Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-10-24
NEAREST THE POLE.
story of the Trip by Wan who Nad,
the Record.

! There was an unprecedented atten-
dance at The Strong Theatre in the night
for Commander Robert r. PearN's
lecture. Nearest the pole" The house
was sold out by $3.50 yesterday afternoon
SO that some who came later were OBJ
liged TO sit In the gallery. while few
were able to obtain standing room only.
| Commander Pcary was introduced to the
assemblagc by President c. II. Dempsey
| OF st. Johnsbury.
! Commander Pcary Is ready and
! fluent speaker and delivers his utter
anCes with a dlrectness winch makes an
instant appeal to his listeners sym
pathy. He spoke for nearly an hour and
a half; his remarks were greatly cluci-
dated by the aid OF maps, charts and
photographs.
At the outset he said that during the
! last two years the stars and stripes have
been placed nearer tho pole than any
emblem had previously been New lands
have been discovered. now coast limos
have been determined ard to-day we
have a closer knowledge Of conditions
existing in the poles than ever bc~
| fore.
| These results have been made nossibla
through the loyal support VI tho pna.v
Arctic club and particularly through tie
efforts OF Judge Charles il. Darling of
burlington. who as assistant secretary of
the navy secured for Commander Pcary
leave from the navy department.
Tho speaker here described the pre-
parahons for the last expedition which
lcft In the ship Roosevelt in the sum
m'r of 1865. Az Etaw. the Esqulmaux
who were to accompany the expedition
were taken on and tho party proceeded
70 cape sheridan, 800 miles from the
pole From Sheridan the trim was made
by sl"dgcs drawn by dogs and eduippcd
in the manner common in the arctic re,,-
ions.
f"r centuries, said the speaker. there
nave been numerous misconceptions of
the north pole. The most common is the
confusion Of The north pole with the
magnets pole, the latter being located in
or near King Williams land and far
away from the north pole. At the north
pole there are $50 degrees Of longitude or
no longitude, There Is only ono point left
ana That is south-north. east and west
vanishing. Neither is there any time ut
the pole because there is no starting place
for time \ day and night constitute
year there by our reckoning and 100
days constitute a century. If there are
lands ana If there are seas they Will hr
like other arctic seas There will he
found nothing abnormal and least Of all
no pole will be found into which YOU
might bump In the dark.
The ship Roosevelt differs from every
other arctic exploration ship IN that It
is powerful steamer with auxiliary sail
power The expedition was divided into
the first part which was made by ship.
and the latter part, which was made
by sledges. There Is sun from early
IN October until about the first Of March
and this prolonged night is the really
insuperabl obstacle of such an exped-
ton. the intense cold being but a minor
difficulty. This long night has rendered
the members of some expeditions insane.
In the first returning twilight. or about
the middle of February the hunting Is
done IN order to procure sustonancc The
speaker told in graphic terms Of tn"
privations and hardshps endured in the
trip. Just before noon Of April Il 1880
he halted his party to take observation to
, determine whore he was and found him
self NJ s. degrees and six minutes of
north latitude and by this achievement
had beaten the worlds record
Here Commander Peary described the
homcward trip. with it's perilous crossing
of long stretches of thin Ice OF snow
shoes. the rounding OF Cape Columbia in
So degrees and seven minutes Of north
latitude and told also OF the EsquimauX
: the most northern inhabitants of The
2 earth and of undoubted Oriental origin.
The results of the last expedition
show the American method TO be the
best. Commander Peary announced
i,,ta ,f tn,
summer. when ne will drive hts shir
! to Cape Sheridan and then head ur
towards the northwest on sledges. The
attainment OF the pole Is desirable
not only for the science It will re-
d, veal, but for the national prestige
which will accrue IN Its attainment