New-York tribune., 1906-12-09
CROWD WOBS PEARY.
pOLICE FORCE HELPLESS.
Throng Struggles to See Arctic Ear
pTorer at Museum Lecture.

80, History on his latest attempt TO reach the
,,,rth Pole The lecture hall seats nfteen nun
s-sd persons. For an hour before the appointed
-. q tbrong of three thousand persons waited
.ier+I-, 70 get inside Those who were turned
e1 waited until the end Of the lecture. on the
-,rr,se of an official Of the museum that Com
-,snder Peary would pass through the corridors
.o they ~ least could see him, and this mum
- vas increased by hundreds OF late arrivals
srd casual visitors
U-,en the lecture ended. Commander
No. tried 70 fulfil this promise. and was lit
-srv n1ohbed. There must have been nearly
- thousand in the crowd which surged around
Rim and few attendants. hustling them
,brough the corridors and around the lecture
hal Men women and children swirled together
,r = riotous n1aestror. which had the Arctic
rlo-er for its vortex The Jam around him
about as pressing as any fee crush his ship ever
s,countered Hats smashed. coats were
torn. women lost gloves and handbags and furs.
Come of the weaker ones were in imminent dan
rer n being crushed and traHfpled on
through al the worst part of the Jam the
roice did absolutely nothing TO check the in
cinient riot or better conditions Sergeant Hoff-
-rs- a The West 6sth street station, was in
charge q the police arrangements He had IN
der him twenty-five men, reserves from the
court squads. When the riot extending
rom the lecture hall clear out 10 the entrance
"a the museum. and Commander Peary was
he7z bureted by good natured a throng
ever s1iaed women and children. all OF the po-
Hcerlen. save A handful. were OUT in the main
corridor standing with their hands in their
pockets
Bur after they did get into action that action
was summary. though not OF a kind TO help
bring order our Of tle writhing mob of hu-
rnsnitr. The sergeant in charge ana a lone
ps5roruau. tried TO get TO Commander Peary ID
helr hir- cut oF the crush. They went through
The throng at that place made up in large part
of vomer and half-grown children. like a wild
at locomotive through a brush heap
Say e 3 little bit easy there yelled long
suffering man who had been sent flying 70
SIDE by r vigorous use Of the police elbow.
40 III be damned II I DO" retorted the ser
geanr. and deliberately grabbed a boy of about
Ter years by the back Of the neck and showed
hin in half circle through the crowd 10 the
rea-. then swept on, leaving the boy choked and
hsf senseIess.
CROWD on HAND EARLY.
Cards telling Of the lecture had been circulated
broadcast bv the museum management It had
been mentioned in the newspapers, and placards
were stuck round The museum itself saying that
no tickets had been issued. that everybody
might have a chance 10 ATTEND. The hour speci-
fed for opening the doors p m, the lecturs
vas TO begin a. 3:2a Lon. efore 3 o'clock
fhronE of thousands had s. heIed before the
tlose6 doors. Once they We're opened, the main
hoor and the gallery filed in FIVE minutes.
and tire overflow wss scrambling for choice
seats reserved for members of the Arctic Club.
Then tne doors were closed. leaving three times
as many people outside as inside the hall, wait
inE jus. 10 see Peary and touch his hand.
The lecture ended. the explorer started to de-
scend from The platform at its left side. He
got about half way down the short flight Of
steps and there met the ride Of people pressing
forward TO greet the man who had got "furthest
north" They held him there for ten minutes.
shaking his hands. pulling his coat lingering
the Tag wHich he had taken with him. Finally
he managed 10 break a way out and chased
scross the platform 70 try the other side The
same mob met him: his two companions, Of
ncisls OF the Museum said they would take him
Ou- through some corridors from which visitors
We're barred To do this, however, they had 70
fgHr their wav for five minutes through
vicious 2 Jam as ever characterized a football
game
Then hey gained a stairway. and. going up
another foor. came out at the stairways which
give entrance 70 the gallery Of the lecture hall.
Tne audience was Just pouring out there, 10
mingle ~ the bottom of the stairs with the
throng waiting in the main corridors TO see
Pesrl. Pesry and his companions rushed ahead,
and Eot down the steps just in tine 70 he caught
between rhe TWO throngs- II was then that the
Tes scramble, and its accompaniment Of police
fn@sse and generalship were manifest.
Commander Pesry finally gained elevator
and vanished into the upper regions after the
approved theatrical fashion. while the police
gradually cleared the corridors.
Norris K. Jesup, president Of the American
Museum of Natural History. and also president
~ rhe Arctic club. which bore the expense Of
Peary'g trip presented the explorer to his audi
enre The American people all like pluck"
said ~ Jesup We all want 10 see the North
Pole discovered. and ve have come near it-so
near that we are not going 10 give il up have
-" greatest personal admiration for this man.
ald 1Ho more I know him the more determined
am go stick 10 him"
COMMANDER PEARY's LECTURE
Commander Peary took up his lecture. point
i'g out on a huge map the course taken by tho
Roosevelt. he first purely American ship which
ever entered The Arctic work" until she fought
h"r way 70 Cape Sheridan on the Grant Land
coast Then heavy icefioes caught her and
held ier 50 fast on shore that ii was necessary
'' winter there ON October l3. a little NOR.
tnsn month later, the sun set for the last time
'Aai While the party stayed with the
f"'s"re.f, hunting expeditions We're sent out 10
soour Grant Land for musk oxen and Arctic hare
With the return of twilight the follow ing spring.
S'eceeT carried all the store OF provisions 70 a
point wesr - cape Hecla
Then began the actual dash for The poie
Commander Peary told Of his piar % dividing
NE provisions and esta blishing caches. with
ssdges in communication always with the last