Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-11
I amous Arctic Explorer
Lectures in Augusta.
Intensely Interesting Story Of
Experiences in Frozen North.
Warmly Greeted by a Large AudiaEee a
The Opera House.

y splendid audience Tiled the Onara
house. last evening to greet Comman.
der Robert f. Peary, AID it was re-
ward' d by Il lectur.. from the lannon's
Nrctic explorer which al present will
remember as long as they live. The
lecture was illustrated by so stereopti-
con views from photographs taken by
commander Peary during the trip when
ne pushed further north than any
american had ever gone before In a
HiodeSt. straightforward manner he
'oid 0. ms experiences IN his earlier eX-
peditiohs and his plans for that upon
Which ne Will start in July. He held
ms audience spellbound for an hour
ana half and every nody wished the
lecture was twice as long. He was i'm
troduced by Hon. Or-iila d. Baker of
this city and was greeted with long
continued applause which was frequent
~ repeated during the evening. He
spoke in substance rs follows:
shall start from New York" said
Commander Peary. sometime between
the LIST and 18th Of July. and sail nort.,
following the coast to Sidney, C. r..
where | shall fill my ship with coal
Thence across the gulf of St. Law
renee and through the straits of Belle
Isle. l shall lay my course by the most
direct route through Davis strait and
Baffins bay to Cape York, where
shall take on my ESquimaux. my dogs
and my walrus meat. From here
shall proceed up Whale sound to Etah.
where | shall establish my first supply
depot. Across the strait on Cape Sa-
hInp / shall laoua III Of ha r;I ,,.l,a
are with me. except 20. and the poorest
of the dogs to form relief party
Then | shall push on with my ship
northward through Smith sound to the
farth2st point of navigation. From
there with my dogs and sledges. with
only the drivers and two or three COM
l,anions l shall make my way. if pos
siDie to the pole. l shall reach Grant
land with the ship, if possible. by the
first of September. There the ship will
winter and the journey to the pole will
not begin until the first days Of spring
sledga journey will be. if | can go in
Fly ship as far north as I hope. 49U
statute miles. Whe thor we find the
rOle or not we must return by the first
of June when the ice begins to break
Zip. We shall be provisioned for three
years"
While the explorer had been out
lining his PLANS the audience had been
able to follow him in theory through
the aid Of set OF polar maps cast
, upon screen by a fine stereOpticOn.
In this way he also explained tn"
course taken by ether explorers and the
| extent of their progress. The next Sc
! rirs of views showed the evolution of
| polar ships from the old Scotch whalcr.
which was the oriSiral type. to MS OWE
EOosevcit which is now being rugged
and equipped at Portland. He eX-
plainad the faults connected with the
vessels which had been used in pre-
Nious voyages. ard said he had come to
the conclusion that he must have Il
craft which was n powerful steamer
With sufficient strength to withstand
tie ice. All the other craft have been
sailing vessels with steam rs q second
ary consi,i ration. Not the least inter-
'sting Of the stercopticon slides were
those which showed the launching of
the Roosevelt at Bucksrort and a view
Of her rs she will look when fully
rugged and under steam. He gave /,
DTfl 'fS''tlHtIoIl II tIlt ltpSts''t
which is already 50 familiar to our
readers that n repetition here is not
necC ssarv. RcVerting again to the 20
lar region. Commander Peary said:
There are 10000 square miles that
are undiscovered. They stand as a 70
proach (" every white man with red
blood in his veins. There is no such
area of the earth's surface that has not
paid many times over for the cost OF
discovering it. What would ii mean ir
cur prOSaic day if new land were
lifted ont If the polar sea by the Stars
and Stripes" 1t would mean national
prestige to plant the American flag in
la land az large as the continent OF
Australia. and every American would
certainly feel a little better for having
it done.
Men have been trying for 400 years
to reach the pole. and many people
have asked why ! now have any more
homes Of reaching it than have my
predecessors. or any more reasons tC
believe it than they. There are two
and possibly third. The first lies ir
1.-THE ship that was launched at Bucks
port last month. She is the first shiI
ever built particularly for the work
have to do. and I believe that ! car
steam in her to Grant land, from Whlct
point | shall begin my sledge journey
The second reason that ! am so cOnf1-
dent is my control of the EsquiIlauX al
Whale sound. They will obey me abb
solutaly. and with their aid and the aiC
Of those magnificent creatures. the
dogs | am in a better position to MAKE
the fight than any of my predecessors
II shall take with me wireless teieg
raphy apparatus which has never ye
been used in Arctic exploration. Wit
it l shall be able to communicate Will
my supply station at Etah. In Thu
way 7 can order supplies Of coal ant
dog meat if necessary. that otherwise
I should have TO send for 300 and NOR
miles overland by messenger. From
i Etah perhaps stations may be estab
lished so that l may be able to com
1 municate by telegraph directly witt
, New York and home.
"Thc third reason is my own expe
rience. For nearly 20 years I hav
!. been engaged in Arctic work. and al
: tine knowledge 1 have gained will b
nut to use in the coming expedition"