Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-09-18
PEARy's ARCTIC TRIP
Explorers Plans For Finding
the North Pole.
STEAM TO BE CHEF MOTIVE POWER
Powerful Engines Are to De Placed
In stanch Hull of q Wooden Vessel
to Withstand the Ice-Fuel VIII lie
Taken In q Tender - Negro Body
Servant TO Accompany Him on Last
Dash.

The expedition In quest of the north
pole which Lieutenant Peary is to con-
duct next year will be unlike any of its
predecessors, says Washington spe-
cial TO the New York World. Instead
of depending upon sails as the chief
part of the motive power the explorer
will depend almost entirely upon steam.
Sails, II used. will be the auxiliary
power.
Acting Secretary Darling, who is one
of the heartiest supporters the explorer
has, said the other afternoon that the
lieutenant's idea was to use stanch
wooden hulled craft of not over 400 or
500 TONS but to have in that hull as
powerful machinery as he could find
The vessel will be named after Mr.
Darling.
Peary's plan is to make his base on
Grant Land and winter at Cape Co
lumbia or some point farther west
From that point he will have his Eski-
mos transport his party across the hum
mocky ice that exists between the
eighty-third and eighty-siXth degrees
of latitude. The men who are to make
the dash are not to engage in any Of
the toll Of getting across the ice hum
mocks, but are 10 preserve their ener-
gies for the last stage of the journey,
which will be little more than 300
miles long. The Eskimos are expected
to transport this party about 100 miles.
II have not determined the number
of men who will accompany me in the
run for the pole" said Lieutenant Pea
ry. 1T will not. however, consist Of
much more than twenty-five men, prob
ably not more than twenty. 1t will de-
pend upon the number of Eskimos |
shall be able to get to go with me to
the base that is to be established on
Grant Land.
The only man know positively will
be in the last dash will be Matthew
Hansen, the colored man who has been
with me on former expeditions. would
not think Of going without him. He is
now In New York serving as valet,
but he will go with me whenever am
ready. l have three Eskimos In mind
who will go with me.
Dogs only will be used in dragging
the sleds across the ice between Grant
Land and the pole. They are better
than men in every respect. They travel
faster and are more faitlkul workers,
They require less food, AID In case Of
dire necessity they can be used as food
for the members Of the party.
81 feel more confident of success than
before any of the other trips l have
undertaken"
1t is altogether probable the explorer
will buy an ocean going tug that has a
wooden hull in a good state of preser
walton. This he will have braced so the
maximum of resistance to ice pressure
will be produced. Into this hull power
full engines will be placed
A supply Of fuel will have to be TAX
en- north in tender and perhaps trans
ported to Grant Land by the most labo-
rious methods, so as to enable the tug
to return, If she gets that far north,
with the least possible delay after the
dash to the pole has been made.
The money for the enterprise has not
been raised, but President Roosevelt
and Acting Secretary Darling are such
good friends Of the project that their
influence will be put back of the efforts
the explorer intends making to procure
the necessary funds.