The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-09-14
MORE DETAILS OF
PEARY'S TRIP TO
THE POLE
Original Party Of Twenty-Five
Reduced to Two
RETURN JOURNEY ARDUOUS
Explorer and Single Eskimo Who
Reached Pole Suffered Greatly
from Exposure.

Battle Harbor, Labrador, Sept. A.
The following details of Commander
Peary's journey to the North Pole
have been CLEANED from members Of
THE expedition on board the steamer
Roosevelt. The only men to reach
the pole were Commander Peary and
one Esquimau, Eging Wah by name.
TIE other white members of the var
ious parties that left Cape Columbia
were sent back, by one, as Peary drew
nearer daily to his objective. Mat
thew Henson and three Esquimaux,
the only other members of the reduc-
ed party that made the final dash, were
left one march south of the pole.
Capt. Robert A. Bartlett and George
Borup started FEBRUARY q from Cape
Columbia with a number of Esqui-
mauX and dogs on the march across
tne ice. heading north.
| On March | Commander Peary left
Cape Columbia with his party, con
sisting of seven white men, seventeen
Esquimaux and 1856 dogs.
| On March Peary came up with
Bartlett, who had pitched his camp at
the side of a lead of water which was
impossible to cross. The combined
parties had to wait until March IL,
seven days, before further progress
was possible.
| The sun was seen for the first time
March 8, and an observation showed
that the explorers were short way
from the eighty-fourth parallel. The
supply of alcohol was running short,
and Borup returned to Cape Columbia
for fresh stock.
March IA, Borup overlook Peary
again and brought a supply of oil and
alcohol. The division under Prof.
Ross G. Marvin joined Peary the
same day At this point Prof Donald
b. Mcmillan was sent back, his feet
having been badly frozen. Borup re-
turned to land from 1923 with two
| t,skimos.
The party now consisted of twelve
men, ten sledges and eighty-five dogs.
Bartlett was still beating out the trail
two days ahead of Peary. Marvin
took observations at S54S, and then
started on his return march
On the next march Bartlett made a
record trip, covering twenty miles.
HIS UIbusHl am W oO.Oo.
The party now consisted of Peary.
Bartlett. Mathew Henson, the celored
man who has been Peary's personal
assistant on so many of his expedit-
ions; the Eskimos, the seven sledges
and sixty dogs, and the journey north
ward was resumed The ice was per
fectly level as far as the eve could
see. Bartlett took the observation on
the eignty-eighth parallel April and
then reluctantly returned. leaving
Peary, Henson and the four Eskinos
with provisions for forty days, to
make the final dash to the pole.
This reduced party started the
morning of April 8. The men walked
that day for ten hours and made 20
miles They then slept near the S9th
parallel While crossing a stretch of
young Ice 800 yards wide the sledge
broke through. 1t was saved, but
two of the Eskimos had narrow es-
capes from drowning.
The ice was still good, and the dogs
were In great shape. They made as
high as twenty-five miles a day.
The observation was made at SS25.
TIE next two marches were made In
dense fog. The sun was sighted on
the third march, and an observation
showed S9.h7,
The pole was reached April 6 and
series of observations were taken at
ninety. Peary deposited his records
and hoisted the American flag.
The temperature was 80 degrees be-
low zero, Fahrenheit.
The pole appeared as frozen sea.
Peary tried to make sounding, but
got no bottom at 1900 fathoms
Peary stayed at the pole for thirty
four hours and then started on his re-
turn journey the afternoon of April Z.
On the return the marches were
continuous and Peary and the Esklm-
os suffered greatly from fatigue. They
had their first sleep at the end of the
eighth march from tae pole, in the
igloos left by Bartlett.
| There was a violent snowstorm.
On April 23 the party reached the
vertical edge of the land ice. west of
Cape Columbia The Eskimos were
delighted to reach land and the party
slept for two days. They repaired
their sledges, rested the dogs and re-
Stunning the journey reacned the
Roosevelt April 81.
Marvin left Peary on the way up on
Friday, March 26, to return to the
ship. He had with him two Eskimos
and seventeen dogs. The story of the
professors death was obtained from
one of the Eskimos.
April 10 Marvin was 40 miles from
Cape Columbia He started out that
morning walking ahead. The Eski-
mos were delayed in packing the sled
ges, fact that permitted Marvin to
get a good start on them. When the
Eskmos arrived at an open lead they
noticed that the young ice was broken
about twenty-five yards out, and they
saw. what looked like a mans body
floating in the center of the lead. Ow-
ing to the treacherous condition of the
ice the Eskimos could not venture out.
They returned to the Roosevelt and
reported.
Captain Bartlett went back to the
point designated and recovered Pro
| lessor Marvin's spare boots, clothing