Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-24
At Sydney, C.B., After Is
Months in The North.
Reach 81 Degrees, 6 Min., or
200 Miles From the Pole.
Last March's Tremendous Gale the
Cause Of Failure.

Sydney, c. b., Nov 23.-Flying the
flag of the United States which had
been placed nearer the North Pole than
any other national standard, weather.
beaten and torn and partly disabled.
the Peary Arctic steamer Roosevelt ar
rived today under scil and steam after
10 months vain effort TO reach the pole.
Though not entirely successful, the
expedition nevertheless got to 81 de-
grees, &C minutes, north latitude, or
203 miles from the pole.
Ihe Roosevelt left Port Aux Basque.
y. F.. at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon
and averaged five miles an hour on the
journey to Sydney. having experienced
light winds and rains. The ship came
to IN anchor off the Yacht Squadron
lier end though the hour was early the
Roosevelt was soon visited by the
American consul and various local Off
Gals and an invitation was extended
Commander Peary on behalf of the
sydney Board Of Trade to be the guest
of the commercial body at banquet
proposed to be given in his honor to-
night.
a large quantity of mail awaited
Commander Peary and he decided at
the time not 70 make fixed arrange
| ments regarding his present move
ments.
Almost Immediately after the steam
| er came to anchor the explorer joined
Mrs Peary. who has been here for two
| weeks waiting her husbands return.
When asked what he thought OF the
suggestion embodied in Fridtjof Nam
sens recent interview to the effect that
| PearyS latest experience served TO
strengthen the plan of reaching the
pole by drifting from Behring sea,
| Commander Peary said he always he
| lleved there were great possibilities in
| the drifting theory for men Of the
| temperament to stand imprisonment
| for several years in the ice. For his
part he could not adapt himself to 1t.
| Touching the outbreak of the gale
which had unexpectedly come up in
| the Arctic and destroyed the ice bridge,
! Pcary said that the prevailing wind
| was westerly in the Arctic region, but
| it was not always of the force of a
gale and it was impossible to tell in
advance when a gale would occur. No
! person could anticipate that problem.
as gales happened with probably the
| same irregularity there as any other
part of the globe. He would not talk
about the Wellrnan expedition plans.
as he said he made it a point not to
discuss the ideas OF Their explorers.
| The commander said his immediate
movements We're in doubt. On the
| way to sydney he thought he would
pay OFF the Newfoundland members OF
his crew at Sydney, make some re-
pairs to the Roosevelt, get new
crew and equipment and to to New
York. Since his arrival important
matters mad arisen and it was possible
he and Mrs. Peary would take the
noon train from Sydney and leave the
Roosevelt to follow in due course.
Commander Peary looks in the best
of health and spirits and though dis
appointed ut the failure to reach the
pole. nevertheless feels satisfied with
the advance actually made and prob
ably plans for another expedition will
soon be begun.
DR.. l.. J. Welff said that the> health
of the party had been excellent. There
were no deaths and practically no sick
ness. DR.. Wolff said that he had nor
the slightest doubt that if the gale Of
the early part of March had not oc-
CURED the pole would have been
reached without dlmculty. Dr. Wo!U
said he and other members of the ex-
petition intended to stay by the Roosc-
welt until she reached New York
; Captain John Bartlett. master Of the
Roosevelt, said the steamer was good
sea boat and that he would sail her to
New York. He is ready to go again to
the Arctic.
Capt. Bartlett was in charge of one
of the parties supporting Commander
Pcary's advance He said the storm
which did the mischief was tremendous
in violence and accompanied by blind
ing squalls of fine snow. The Ice field
was rent widely asunder and all trace
of track destroyed.
First Mate Bartlett said the crew
was well paid and well fed and the
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