The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-19
NOT COLD ENOUGH FOR PEARY.
THE EXPLORERS PLANS BALkED
BY UNEXPECTED OPEN WATER.
Tells the American Geographical soci ETY.
About IL and suggests the Next
Expedition should Go Further to the
West Fight on Return Trip.

wcst-Hard Fight on Return Trip.
in an address at Mendelssohn Hall before
the American Geographical Society about
the hot weather in the Polar regions. He
said that il IL hadn't been for the hot wave
| up there last season his expedition would
almost certainly nave reached the Pole.
All the members Of the Peary expedi-
ton are hardy persons, SO none Of them
suffered a sunstroke, but the agility with
which the fluid climbed the tubes in MIR.
Peary's Thermometers annoyed them a
good deal. If IL weren't for supplementary
figures which in justice to the explorer it is
needful to give at this point, the reader
would be justified in thinking that the Pole
hunters had made up their minds to take
their Panama hats and duck trousers with
them the next time they go north. But 1t
wasn't quite as hot as that.
The winter of 1sO5-Oe, which the Roose-
welt spent at Cape Sheridan" complained
Mr.. Peary, was comparatively warm,
the thermometer having an average read
ing of only 81 degrees below zero. This
was the antithesis Of the winter the Alert
spent not far from the same place thirty
years before, when the average was 7219
degrees below zero
But Of course il got even warmer than
"a degrees below zero after the sun rose
early this year, and The Peary party set
out from their winter haven in four de-
tachments, with dogs and sledges, with
their faces turned to the north.
Where the heat got in its deadly work
was in producing a great stretch of open
water about 100 miles OF the northern
coast OF Grant Land, which seriously delayed
the advance northward. When this open
stretch was closed with a thin coating Of
new ice and the intrepid explorers had
crossed il by a process analogous 10 what
the boys call running NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
smaller open stretches were encountered all
of which delayed the party still further.
All these delays so consumed he time and
provisions that when Peary had got TO
So 9 he felt that he had pushed his men to
the last possible point consistent with a
proper regard for their very natural desire
to return alive When the s~tereopticon
man had flashed upon the screen a photo
graph showing the American flag straight
ened out before a westerly gale at the fur
thest north" point. while huddled before it
we're the seven shapeless furclad creatures
who had planted II there, Commander
Peary said:
AS | saw the flag flying there | felt no
sensation of elation, was supremacy tired
anu DlIICIIX uISh pDOlllfds IL was NOfllC-
thing to beat the record, of course, but in
comparison with that splendid jewel-the
supreme accomplishment of my Efforts and
all the years | had spent in those eforts-l
lost all feeling of triumph, especially when
] looked at the drawn faces Of my COM
panions, at the emaciated dogs and the al
most empty sledges. But ! felt that | had
custthe margin of safety as small as | dared"
Then Commander Peary told of the
breathless rush backward, the race with
A. IIs.-,v-l .hzN mona h.,t Ean,Yi,,,at IA nnYtlI
have led the party to victory, the heart
breaking second with that open
stretch of water, which the explorer likened
TO the River Styx, with all OF life and love
and hope lying upon its further side and
lastly, when a thin film OF new ice formed,
the hazardous slide across it on snowshoes.
Most of us we're busy with our thoughts, y
he said, and personally l don't care for
another experience OF that sort.
Commander Peary has no faith what
ever in automobiles as aids in polar eX-
ploration. Z He showed some photographs
of craggy fields of ice VIII ich it was evident
no motor car could negotiate. He thought
the result of the expedition was the simplifi-
cation by so per cent. OF the problem OF
reaching the Pole. Despite the reg~rettable
hot wave, the commander thought that
had he known of that open stretch OF water
of the coast of Grantland he could have
changed his route far enough to the west
ward to avoid it and 50 have accomplished
his object. The next expedition should
move further TO the west and 20 utilize that
eastward drift Of the polar ice TO carry it
TO the goal.
The explorer showed a large number OF
photographs, many OF them of the Roose-
welt in her winter berth. One Of these was
a genuine moonlight picture, which required
an exposure of half al hour
The photographs taken in the most north
ern ATTITUDES were not very successful, as
the high winds damaged the films by blow
in1 nIlVpriZed snow into them. The Conn
mander praised the Esquimaux highly,
saying hat the results OF his expedition
were largely due to their efficiency and
loyalty.