The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-14
Peary Says He VIII Beat the
Britisher, Who Has a
Year Start of Him.
|BR. SHIP, NIMROD
SAILED JULY, 1902
iPeary's Present Vessel, the
Roosevelt-Sydney, Cape
Breton, For the Far North
This Week-An Interna-
tional Race.
Rx AssocIated Press.

New York, July 13.-When Com
mander Robert z. Peary boards his
steamer Roosevelt at sydney. Cape
Breton, this week and starts on his ex-
petition in search of the North Pole,
an international race to the uttermost
ends of the earth will be on
Peary hopes to carry the Stars and
Stripes to the North Pole, while
British Antarctic expedition is trying
TO place the Union Jack of the British
empire at go degrees south. Although
the British expedition has year hand
leap in point of time, Peary hopes to
win the race.
Lieutenant Shackieton and party
left London on July 80, 1907, on board
the Nimrod, originally a Newfound-
land whaling vessel of 227 tons, but
which had been refitted as a steam
barkentine. ShackIeton is an office
of the British navy, and before Ieav-
ing London, King Edward bestowed
upon him the Victorian order.
He was a member of the British
Antarctic expedition of 1902-S under
Captain Scott, and with his command
er and other members of the party,
with a sled and dogs, got to point
81 degrees IL minutes south latitude,
during which time they were absent
from their ship, the Discovery, nine
iy-three days and covered distance
Of $50 miles. Peary reached point
81 degrees minutes north on April
j., 1906.
The Nimrod's crew, all told, num-
bered 80 men, including several scien-
lists, but the landing party was to
consist of twelve men. The barker
tine sailed early in January from
New Zealand and returned in March,
leaving the Shackleton party encarP-
ed at the foot OF Mt Erebus. The
party took with them materials for
wooden buildings with double doors
and windows to be lined with felt and
several inches of granulated cork
Provisions and supplies for long stay
were landed. The NimTod brought
back to New Zealand a tale of dissen-
sion in the party which resulted in
the resignation of Captain England,
the Nimrod's skipper, and the ship
therefore will return TO the little band
early in 1910 without him.
Shackleton took with him a special
ly built motor sledge which he hoped
TO use in his polar dash, and a mum
Der Of Siberian ponies in addition to
a pack of dogs
reary will use only Eskimos and
dogs.
Inc BOXES COnldlUluS tHS SuPpllSS
aboard the Roosevelt were SO design
ed as TO make possible the construc
ton of a house of them at Cape Sher
idan. The structure will be about
twenty by sixty feet, and when built
will be covered with the Roosevelt's
main sail and that in turn covered
with snow. Peary plans to make his
dash for the pole from his base o.
supplies next February and hopes tC
be able to return to the United States
some time in October.
Two Honor Flags.
Before leaving London, Lieutenant
Shackleton was presented by Queer
Alexandra with a British flag TO car
~ with him on his southern dash
About the same time the Daughters
of the American Revolution gave
Commander Peary a beautiful peace
flag made OF silk and consisting o
the Stars and Stripes surrounded by ;
broad field of white, 10 carry with hin
TO the north pole. On the day the
Roosevelt left New York. William o
Mcdowell, the founder of the Societ.
of the Daughters of the American
Revolution, handed Peary a letter
from Emily R. Richie Mclean, pres
ident general of the society, which
said:
MAY marvellous discovery avail
you and a safe return TO the proud
and welcoming embrace of your cOun
try. We trust that the flag we have
presented to you may be your shielt
and buckIer against all disaster, AM
may be the glory and lustre of tn,
patriotic triumph we expect you Z
achieve"
The flag occupies a prominent place
on the wall of Peary's cabin on tn
Roosevelt. Peary also took with hin
a flag which he carried farthest mort
in 1906: a Delta Kappa Alumni flag
Princeton banner and several small
er emblemS