The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-04-06
PtARY VERY Confident.
Tells of Plans for His Next Try for the
Pole.

I S>>~
Pole.
BosTON, March 30. Commander
Robt E. Peary, the dauntiess Arctic
explorer, who will start in July Oh
another attempt to find the north pole,
was the guest of honor at the Mer-
chants club dinner at the Algonquin
clubhouse last nigh, where he enter
tanned the members with an interest
ing description of his plans and pur-
poses.
His new boat, the Roosevelt, was
launched at Bucksport, Me-, last
Thursday, and a model of it occupied a
place of honor at the head table
Between July l and Is, he said, he
expected to leave New York on the
voyage north, stopping at Sydney fol
coal.
BY sept. /, he expects to be able to &c
into winter quarters at Grant Land
after breaking through the. first ice
barriers at Melville bay and the sec
ond ice barriers at Cape Sabine. Al
Cape Sabine he will take on board his
squad of picked Eskimos, whose as
sistance in his project he deems in
valuable.
Next February, he said with the first
new light, he expects to start with
dog sledges on the dash of 400 mile.
from his winter quarters to the pole
The sledge journey to the pole viii
be less difficult, he thinks, than thu
task of forcing passage through
Smith sound, but, fully impressed
with belief in the power of his new
vessel he thinks it will not be i'm
possible to work his way to Gran
Land ia her
His plan is to leave the ship Will
five or SIX sledges, each loaded with 50(
to 800 pounds of provisions. At thu
end of, say 100 miles, the weakest sledgt
and the weakest men will be returned tG
the ship, the provisions from that sledge
having been consumed first. AT the
end of a second jaunt of so or IS miles
another sledge will be returned, and sc
on, until the explorers of the last 100
miles will consist of the commander
himself and three or four picked men
Meanwhile the sledges that have beer
returned to the ship will load up with
provisions and start toward the pole, to
meet the commander and his party
and he expects TO meet them about
half way back on his return trip.
Commander Peary thinks he will
reach the pole this time, and this belief
is based upon his confidence in the pow
Ell and stanchness of his ship, and his
confidence in the Esquimaux, every
man, woman and child of whom he
knows, and whose services he can com
mand out of gratitude.
Had his ship been at Grant Land il
1900, he said, so that he might have
used it for Il base, instead of bein
obliged to make a sledge journey from
Cape Sabine, the distance covered by
Sledges at that time would not only
have taken him to the pole, but 100
miles beyond it. The results could not
be measured in money, lie said. II
might be possible to discover new
although he was not at all confident OF
this. But there were great scientific
possibilities, and there was also the
prestige of a discovery which he
thought would appeal to the sentiment
of every American.
Commander Peary was enthusiastic
in speaking of his new vessel, which he
thought would not only be able to re-
SiSt the enormous lateral ice pressure
but be able to force her way through
the ice foes. Instead of relying upon
sail power, with steam as an auxiliary
he had reversed the usual order anC
supplemented steam power with sal
power. He expressed his deep obliga
tion to the recognized Peary Arctic
club, of which Morris X. Jesup of New
York is president This club had pro
vided for the building and equipment
OF the Roosevelt. The money for sup
plying the vessel had not yet been sub
scribed, but he was confident it would
be Forthcoming, aud that he couC
make his start on time.
He supplemented his remarks by
some beautiful stereopticon views OF
Arctic scenery.