The Springfield herald., 1906-11-09
near NORTH POLE
PEARY FAILS, BUT MAKES NEW
RECORD.
HEARD FROM IN LABRADOR
Brave Dash for the Pole Frustrated by
Broken lce-Gets Within Two Hun
dred and One Miles of lt-Explorer
and Party All Well.

and Party All Well.
New York.-The UAited States now
holds the record of ''farthest north"
81 degrees. 6 minutes. This feat was
accomplished by Commander Robert
L. Peary of the United States navy.
The intrepid Arctic explorer failed
to reach the north pole, as he had con-
fldently hoped to do, with his specially
constructed vessel, the Roosevelt, but
he penetrated nearer to the pole than
the Duke of Abruzzi's expedition.
which held the Arctic record, sc de-
grees, "a minutes.
What CoAmander Peary did and his
experiences in the past year in the
frozen north are briefly but certainly
Iividly summarized in communica-
ton received Friday night by H. L..
Br;dgman, secretary of the Peary Arc
tic Club.
''Eopedale. Labrador, via Twillin'
gate, New Foundland, Nov. 2.-Her-
bert l.. Bridgman: The Roosevelt
wintered on the north coast of Grant
! land, somewhat north of the Alert 3
winter quarters | went north with
s!edges in February via Hecla and Co
lumbia, was delayed by open water be-
tween 81 and SIS degrees. Was beyond
S5 six days.
"A gale disrupted the ice, destroyed
my cache, cut off the communication
with supporting bodies and drifted due
east
I'VE reached 81 degrees 6 minutes
north latitude over the ice, which was
drifting steadily eastward.
while returning we were forced to
eat our dogs. We still drifted east
ward, delayed by open water. and
reached the north coast Of Grantland
in straitened conditions We killed
musk oxen and returned along the
GTantland coast to our ship. Two sup
porting parties were driven on the
north coast of Greenland and one OF
them was rescued by me in a starving
condition.
After one week of recuperation on
the Roosevelt we sledged west. com
pietely rounding the north coast or
Grantland and reached other land,
near the Tooth meridian. Our home
ward voyage was an incessant battle
Roosevelt is ii magnificent ice fighter.
There were no deaths or illness during
the expedition. PEARf.
After furnishing the Associated
Press the contents of Commander
Pearys report, Mr.. Bridgman said the
receipt of any news from the explorer
now was quite surprise to him. be-
cause he had supposed it had become
too late in the season for Commander
Peary to send news of his venture.
Mr.. Bridgman added that the mes
sage spoke for itself and that since he
did not know more of the results or
Commander Peary's effort to reach the
pole than the public did. lie could
hardly comment upon the dispatch.
There was little doubt, however, he
said. that Commander Peary was com
ing home. This seems to be borne out
by the routing of the message. Hope
dale, or Hoffenthal, is n mission sta
ton on the east coast of Labrador.
Twillingate is Il port on the east coast
of Newfoundland. Mr.. Bridgman said
the message was probably mailed by
Commander Peary from Hopedale to
the most accessible cable point.
It was explained that Peary's only
way of getting news down from the
HOGlH WAS Dy oiipo. Oais
planned to have his headquarters $50
miles north of Cape Sabine. From that
point he planned to make his actual
journey to the pole, distance of 500
miles across a desert of ice and snow
This final dash he expected to make in
n month or six weeks from the time
he left headquarters.
Mrs. Robert +. Peary, wife of the
commander, has been spending the
past summer in Maine.
The point reached by Peary, SIG,
placed him about POI miles from the
pole.
Commander Pearys polar steam
ship, the Roosevelt, left New York on
her long journey in search of the north
pole July 16. 1908. The Roosevelt was
bult in Maine and came down TO New
York, where she was refitted before
starting. The vessel, for which funds
were furnished by the Arctic Club of
New York, was designed by Naval
Architect William Il. Winant particu
larIy for Arctic exploration. She cost
about 100000. The Roosevelt had a
crew of twenty men, under Capt. Bart
lett.