Gilpin observer., 1907-08-08
RUN FOR POLE
COMMANDER PEARY PICKS HIS
PARTY AND PREPARES
FOR TRIP.
GO IN STEAMER ROOSEVELT
Explorer viii Sail In One Week To
ward the North Pole In Hopes
Of Locating Il.

Of Locating II.
Portland, Me.-Commander Robert
e. Peary just left here for New York,
whence he will sail in few days on
an expedition to the north pole. Com
mander Peary said:
From New York shall go direct
to Sydney, N. B., where I shall coal,
and there will be no stops on the way
as have no time to lose.
my crew this time will be practi-
cally the same as on my last trip.
Captain Robert Batlett is to command
the Roosevelt. l am going prepared
to make every effort to reach the pole.
II I do not succeed next summer I
shall stay over a year later. l am
taking along everything for a three
year trip"
Has Same Crew.
Commander Peary, giving some de-
tails of his plans, said:
John Murphy, my old boatswain,
is to be with me again. l am to have
Wardwell, my old chief engineer;
Ross G. Marvin of Bucksport is to be
my assistant, and he will be the only
Maine member of the party. l am to
have a new surgeon. There are sew
eral applications for the position, but
as yet no one has been chosen. l will
settle that when l get to New York" :"
Asked if he expected to reach the
pole this time, Peary said:
"a man that has had an experience
in the North knows that to say he will
do a certain thing up there Is mad
ness. have learned may lessons
from my other trips, especially my
last one, and shall profit by all this
experience. Whether l shall find the
north pole or not is a question that
will not be answered until I either
have reached 1t or have failed. 1t will
not be because l am not prepared. or
do not try. if do not succeed in at
tanning the object for which l am 60
ing"
Asked II he ever would try again IL
not successful this time, Commander
Peary said:
"The newspapers have credited me
with saying that 1 shall never make
the attempt again. 1 do not say
whether l shall or not. Future cir
cumstances and conditions only will
govern me in that.
Il am over three weeks late in
starting already, and 1t Is possible that
before 1 finally get away from New
York l shall be four weeks. From
Sydney shall go to Cape York, which
point l expect to reach in ten days
from Sydney. From there I shall car
ry out the program already published"
Asked If he had ample funds for
carrying out the expedition. Com
mander Peary said:
Il will say one thing, and that Is
that the delays in repairs on the boil
ers of the Roosevelt have been and
are now worrying me a great deal
more than the money with which To
finance the expedition"
Commander Peary appeared to be
in rugged health and was full of en-
thusiasm for the trip.
Ship Stronger Than Ever.
Stronger than ever in her hull, and
better equipped generally for her bat
tie with the Arctic ice foes, Peary's
steamer, Roosevelt, lies at Shooters
island ready to start in a few days on
her trip to the North pole.
Since she returned from her last
voyage the Roosevelt has undergone
extensive repairs. New planks have
been added where needed, the hull
caulked throughout and a new main
topmast sent aloft. A new rudder and
rudderpost have replaced those
crushed by the ice. On deck new
house has been built to furnish bet
ter living quarters for the crew of 20
men, all of whom have been shipped
for the next expedition. The engines
have received a general overhauling
installed.