Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-26
ROUTE TO NORTH POLE
LECTURE BY LIEUT.. PEARY OF
THE q. s. NAVY.
Smith Sound Course Regarded as the
Best Of Three Named-The
South Pole.

A large number of the members of the
National Geographic Society listened Satur-
day evening to an address delivered by
Commander Robert E. Peary, U. 8. N, at
Rifles Hail. giving an entertaining account
of his plans for reaching the pole. In addi-
ton. numerous slides gave his hearers some
idea of the life in that far-away country,
the natives, the dogs and other details. He
was introduced by the vice president of the
society, DR.. w. J. McGee, who spoke briefly
of the work which had been planned for
the society during the coming year. He
explained that this, the initial meeting, was
held earlier than usual in order to give an
opportunity to hear Comma nder Peary be
fore he left for trip abroad.
The speaker said the possible routes to
the north pole have dwindled to three, and
in his own personal opinion to only two.
He advocated the Smith sound or "Ameri-
can route" that is, along the west coast of
Greenland to the north of Kennedy sound,
thence to a still higher latitude than that
reached by the Alert off Grant Land. -.e
other two routes were the drift method
adopted by hansen and the so-called Franz
josef Land route. Regarding the former.
Lieutenant Peary said that for four or five
years at least ship and people must be but a
helpless bit of flotsam entirely at the mercy
the ice in which they are drifting,
a. practically unable to control their own
fortunes or contribute by their efforts to
success.
Presumably" he said, "Nansen and
Sverdrup are advocates of this route, yet
neither has, to my knowledge. expressed a
desire to repeat the experience of the
Fram's voyage. Bernier is reported as con-
templating repetition Of the voyage.
Abruzzis is the only expedition by the
Franz Josef route that has pushed beyond
the northern limit Of the Franz Josef archi-
pelago. He, however uncompromisingly ad-
vocates the Smith sound route.
In diSagreeing with the opinion OF the
president of the Royal Geographical Society
of London, after NanSens voyage, that we
have practically reached the north pole and
know all that it is necessary to know about
It," Lieut.. Peary said: Two hundred and
sixty miles from the pole is a long ways
from the actual attainment of the pole, and
to assert that the secret of the pole has
been penetrated and the veil lifted at that
range, and that the economics of the polar
basin have been revealed. when 100000
square miles of 1t have not been trodden
by human foot or seen by human eye, is an
enthusiastic view
Lieut. Peary said the attainment Of the
south pole is only matter of time and pa
thence. that the work can be carried on any
season and every mile of advance can be
permanently secured. while the attainment
of the north pole means to so refine and
perfect ones equipment, supplies and party
as to cover 500 miles each way without
caches and without support from the coun-
try, and to cover this distance in the time
limit Of three or. at most. three and one
half months. Lieut.. Peary pleaded for I'M
mediate financing Of the expedition from
private sources. He urged that an expe-
dition which in his opinion In all probability
would secure the pole can be fitted out for
two years at a cost of $4,000, the only ex-
pensive item being powerful ship to push
him to the northern shore of Grant Land.