New-York tribune., 1909-09-07
THE CAREER OF PEARY
FORMER TRIPS TO NORTH.
Lifetime Search for Pole by Amer
icdn Explorer.

COMMANDER Robert E. Peary entered the United
States Navy as civil engineer on October D. 1881
OF the twenty-eight years since then all but eleven
have been spent on leave Of absence from the
service IN pursuance OF explorations. by which
vast amount or valuable scientific data has been
gathered His first trip north was IN 1856 when
he went 20 Greenland and partly crossed that con
tinent. When he again. in 1891 he wintered
on the west coast and IN the spring went dag
onaliy over the ice cap TO point the northeast
coast Of Greenland never before visited AS he was
Yet on the spot July s. 1892 he named the great
indentation Of the continent which he found there
Independence Bay. Prior 10 this venture he
made special study of the traits of the Esqumaus
around Ingleheld Gulf, and established particularly
friendly relations with them.
The next time he visited the Arctic in lSs3 it was
10 stay two years. Mrs Peary accompanied him on
this occasion, although she returned 10 the United
States the following summer. 1t only few
weeks after her arrival at the site chosen for the
winter camp that first year shat Mrs Peary's only
child born. Peary made trips 10 the rorthward
from Anniversary Lodge, on Whale Sound. IN the
spring of both 1894 and 1875. Furious storms
and inadequate supplies thwarted his effort the
first occasion. On the second. with two com
panions. he tramped up to Independence Bay. ou
the north shore of Greenland. and came back with
only one dog and no food. The explorer felt that
he had been bafied only by insufficient financial
backing
In 1896 and again IN 1887 Peary went north, and
returned the same season. on the former occasion
he brought down some small masses of iron, be
leved TO be of meteOric origin, ana IN 1897 ne
| brought an immense block of the same character.
said 10 contain nearly hundred tons OF metal
| These meteors had been found down at Cape fork
/ in the spring of 1885.
Before his next start in 1885. PeaYy visited Eng
| land. where he received much attention from geo
| graphical and other scientific societies At TINS
time he outlined his plans for the future in pubic
lectures. To that trip is due, perhaps the gift OF
1 the ship Windvgard. then owned by Mr HARMS
worth ard later used by Jackson for an expedition
| 60 Franz Josef Land. Jackson's own explorations
were never very fruitful but they served two ex-
cellent purposes The existence Of his winter camp
/ gave Nansen a refuge after the latter with one
/ companion. worked his way southwark after ms
record beating achievement OF 1895 Ireaching Iati-
lude So IL or icel and il influenced the fate OF
| tire returning Windward.
! FINANCIAL BACKING AT HOME.
Peary also received handsome backing from his
| own fellow countrynen. a club was organized OF
| which Morris X Jesup president, and whicn
| was composed of twenty-five members each Of
whom were 20 contribute $lGO a year for four
years 10 promote Peary's plans. MT Jesup and
James J. Hill not only doubled their subscriptions
but extended them for the fifth year
| Somewhat to his dismay. on his return from
flying trip Cape York, in 1881. Pealy learned that
| Sverdrup, navigator of Nansen's Ship neoitateo
/ an expedition up the west coast Of Greenland IN
1895 Inasnuch as Peary's own plans had been
given TO the world many months before, he felt
that this project particularly ungracious one
4 The American explorer had no exclusive right 10
| the route. But he had created various new ana
special facilities notably the deposit Of stores
| which were peculiarly his He had also culti-
waited close relations with the Esqunaus By long
residence among them and courteous treatment
4 He had trained OF them for his service, and
bargained with them for dogs He feared that
some of these advantages might be utilized uncere-
moniously by the Norwegian AS it proved. Sver-
drlp did go north In 1895. only few days behind
Peary. and he was obliged 10 winter near Cape
| Sabine.
When Peary went north IN July. 1868. he hoped to
| be able 10 push the Windward up the west coast
| Of Greenland through Smith Sound and Robson
| Channel and establish a winter camp Sherard
Osborn Fiord, near the eighty-second parallel OF
| latitude. His intention was. when early spring
came. start the ice pack north OF the con-
/ tinent with dogs and sledges. But the ice pre-
vented the Windward going more than fifty miles
4 above Cape Sabine. and the latter stayed thers
from August Is, 1898. TO August 1929. Al during
the autumn. winter and spring sledge parties went
out in various directions Much geographical data.
for the perfection OF maps were thus secured, and
a great deal Of game shot
VISITS FORT CONGER
| The most important Of all these ventures was a
| journey in sledges from the ship up TO Fort Con-
ger. on Lady Franklin Bay. This is the west
| side Of Robson Channel, and. though visited re-
| peatedly since that time December 1S9s). II had
then been deserted ever since Greely's party left
| il in 1883, While the way Peary was overtaken
| By a severe storm and OF his feet was frost
| bitten When he got back his ship again It
! was necessary TO have several toes anputated
This experience unified him for any attempt
| 70 reach the pole. and made. The Peary
! Club sent the Diana up IN 1899 with food and
mail and she returned TWO three months later.
| preceded by the WIndWard. Etah, on the
| Greenland side Of the channel, and not far from
| Littleton Island, the site Of Peary's winter
camp in IGa9-ls00 From this point he made sledge
| Journeys TO Cape Sabine. In March Peary quar-
| tered himself up at Fort Conger, having in the
mean time made extensive deposits of food vari-
Gus points along his line OF retreat This post he
! found almost convenient a base OF operations
as that which he had hoped 70 establish at Sherard
| Osborn Fjord. II within few miles of being
| as far north.
Starting from Fort Conger with his faithful negro
servant Herson. and five ESQ uiraaus on April i5,
| 1860 Peary crossed Robeson Channel the ice 10
! Greenland. He pursued the plan OF sending back
his Esouimaus with their sleds fast the pro-
| visions loaded upon the latter exhausted. 50
team one Esquimau and Henson. Skrting the
north Goa ST Peary reached Ihe cairn left hv Lock-
! v-on5 in 1ss2-then the furrh-st north reached by
! r,an-on Nav Is 1907. He rounded the no-thernmost
rort of Greenland. IN latitude 1888, few davs
later Peary here pushed out upon the ice, III the
| hone % reaching the pole Eleven miles further
| north in latitude $50 he found 80 wide 2 streak
of water that he could not cross. That settled his
fate for 1870 Turning back 10 lac land ne followed