiaus experience 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 as much more work
I out of the animals IS could be obtained by
those unfamiliar with them. The advan-
! tage. too is next found in the size Of the
! party. Nansen and his companions met
| with many difficulties which they could
not surmount for lack Of physical strength
| Being but two they were checkmated fire.
quently where 1t would be possible foT
| Pearys larger party TO make headway. es-
| pecially as the instructive ingenuity OF the
| natives would be available in the latter's
, behalf In the multitudinous difficulties
of a trip over the broken hoes. piled with
! great masses OF RATED ice. scanned with
| giant crevasses. and at times presenting
I hili0cks as difficult to attack as fertihcd
tions. the native resources of the Eskimos
will be found valuable in the extreme
Equally striking and effective is the eX-
| piOrers plan for reducing the numbers OF
the party as the provisions give cut. On
| leaving the camp at Cape Joseph Henry
! all in the party will begin 10 eat of on
sledge. the contents of the others BEING
kept untouched. When that is exhausted
| all the best dogs in the team will be taken
from it and distributed among the Other
relays. end the Eskimo will be started
! hon.cward with enough stores . carry hin
there. and a couple of the poorest dogs tC
haul his empty sledge.
A second siedge will then be attacked foI
| the Ccmmissariat and when Il is empty
= like LIoCesS will be adopted. And so or
| :iatiI only three SIedges. with the vcT!
hest dogs in the whole pack remain. an.
OF tie animals which weaken bcEg KILLED
and their comrades fed with the flesh. Hav-
ing advanced as he hopes. some hundred:
of miles by this time and sent home hi;
last Eskimo Peary will divide all the re-
manning stores among the three sledges
and the three Americans will then grapplt
with the final stages Of the journey tina
of making a record for the "farthes
north even if unfortunate enough to b
unable to reach the Pole. From Cape Jo-
seph Henry TO the Pole is about 500 miles
The severe aff1iction of frostbiting. whicf
Peary suffered last winter. and which cos
him seven of his ten toes. besides portions
of his heels will tell most hardly upoi
him. depriving him. as it necessarily must
of the activity in movement formerl,
characteristic of his expedition.
| The next disadvantage is his well-kncwl
disregard of the ordinary precautioE
which prudence would suggest in th
/ launching out of such an expedition
Trusting to Providence. chance or luck!
star. Peary has always set out on trip
no matter how small. with insufficient
supplies hoping to make up the deficienc.
by game killed on the way.
To those who would condemn this ap
parent foolhardiness the explanation shoul'
be made that the reduction of weights Il
minimum is the chief problem that De
sets every arctic explorer. In regioi
where all the supplies have to be carried
, on dog sledges an extra lading may meal
, the loss of the goal of ones ambition.