The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-07-02
PEARY OFF To- POLE
Strenuous Days at Roosevelt's
Dock in Preparation for
Start Monday.
MONEY OBSTACLE BLOCKS
Small Sum Must Come from Some
Phllanthropic Person Before
Ship Can Sail.


lest places In town these days in the
pier at the foot of East Twenty
fourth street, where lies the Peary
Arctic ship, Roosevelt. Trucks and
drays arrive every few minutes loaded
with supplies. and gangs of men are
engaged In loading and packing them
in the capaclous holds OF the staunch
little vessel, On hoard the landlub-
Der has to look out. He is a person
not over popular. and his presence Is
only countenanced in consideration OF
his unobtrusiyeness. One who says
much is likely to be ordered off.
Commander Peary returned to this
city to-day ready for the start In
the meantime, Captain Bartlett and
Mate Guzo are working their men all
day, getting things ready for the start
AS Commander Peary said recently:
The expedition to the North pole
hinges entirely on the question of
money. A comparatively small sum
is needed. With II, he can start;
without 1t, the expedition upon which
he has spent his thought and skill
since his last visit to the Arctic, must
wait at least another year.
But the commander is unwilling to
believe that contributors will fail him,
at the last minute. SO he Is driving
away at his preparations, so that IL
benevolent person steps forward at
the eleventh hour, he will not have to
refuse the offer on account of his own
unpreparedness,
Three weeks ago the backbone of
the Roosevelt's crew, sixteen stalwart
seafarers from Newfoundland, arriy-
ed, and In these three weeks they have
managed to do tremendous amount
| of work with the bull-nosed expedi
tlonary craft Altogether twenty-five
men have been modified for the
crew. Most of them have sailed be-
fore with Peary.
These "herrng-skinners are all
picked men--plcked for their physique
as we'll as for their experience In nos
ms through the ice-pack. Somehow
or other the best Arctic sailors seem
to come from Newfoundland The ice
carrier Is so near their home-in fact,
II almost touches their shores In the
rigorous winter months--'that they
early come to know Its terrors and
dangers.
As matters stand the Roosevelt Is
ready to leave next Monday Most Of
her supplies are aboard. The rest are
coming every hour. down In her hold
there are great stacks of cans Of pilot
bread preserved meats, fruit, vegeta-
bles, coffee everything that can con-
ceiVably be needed In the long exile In
the north. The bunkers are filled with
coal and fifty sledges are stored, ready
to be taken out when needed for the
dash at the Pole.
A curious crowd Of oilers lounged
about the forward hatch today, watch
ing a man feeding the four sledge-dogs,
sole survivors Of the pack which lived
Through the strenuous experiences or
the last expedition. The huskies crouch
ed in q row, like SO many school-chll-
dren, beating the deck with their
bushy tails, and waiting anxlously for
the lowering fork to come their way
Their tongues lolled from their mouths
and they painted; for 1t is hot In the
Roosevelt's hold, and luxuriant coats of
: Arctic fur are over-heavy in New York.
The animals probably will have to be-
come acclmatized to their native cold
all over again, when they reach the
Greenland shores. Their pads have be-
come soft, too, and the Jagged Ice OF
the pack will cut into them,
None Of the men aboard the Roose-
welt knows just what Commander
Peary's plans are. They do not even
| know for certain that they will start.
: That matter Is In the hands of the
, head of the expedition, But they are
D going at their work without any fool
4 ish doubts, notwithstanding, They will
. BIO ready when the commander gives
the word.