The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-03
THE ROOSEVELT, HUNTER
NEW ARCTIC SHIP HERE WITH
PEARY on BOARD.
Most Powerful Craft That Ever Went on
the Hyperborean Errand-Dash to
the Pole to Begin From Grant Land
Next February--Three White Men GOins

the Hyperborean Errand-Dash to
the Pole to Begin From Grant Land
Next February--Three White Men GOing
The Roosevelt, exploring ship OF the
Peary Arctic Club, arrived last night from
Portland. Me-, with Mr.. Pea-y aboard, and
anchored in the North River of Forty
second street. She Is the most powerful
craft ever constructed for carving the ice
OF the polar sea, and the explorer thinks
that she is certain to do all that is expected
OF her. She sailed from Portland on Fri
day, Mr.. Peary and his men scorning all
marine superstitions, and came here under
steam only, although she has as much sail
as an ordinary three masted coasting
schooner to help her along when there
Is a breeze.
Mr.. Peary wore plain business suit and
spoke in plain business fashion. He said
he wanted 1t understood that the expe-
dition which he will head to find the pole
Is not his. but that of the Peary Arctic
Club, Of which Morris K Jesup is president
and Herbert l.. Bridgman secretary. Mr..
Jesup is chiefly responsible for the organi-
cation of the expedition.
The Roosevelt will stay here about twelve
days and fit out. She will then sail for
Sydney, Cape Breton and take on 500 tons
of coal. All her crew will be hardy New
found!anders, used to battling with ice
clogged waters. The ship will force way
through Melville Bay to the Whale Sound
region. The base of the expedition will he
at Cape Sabine, where about twenty-five
of the strongest and most daring Eskimo
hunters will be assembled, with their dogs
and sledges, and taken aboard ship. The
families of the hunters will go with them,
as the men get sick and respondent with
out their wives.
From Cape Sabine the steel proved ship
will make a drive through Kennedy, and
Robson channels to Grant Land, where,
about Sept. i, the beginning of the Arctic
winter, the explorers will go into winter
quarters.
The dash for the pole. computed to be
about 400 miles from Grant Land. will begin
men in the party. including Mr.. Peary.
One of the others will be a surgeon, whose
name Mr.. Peary is not now at liberty to
mention. Each Eskimo will have from six
to eight dogs to drag his sledge, which will
be. laden with 500 pounds of pemmican.
ships biscuit and tea for the men and penn
mican for the dogs, The only instruments
that Mr.. Peary will take will he theodolIte,
a pocket sextant and chronometer. The
party will also carry two small rifles. Mr.
I'VE are taking the rifles not with the
expectation of shooting anything. We
believe that it is improbable that we will
see any ANNA life near the pole. be
lieve we are going to win in our race. We
have three strong points in our favor;
First. the ship, which is the most powerful
ever built; secondly, my experience of saven-
teen years in the Arctic and, thirdly, my
knowledge of the Eksmos Of the region
and how to handle them
IA ,,,l
aptitude one may be no worse Off in the
Arctic than he would he in other regions.
expect to find nothing abnormal al the
pole, in fact l am sure there is nothing
abnormal there. There is no open sea and
naturally no pole to which / may nail the
little American flag that | shall take along.
One might step on the pole, and without
Instruments OF precision, never know
he was there. As to the good the
expedition will accomplish, I may say
miles of absolutely unknown region, land
that he. been separated from the rest Of
the world for countless ages.
Il take no stock in the theory Of n certain
professor that the Garden Of Eden was orig-
nally at the North Pole; The chief reason
sentimental. II we win the race it will be
a triumph which the greatest nations are
striving to attain. No jealousy has been
developed in the contest; only fine in
ternational sporting spirit.
The Roosevelt is of these dimensions:
Length, 1874 feet: breadth. IS $40 feet depth,
10 2-lO feet; gross registered tonnage, 6l4
tons; maximum load displacement. about
500 tons. The backbone of the ship
viz. keel mainkeelson. stem and stern
posts as also her frames, plank sheer the
waterways and cardboard strake--are white
oak The outer plankng is of white oak;
decks Of Oregon pine. She has a lifting
rudder. which may be raised out Of danger
from contact with the ice; the stem and
bows are armored with heavy plates of
steel and the outer plankinR has 2la inch
oreenheart sheathinp