The Washington herald., 1908-07-26
BOOKS ON TEE POLAR DASH
Seamen to Have Good Reading on
Peary Expedition.
Arctic Night VIII BE LiGhtened by
GlObe-girdling Library of sea-
mems Friend society.

New York. July with the prospect
OF being the Arst printed pages to pene-
trate the uppe-2ost polar region. two
sets Of American books are to-day sail
irs the northern seas. snugly set Up IN
the hold OF Lieut. Peary's stout ship.
Roosevelt Reports that these TWO OF
their 500 floating Libraries were going
into brisk circulation among the arctic
explorers when the party finally cast of
for the pole have reached the headquar-
ters Of the American Seamen's Friend So
ciety in this city to-day That some Of
this nations literary works may eventu-
ally Be planted beside the flag at the
''farthest north is The object CT the
determined crew who are 20 enjoy their
s0Iace in the bitter solitude Of the next
two years.
Months before tie Roosevelt was finally
commissioned for its latest dash toward
the pole, the preparation q these libra
ries. which were 10 occupy the minds OF
the men through the long po-ar night. was
carefully begun From list OF the SIS. 80
volumes which they have placed before
z42-zSl sailors on every sea in the last
fifty years. the officers Of the American
Seamen's Friend Society chose two sets
hast calculated 10 supply the hungry
brains Of the Isolated explorers. Those
books Of travel. adventure. history. reli-
sion. fiction and biography. which have
come hack most thu-nbed from almost q
hundred thousand fo'castles were finally
selected In two OF the society's ship
a7r
arranged and sent 10 be set up IN the
mess room OF the Peary- ship at Shooters
Island where it was being finally out
fitted A dictionary. Bible, atlas. and
Pilgrims Progress were included with
the fiction favoritss OF the s4amen-
Il is the more sober works that stand
the men IN best stead in the long test Of
the arctic night Lieut. Peary declared
before leaving This city 10 Join his ship
IN his last "farthest north expedition
the explorer found one OF these Amer
lean Seamen's Friend Society libraries g
steady resource for his men. marooned
IN the ice packs. The books which served
through that long nighc siege from Oc-
tober p to March s are to-day lying in
their weather-beaten case at the head
quarters Of the society. The lighter fic-
ton Is much more free from the tell
tale dOgears which mark heavily the
more serious volumes that were thumbed
over and over in the frigtd solitude
II PeaTy succeeds in planting these
treasured volumes beside the American
nag at the pole. the q. 0G0 libraries which
the American Seamen's Friend Society
has kept saoat for half a century will
have penetrated every region OF the globe
known 70 the seafarer. From almost
every State in this country applications
70 set one Of these book chests on its
constant course have now been received
Each library IS registered and regularly
reported in its wanderings 70 any one
who may pay so to launch and keep It
afiOat
To President Roosevelt. who, as a boy
OF ten, presented one Of these libraries
for the society, the sight Of the two book
chests on Peary's ship was as familiar
as il has now become TO hundreds of
thousands Of sailors the world over.