Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-09-16
Colored Lieutenant of Comman
der Peary Gives His Version
of the Trip.
SLEPT ALL NIGHT ON POLE
Figured the Distance Closely snd IDid
Not Go beyond the PoIc---F.rg
First Plnntcd IiO Yrrds from
the Spot--i'enry Going to
the south pole.

| Battle Harbor. Labrador. via wire
Sept live hoistcd the stars and
stripes twice at the North pole" said
Matthew Henson. Commander Robert
T.. Peary's colored lieutenant. and the
only other civilized man. according to
| Peary. who ever reached the pole
| Henson tonight gave to the Asso-
ciated Press an account Of the orc
| night and two days he and Command
| er Peary and four Fskinos campcd at
80 degrees north latitude Henso,
personally assisted in raising the
American flag and he led the Esk-
| mos in the cheers and an extra cheer
for Old Glory in the Eskimo ton guo.
| Having spent Is years with Com
mander Pearv and a considerable por-
tion Of that time in the arctics." said
Henson, 81 have acquired knowl-
edge Of the dialect of the Northern
Greenland Eskiinos, who are probably
superior to any other
1--WE arrived At the pole Just before
noon April g the party consisting of
the commander. myself. four Fskimos
and &C dogs. divided into two dotach-
monts equal in number and headed res
pectvely by Comnan Ter Peary and my
self We had left the last supporting
party at 81 degrees, 81 minutes where
we separated from Capt. Bartlett. who
was photographed by the commander.
II kept n personal diary during this
historic dash across the ice field. our
first task on reaching the pole was
to build two igloos. as the weather was
hazy and prevented taking accurate OBJ
servat,ons to confirm the distance
travelled from Cape Columbia. Having
| completed the snow houses. we had d!l-
ner. which included tea made on our
alcohol stove and then retired to rest,
thus sleeping one night at the North
Pole.
"The Arctic sun was shining when
I awoke and found the commander
already UP. There was only wind
enough TO blow out tho small flags.
The ensiens We're hoisted toward noon
| from tent poles and tied with fish
! lines.
"Ee had figured out the distance
pretty closely ard did not 20 beyond
| tho pole. Tho nags were up about
| midday April :. and were not moved
until late that evening. The haze
| had cleared away early but we want
| ed some hours to take Observations.
| Wc made three close together.
When We first raised the American
| nag its position was h"hjnd the igloos,
which according to our initial obser-
vations the Stars and Stripes was
moved and placed $50 yards west of
the frst position. the difference I'm
the observations being due perhaps to
the moving ice.
when the flag was placed, com nlandcr
peary exclaimed in English: we will
plant the Stars and Stripes at the North
POLE In the native language | proposed
three cheers which were given in the
Eskimos own tongue. Commander Feary
shook hands all around and we have
more liberal dinner than usual. each man
eating ns much as he pleased. The Fski
mos danced about and showed great
pleasure that the pole at last was reach
ed FOR years the Eskimos had been try
Ing to reach that spot. They exclaimed
in n chorus Ting neigh tmah ketisher'
meaning. we have got there at last.
Commander Peary took photographs Of
Henson and the Eskimos waving flags
and cheering. The coolest day was u
degrees below zero Fahrenheit