Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1908-08-04
BIC SEND OFF
snds Cheer as Explorer
starts For North Pole.
ERYBoDY MOST OPTIMISTIC

nmander Of Expedition Confident Of
cs4eins Farther North-Vast Guam
egkiee ef Provisions on Board-Larse
kAsov4nent Of Useful Presents For
Msksmos.
Undoubtedly every one aboard the
Fxmdneveit. Commander Robert h.
pSary'a arctic bound steamer, felt
thrill as the big weather beaten vessel
nuiled slowly out Of the recreation
pier ut the foot Of East Twenty-fourth
street, New York. the other afternoon
at 1 O'Clock, while from the shore thou
sands of voices gave lusty cheers for
the intrepid explorer as he started on
his third quest for the north pole, AS
the ship passed up the stream she was
saIuted by three whistles from every
craft that was within sight.
Prom early morning until sailing
time the crew were rushing about, Pill
ing IN as fast as they could the strange
and miscellaneous cargo that goes 10
make ND an arctic equipment That
the crew win not starve Is certain TO
any one who saw the enormous number
of boxes and bags containing food OF
an kinds.
"It amt oil salt horse, either" tho
Irish chef explained. "for we have got
arctic fodder to a science now. and
we can have our spring vegetables
out Of thin tins. We see. on Christmas
day at the pole, when we get there.
ana IT'S sure we get there at that"
Every one from Commander Peary
to the bO's'n are optimistic regarding
the success of the venture. Com
mander Peary said:
This certainly has been splendid
send OF. ! am deeply grateful for the
honor. We are ready for the trip.
have done entirely too much work In
that country to be certain Of anything,
so I'll not promise anything before
start. except that | am going to put
into It every bit Of energy, moral, men
tai and physical. that possess.
II feel confident that In any case !
shall carry the American flag farther
north than ever. Unless the unfore-
seen happens shall plant the stars
and stripes at the magnetic pole.
The Roosevelt has been thoroughly re-
paired from her last struggles with
the Ice, has been fitted with two new
boilers of 600 horsepower each, making
her now nm ADLER ship as regards
power than she was three years ago.
She IN, so far as we are able to make
her, equipped to meet any emergency.
II conditions are no worse In the next
season than they were during the last
voyage | shall hope to accomplish the
object OF the expedition and return In
about fifteen months-that is. in Octo'
Der, 1909. I am prepared. however
fog q stay ofthree years"
Huge bouquets Of roses and other
lowers filled the cabin in which Com
mander Feary will spend much time
during the next year. The cabin Is
comfortable and as we'll furnished as
similar room OH big ocean liner, and
Il Ii far more homellke. Nor will
there be lacking books to while away
the tedious hours when the Roosevelt
is winter bound in the northern Ice
fields. The publishers Of New York
hare seen to that. They all Clipped in
10 furnish books for the explorer and
his crew. All told, more than 200 vol
uSnes have been slowed aboard the
vessel. and they represent almost
every typo os literature and every
lnrse publishing house in New York.
Among tho stores on board the
Roosevelt are 10000 pounds Of -four,
1900 loaves Of bread, two tons Of cod
fish, 200 eases OF beans, $500 gallons
Of oil for fuel and lighting, 200 cases
Of tomatoes and several hundred of
brown bread.
An important part of the cargo on
the Roosevelt is the large assortment
Of useful presents that Commander
rcary Is taking north for his friends
the Eskimos. He knows everybody In
the tribe except the babies born since
his Visit. and not a person has been
forgotten. The presents are all staple
things, fer on his first expedition to
the polar regions Commander Peary
found that the Eskimos desired only
those things that were useful to them.
They cared not for beads, fancy
clothes or toys.
Il am taking q lot Of things for my
faithful friends up there" said Com
mander Peary. Some OF them are
presants pure and staple. while the
rsgt viii tD usad In paying them for
me services they render me. 1t would
Be ridiculous to o1er them money.
They have NO conception Of the unit
ee value. I am taking the men such
things as guns, ammunition, knives,
steel shoes for their sledges, hammers.
habeAeks and other useful tools. Those
are the things they desire and prize
tho most
sFOg the women have large guam
tides Of needles, thimbles, scissors and
nirrurv. They do not want beads. nor