The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-09-07
Friends of Explorers Are Making Ready.

barg and followed the coast from
there to Cape York. Etah was
reached some time in August, and
from that point the route of the ex-
perition can only be conjectured
from the plans its commander had
already announced.
Had Planned His Route.
Peary's idea was to reach the pole
by the American route" way
which he himself had studied and
developed during his former expedi-
ton.
The advantage OF this route was
that it allowed a base of supplies
approximately one hundred miles
nearer the goal than the Spitzbergen
base, which had been its chief rival.
The advantages of the route appear
ed by Peary's trip in 1906, when he
attained the northermost point
hitherto reached by man, 81 de-
grees, six minutes, at about the 49th
meridian of west longitude. This
was on April 81.
The commander of his present ex-
petition hoped to follow the path
taken three years ago. which lay In
almost a straight northermost ex
tremity of Grinnell Land to latitude
81 degrees and SO minutes. At this
point Peary discovered what he
afterward concluded to be the open
Polar sea.
stopped BY Open Water.
In 1906 his journey over the ice
was delayed at this point for a week
by an open lane of water two miles
wide. When the ice finally allowed
him to proceed, heavy gales sprung
up which forced him to abandon the
greater part of his provisions. Com
paratively smooth travelling he then
found until he reached latitude IS
degrees IL minutes. There he en-
countered a terrific storm, which
held him a prisoner, while the ice
drift carried him seventy miles to
the east. These handicaps and the
constantly widening lanes of water
and increasing roughness of the ice,
together with a threatening failure
Of supplies. forced Peary to turn
back on April 81. when he had
reached latitude 81 degrees 6 min
utes. After putting up flags and de-
posting a brief record of his achieve
ments, Peary started back for. Cape
Morris Jessup.
On his present expedition Mr.
Peary announced that he would take
a route from Grantland more to the
west and not so directly north as
that of his former attempt, heading
almost as far as the SOth meridian
of longitude, and thust compensat-
ing for the eastward ice drift. He
planned to establish his last base on
newly found island northwest of
Grantland.
Peary based great hopes on the
results to be obtained by following
the Arctic currents which he had
studied on his previous expedition.
One of his theories was that the lee
nearest the pole moved faster than
further south. For this reason, in
going up to Baffins Bay he expected
to have work against the drift, but
nearer the pole he believed that the
drift would be in his favor.
biography of Explorer.
Commander Peary was born at
Cresson Springs, Pa, in May. 1856.
He entered the navy in 1881. His
first polar experience was acquired
in 1886, when he made a reconnois-
sance of the Greenland island ice.
In June, 1891. he sailed from New
York on the Kite, and, making his
headquarters at Mccormick Bay. on
the west coast of Greenland, pene-
trated as far north as latitude so.
In 1S94-95 he reached the 18th pa
rallel on the west Greenland coast.
In 1S9S-99 he went to between the
18th and S0th parallels on the east
coast of Ellsmereland. In 1900 he
reached the SD parallel on the east
coast of Grinnell Land. In 1905 he
skirted the north coast of Grinnel
Land and made an attack on the
pole from Cape Moss. This was the
expedition which reached what was
at that time "farthest north"