The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-09-21
EVENTS At NORTH POLE
TOLD BY matt. HENSON
Peary's CoIored Lieutenant Mar
rates Interesting Incidents.
NIGHT SPENT IN SNOW HOUSES
Observations in Morning Indicated
Goal Was Only $50 Yards From
Its Tentative Location Flag
Cheered by Eskimos.


Battle Harbor, Labrador I'VE
hoisted the Stars and Stripes twice at
the North Pole, said Matthew Hen
son. He is Commander Robert E.
Peary's, colored lieutenant and the
only other civilized man, according to
Commander Peary. who ever reached
the pole.
Henson gave an account Of the one
night and two days he and Comman-
der Peary and four Eskimos camped
at ninety degrees north latitude. He
personally assisted in raising the
American flag, and he led the Eski-
mos in the cheers, with an extra cheer
for Old Glory in Eskimo.
Having spent eighteen years with
Commander Peary and a considerable
portion of that time in the arctic, :"
said Henson, Il have acquired a
knowledge of the dialect of the North
ern Greenland Eskimos, who are prob
ably superior to any other. AS is
commonly known to travellers in the
Far North, the Eskimo entertains a
strange prejudice toward any tongue
but one, and it is therefore necessary,
for successful dealing with them, to
study their unwritten language.
I'VE arrived at the pole just before
noon on April 6, the party consisting
of the Commander, myself, four Es-
kimos, and thirty-six dogs, divided
into two detachr' ents equal in num-
Der, and headed respectively by Com
mander Peary and myself. We had
left the last supporting party at eigh-
ty-seven degrees fifty-three minutes,
where we separated from Captain
Bartlett, who was photographed by
the Commander Captain Bartlett
regretted that he did not have Brit
ish flag to erect on the ice at this spot
SO that the photograph might show
this as the farthest north to which
the banner of England had been adj
vanced. / kept a personal diary dur
ing 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 TAX
ing accurate observations to confirm
the distance travelled from Cape Coll
umbia. Having completed the snow
houses we had dinner, 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
Rnwoke and found the Commander
already up. There was only wind
enough to blow out the small flags.
The ensigns were hoisted toward noon
from tent poles and tied with fish
lines.
I'VE had figured out the distance
pretty closely and did not go beyond
the pole. The flags were up about
midday April and were not moved
until late that evening. The haze had
cleared away early, but we wanted
ssSpme -lhaurs to take observations. We
made three close together.
when we first raised the Ameri-
can flag it's position was behind the
igloos which, according to our initial
observations, was the position of the
pole, but on taking subsequent obser-
vations the Stars and Stripes were
moved and placed $50 yards west of
the first position, the difference in the
observations being due perhaps to the
moving ice
When the flag was placed Com
mander Pearv exclaimed in English:
1--WE will plant the Stars and
Stripes at the North Pole
In the native language I proposed
three cheers, which were given in the
Eskimos' own tongue Commander
Peary shook hands all around, and
we had more liberal dinner than
usual, each man eating as much as he
pleased
The Eskimos danced about and
showed great pleasure that the pole
ut last was reached. For years the
Eskimos had been trying to reach that
spot, but it was always with them
'tiquelgh,' which, translated, means,
get so far and no closer They ex-
claimed in a chorus, Ting neigh tim
ah ketisher, meaning, We have got
there at last
Henson said conditions were about
the same at the pole as elsewhere in
the arctic circle. All was a solid sea
2f ice, except for two-foot lead of
open water two miles from the pole.
The Eskimos who went along on
the final lap were Ootah, Egingwah,
Ouzaueeah and Sigloo, the two first
being brothers Commander Peary
took photographs of Henson and the
Eskimos waving flags and cheering.