The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1909-09-15

Sledge Expedition Left the Roosevelt
at Cape Sheridan Feb. is and Reach
ed the Pole April 6-AlI the Party
Returned Except Professor Ross G.
Marvin, Who Was Drowned While
In Command of Supporting Party
1900 Fathoms of Wire Failed to
Reach Bottom Near the Pole.
copyright 1909 by the New York
Times Company
The New York Times of Sunday
published the full text of Commander
Robert E. Peary's story of his con-
Iuest of the North Pole The account
was transmitted by wireless from
Battle Harbor, Labrador, to Cape Ray,
| n. f. Commander Peary says in part:
The steamer Roosevelt parted COM
pany with the Erik and steamed out
of Etah Ford late in the afternoon of
Aug. IS, 1908, setting the usual course
for Cape Sabine. We had on board
twenty-five Eskimo men, seventeen
women, and ten children, 226 dogs,
and some forty odd walrus.
| Within a quarter of an hour of the
same time we arrived three years be-
tore-7 a. m, Sept. 5-we reached the
open water extending beyond Cape
Sheridan. We steamed up to the end
of It, but the outlook being unsatis-
factory, | went back and put the
Roosevelt into the only opening In the
foe, being barred close to the mouth
of the Sheridan river, little north of
our position three years prior.
Hewing Through Ice.
Four months of northerly winds dur
ing the fall and winter Instead OF
southerly ones, as during the previous
season, led me TO expect less open wa
ter than before, but a great deal of
rough ice, and ! was prepared to hew
a road through the jagged ice for the
first hundred miles or so, and then
cross the big lead
On the last day of February Bartlett
with his pioneer division accomplished
this. and his division got away due
north over the ice on March |. The
remainder of the party got away on
Bartlett's trail, and followed an hour
later.
The party now comprised Z members
of the expedition, II Eskimos, 133
dogs and 19 sledges. One Eskimo and
seven dogs had gone to pieces.
The sledge expedition left the
Roosevelt at Cape Sheridan in Grant
land, Feb Is, 1909, and started for the
north Arrived at Cape Columbia
March 1; passed British record March
2; delayed by open water March 2
and 8; held up by open water March
and II; crossed the saith parallel
March II; encountered open lead
March 10; crossed the S5th parallel
March IS; crossed the seth parallel
March 90; encountered open lead
March 90; passed Norwegian record
March 90; passed Italian record March
"a; encountered open lead March 26;
crossed S7th parallel March 81; passed
American record March 2S; encoun-
tered open lead March 2S; held up by
open water March 90; crossed SSth
parallel April 2; crossed S9th parallel
April 4; North Pole April 6.
give miles from the pole narrow
crack filled with recent ice, through
which we were able to work a hole
with a pickaxe enabled me to make
sounding. All my wire, ] 800 fathoms,
was sent down, but there was no bot
tom. In pulling up the wire parted a
few fathoms from the surface, and
lead and wire went to the bottom. OF
went reel and handle, tightening the
sledges still further. We had no more
use for them now"
All returning, left North Pole April
Z: reached Cape Columbia April 2S,
arriving OH board Roosevelt April q.
The Roosevelt left Cape Sheridan
July IS. passed Cape Sabine Aug. s.;
left Cape York Aug. &c; arrived at In
dian Harbor, with all members OF ex-
pedition returning in good health eX'
cept Professor Ross G. Marvin, unfort'
unately drowned April 10, when 45
miles north of Cape Columbia, return
Ing from Sc degrees north latitude in
command of the supporting party.