New-York tribune., 1906-12-10
PEARY TO TRY AGAIN.

When he presented Commander Peary to the
audience at the Museum OF Natural History on
Saturday Mr.. Jesup made an announcement OF
great interest The explorer had gone so near
to the pole last spring, he said, that the organl-
ZatiOn which has supported most of Pearys
other expeditions intended to send him to the
Arctic regions again. Before the plan can be
carried into execution it may be necessary TO
arrange several important preliminaries II the
formal consent OF the Navy Department has not
already been secured, steps must be taken to OBJ
tain its approval. The Roosevelt must be re-
paired and freshly stocked with provisions. Per-
haps the Peary Arctic Club may invite the public
to bear a share Of the expense of new under
taking To accomplish all Of these objects six
months may not afford 100 ample an opportunity.
Whatever uncertainty exists at present on these
points, however, this one fact stands out con-
spicuously: Mr.. Jesup and the other hard
headed business men who have been associated
with him as patrons of Arctic exploration still
have faith in the practcability of reaching the
pole by sledging.
Peary proposes little modification Of his gen
eral method. He will try TO force his ship as
far north as possible the first season, establish
ing his winter quarters close TO the SD parallel
Of latitude If he can. When he pushes out
from the coast Of Grant Land over the polar
sea in the spring he intends to shape his course,
not directly to the northward, he has done
on previous occasions, but to the nOrthw
thus cOmpensating for the eastward drift which
has bothered him hitherto. Hs also thinks it
advisable TO leave the land at a point fifty or
sixty miles to the westward Of the points Sc
lected for that purpose in .!02 and 1908. His de-
parture will be expected next time from a place
near Cape Columbia. Peary's motive for this
second change of programme is not clear 1t is
not unlikely, however, that 1t is dictated by the
belief TO which he gave expression the other day,
that there IS not an unbrOken stretch Of water
between Grant Land and the pole. Obviously, II
there is an island where he suspects that one
exists, his progress would be facilitated by get
ting under its lee. Indeed, if it were big enough,
part Of his journey might he conducted on its
surface An island would certainly afford a
steadier and safer highway than the loose aggre-
cation Of ice foes which cover the Arctic Ocean.
Peary is not the first man to think that the
extent Of the archipelago north of British
America is not fully known. Some Of the reasons
for such a supposition advanced nearly
three years ago by Mr. r. A. Harris, of the
United States Geological Survey. He showed,
for instance that the direction of certain Arctic
currents suggested the DETECTING influence Of an
unseen barrier. An aCceleratiOn Of their speed
. elsewhere resembles that which is often noticed
in a strait, though in the particular places men
toned by Mr.. Harris only one side of the
passageway has been chaTted. Now. the Geo
. logical Survey expert may be Mistaken but It
IS a curious fact that two expeditions have been
organized to hunt for unknown lands within the
Arctic Circle since his article on the subject
appeared IN "The National Geographic Maga-
zine The search will be limited to the Beau
fort Sea, 10 the north Of Alaska, and to a rather
different region from that TO which Mr.. Harriss
| deductions pointed, but the sanction given to
| the quest by so distinguished an authority as
! Sir Clements Markham, long the president Of
the Royal Geographical Society, indirectly en-
courages faith in the accuracy Of Peary's con-
i lectures.
| The remarkable outburst Of enthusiasm over
/ the explorers recent achievements at the
/ Museum Of Natural History on Saturday must
/ have been to him, and possibly to others, some
/ thing OF a surprise The demonstration suggests
/ an experiment which might not otherwise have
4 been proposed. IF the thousands who were so
| eager 10 set eyes on the man who had surpassed
! the performances Of Nansen and Cagni were
| asked 10 promote his next campaign, how would
! they respond: How many persons are there IN
| the United States who would contribute small
sum Of money-anywhere from a dime TO a
| d0llar-tO the cause? Might not the Pearv
! Arctic Club organize an appropriate plan for
/ testing popular sentiment? Or does It not care
| for the cooperation Of the public?