Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-11

pa,tS. Lille and work in that inhospit
cue region are their heritage. 1t is
COMMANDER Peary's intention to redis.
'ripute the entire tribe i'm such n man.
iier as TO afford the most assistance
ie"''hs the less competent ones AT
cape sabine. where they will be in
easy communication with the waIrus
hunting grounds, and to establish IN
tfrlnedlate families between there end
Inc northern shore of Grant Land II.
Will take the strongest men of tho
tribe with him Oh board the chin -
"hi'er al me most northern base and
10 form his party across the no,ar
pack.
The proper agent for effective worl.
IN the Arctic regions of the western
hemisphere above IS degrees north
latitude is a team of six or eight good
dogs and a sledge with load nor to
exceed 800 pounds as the mayimnm
weight. This furnishes nnit IF
MAXIMUM speed and radius of reach
The heavy man sledge drawn by four
SIX or even twelve men. with load of
from 1.eN to 1000 pounds is no longer
used by Arctic explorers.
Il have never on any of my exnedi-
tons. continued the explorer, "gone
as far North as Nasen or Arbr,zzi but
l nave made four sleige journeys. al
OF which average of such a length. that
had been able to start from the place
l now intend to leave the ship. any one
of them would have taken me 100 miles
beyond the Pole and back again."
Here, he showed a diagram that
proved his sledge journeys to be more
than twice rs long as those of either
Ge the above named explorers.
'That." the speaker went on. sis
why | believe / shall secure the pole
in this attempt. Everything depends
on the ship. She must be taken to the
northernmost point of Grant land and
there remain as base of operations.
while l make the sledge journey of
nearly 800 miles to the Pole
With 4 series of beautiful views
Commander Peary then described his
former voyages to the Arctic region,
dismissing many popular fallacies as
TO the real dangers which beset ones
progress through the frozen fields of
the North. He said that scarcely
day passed when he did not receive
from some crank suggestions as to how
fhe difficulties might be overcome. The
most popular idea of these cranks
seemed to be the use of an autO-boat
or car. The utter absurdity of this
was pointed out by the explorer i'm a
view of one ice field the surface of
which was covered with high and ir-
regular mounds Of ice. often rising to
n height of 80 or Go feet. Between and
plorers to fairly hew a passage. and
the work Of conveying the sle6ges is
extremely difficult.
Commander Peary Enumerated the
chief difficulties of Arctic exploration
hunger. In that northern latitude it is
considered mild wea Their when the Their
mOmeter registers no l.pwer than % de-
grees below zero. From that point It
sinks to 80 degrees below. and the Their
mometers which the Peary party car
ried did not possess The POWER of tel
ling how much lower it might go. And
yet relatively it is but little colder than
orr own Maine winters. for the reason
that all who venture into that climate
-G;Iip themselves in the warm garments
Of the EsIuimaux. In spite of these
precautions Commander l'eary froZe
both feet and was carried by his CON-
panians on long sl21ge Journey filled
with excruciating pain. The explorer
raid tribute to the IIsluin;aux who had
charg" of the sledge. and said that the
affection which he selt 70: him was not
less than that which he would feel for
a brother if he had one. Commander
Don. n In a
heart for the noble E5quimaux dogs.
without which Arctic exploration Woul
be impossible. One picture showed four
Of th,se Gnimals. and the explorer told
OF the fate of three. The fourth is now
in the Peary Arctic musaum in New
York city destined II full rations and
no work for the remainder of his days.
The explorer showed pictures of polar
bear which had IAN oper CO untenanca.'
bat said that the most dangerous ami
mai which the party encountered was
the walrus. He guaranteed that amy
hunting party would nlI,l all the excite
mnnt it wanted by rowing into herd
Of 40 or % of these customers all anX-
Joys to get aboard tha BOAT.
Mr.. Peary spoke of tn" awfulness of
the lon" Arctic night, 50 silent at times
that ii seemed as If on" could rcaliyhcar
the shifting of the stars and the Scin-
tillating of the Northern Lights. as
Gilbert Parker. the novelist has sail.
Most of the time. however. there is Il
groaning, crnaking ana CannOnadinS
sound. made by the constantly shifting
ice. while the incess:lnt hiss of the
wind is almost maddeliing.
Commander Peary spok" Of the hum
ger Not the hunger nf man slowly
starving and only half conscious. but
that Of strong man who has worked
FIR weeks on half rations or less unit!
he is nothing but hon" and sine"-
Their II is that every Gbnr of his being
lcallS aiOud for meal. Then 1t is thai
man becomes primitive, and when the
musk or * or polar bear drops he pulls
| for il and takes his ill of the warm raw
meat when ] read in novels of the
half starved Siberian wolf pursuing its
victim. my sympathy is always win
the wolf" sail the explorer. joculaily.
| The speaker wondered If his audience
could get any conception of the Arctic
darkness six months in duration. Wh"n
| the work Of exploration WAS necessarily