The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-07-21
OFF FOR THE NORTH POLE.
The Peary Expedition Starts From New York
CIR. at Sendoff.

New York (SpeciaD With the sun
shining brightly on the big American
flag whipping in brisk southwest
breeze at her mizzen truck and with the
screaming whistles of passing steam
craft and the sharp reports of saluting
cannon on shore bidding the doughty
vessel godspeed, the Roosevelt steamed
out through the Narrows late Sunday
afternoon, her voyage toward the North
Pole begun.
Members of the Peary Arctic Club,
parture from the decks of the navy
yard tug Pentucket, and, gathering
around the intrepid explorer, wished
him, too, godspeed and success. He
returned to shore to take his departure
for Sydney, c. B., on the midnight train
from the Grand Central Station, deem
ing the trip on the Roosevelt to that
point unnecessary.
There was not hitch in the starting
of the Roosevelt from her anchorage
off Twenty-ninth street in the North
River, and no ship ever sailed under fair
er skies. Long before the starting time,
fixed as 8 o'clock, those invited to go
with Commander Peary and the Roose-
welt to bid him farewell to quarantine
had gone on board in all sorts of har-
Dor conveyances, and in one instance
there was narrow escape from a seri-
Gus accident in the choppy sea along
side the vessel Prof. Monroe Smith,
of Columbia College, in attempting to
land from launch at the gangway,
slipped overheard, but he was quickly
grasped by one of the crew of the
Roosevelt and dragged aboard.
On the decks of the Roosevelt there
had assembled Herbert L. Bridgman and
L. L. Delafeld, secretary and treasurer,
respectively, of the Peary Arctic Club;
Prof. Holland E. Stone, Gen. J. Rus
sell Lowell, Charles Milliken, Freder-
ick P. Dela6eld, p w. Geer, Philip K.
Walcott, Wallace Downey and the new
ly appointed surgeon of the expedition,
DR.. Louis J. Wolf.
Mrs. Peary, with her mother, Mrs.
Magdalena Diebitsch, and her sister,
Miss Diebitsch, and Miss Babb went
with the party down the bay, as did also
little Miss Marie Anighnito Peary and
Robert E. Peary, Jr. Mrs. Peary was
the only person of this number who
did not sail away on the Roosevelt on
the trip to Sydney.
1t was seven minutes past the hour
appointed when, with the Pentucket
alongside as convoy, the Roosevelt
weighed anchor and swung around
against strong ebb tide and headed
down the stream There was a scat
tering hotilla of small launches and row.
boats in the immediate vicinity, but the
river was too choppy for small boats to
navigate in comfort to their occupants.
Capt Frank A. Houghton, who is in
command of the Roosevelt on her trip
to Sydney, took his place in front of
the big hand wheel amidships of the
vessel, the marine telegraph jingled in
the engine room, there was a shiver OF
the stanch hull as the engine turned
over the propeller deep astern and the
voyage was begun.
There had been a silence on the river
among the passing vessels, only the
sharp blasts of steamers warning others
of their course, until the white churning
foam behind the Roosevelt told of the
voyage Just started Then from every
steamboat, tug and ferryboat within hail
ing distance broke out three long and
telling blasts. The ovation had begun
and for full two hours, until the Roose-
welt was hull down in the main ship
channel there was scarcely moment
that the deep-toned whistle of the Peary
ship was not sending back to saluting
craft annreciation of the honOrS