The Washington herald., 1906-11-03


Of Lieut.. Robert E. Peary. tonight at
his home received a telegram from Peary.
which showed the explorer had achieved
s. degrees minutes north latitude. the
farthest north ever reached.
The best previous record was SS.34, made
in 1906 by the Duke Of Abruzzis ex-
petition Before that Nansen held the
record Of S640 made in the Fran.
Peary's best previous record was S4T7.
He got within > degrees 81 minutes from
the north pole. Translated into statute
miles that means 20o.S5 miles from the
point which has been the goal Of arctic
explorers for many years Peary has
been after this ever since 1891.
The boat that he was on was named
the Roosevelt. It was ftted out by the
Feary Arctic Club Of which Morris X
JessUp is president and Mr.. Bridgoman
secretary.
Text OF the Telegram,
The telegram reads;
''HGpedale. Labrador. via Twillingate,
Newfoundland. Nov. .
Herbert l. Bridgemau.
Roosevelt wintered north coast Grant
quarters. Went north with sledges Feb
ruary. via Heckla and Columbia De-
layed by open waters between 81 and -
degrees Beyond 81 six DAYS Gale dis
rUpted ice, destroyed caches cut OF COM
municatiCn with supporting bodies, and
drifted due east. Reached s. degrees
minutes north latitude. over ice, drifting
steadily eastward. Returning ate eight
dogs, Drifted eastward, delayed by open
water, reached north coast of Green
land in straitened conditions. Killed musk
oxen and returned along Greenland coast
% ship Two supporting parties driven
on north coast Greenland, one rescued
by me IN bad condition. one week recU-
par9tiOn on Roosevelt sIedged west.
completing north coast Grant Land and
reached other land near l0lth meridian.
hcmcward voyage iEcsssant battle with
Ice, storms, and head winds Roosevelt
magnificent ice and sea boat No sick
ness. PEARY"
Mr- Bridgeman vas proud indeed to-
night, when he was exhibiting the mes
sage 70 the reporters who gathered 10
learn Of the achievement.
Endured Many HardshiDs.
y feel IT Is useless for me TO add any
thing TO the telegram. The part that tells
of the eating OF dogs is enough TO show
the hardships that he endured. / am glad
that he has reached that far north. Just
before ] got the Pearv telegram I re-
ceived one from Sam Bartlett, who was
the master Of the Windward and the
Diana He is related to Capt Bartlett. Of
the Roosevelt, and also to Noses Bartlett.
the mate Of the Roosevelt The Bartlett
telegram said he had heard from Moses
and that the Roosevelt was dana ged."
Just about the time I got home I
found the Peary telegram. CAPT Bart
let's wire came from Brigus. New
foundland. The Peary telegram. be
heve, was mailed from TfopedaIe down
the coast to telegraph operator, who
sent IL when he received the letter ad-
dressed to him
7 imagine that Lieut. Peary will be
home IN New York ia ten days. maybe
less. he can take The Roosevelt down
10 Sidney and then come down in thirty
sly hours on q train. II he did. he
would probably let TIE men bring the
Roosevelt down here and lay her I'D in
New York, where she belongs. That is
the most natural thing. The crew are
NeWfoundlanders and could return home
after that
on board the Roosevelt were Dr.. Luis
Wolfe, Of Oregon, the surgeon; Ross G.
-aafVln' or Elmira. the scientist. and MI
W2rdWeH- OF BuckSport Ne, the chief
engineer The others and the crew were
Newfoundland men, as I have said"
Mr. BTidgeman said Mrs. Pearv is no, n,
sew York He is unable to say where sbe
j. saying. She would never forgive me
# I did"
Sailed in July, 1905.
Commander Peary sailed north in the
afternoon of July 8. 1855. The starr was
made from New York, and for days before
the explorer started on his long vovape
northward, his ship. the Roosevelt law Of
IWenty-ninth street in the North River.
where she vas visited by crowds Of sight
seers.
The Roosevelt was built under Com
1nander Peary's supervision, and embodied
the latest ideas OF what was necessary for
work in the arctic seas.
Her principal dimensions are. T.,,c+t,
on the load water line, leI feet. Ie,,e-,f,
over al. ls5 feet; beam. maximum At Iosd
water line. 81 feet; beam over all - fer
Q inches. Mean draft. Is feet.
Her fuil load displacement was about
lieo tons. To aid her IN the fight with tbe
ice, the ROOSevelt's bow. stern. and v-ata~
line were armored with steel plates. She
was DlllL OF White oak. Tigged as q
schooner. and fitted with an engine and
boiler calculated to develop from loo -
1,5o0 horsepower. Her cost when read, for
sea was estimated al Si00O0e.
The expedition led by Commando. Pob-
eTt Z. PeaTy was organized by the Pearv
Arctic Club, Of which Morris X. Jessup Is
president and Herbert L. Bridgeman Sec
retary. Before leaving, Commander .Pearv
EXPRESSED great confidence in the abiIitv
Of his party to reach the pole
Basis for His Hope.
lie based his beIef on three points: The
strength Of his vessel. which he believed
would enable him TO push farther north
before resOrung TO land travel than had
been possible in the earlier attempts; his
own hard-earned knowledge Of arctic con-
ditions, and his great hold on the Esqui-
mos, without whose aid little or nothing
could be accomplished In arctic travel.
The plan was to proceed by the Green
land route--the one Peary had taken in
his other attempts. II was the intention
TO push the Roosevelt along the narrow
channel between Greenland and Grant
CONTINUED on SECOND PAGE.