Oxford Democrat., 1909-09-21
Explorers Own Account
of His Wonderful and Sue.
cessful Dash to the Pole.
Copyright. 1909. by the New York Times
Company.

N AlILE hanDOh, LdDIauoi
K Via MarcOni wireless, Cape
Ray, N. F., Sept. 8. - The
steamer Roosevelt, bearing the
north polar expedition Of the Peary Arc
tic club, parted company with the Erik
and steamed out Of Etah Ford late in
the afternoon Of Aug. 1S, 1908, setting
the usual course for Cape Sabine. We
had on board % Eskimo men, II wom-
Ell and 10 children, 226 dogs and some
forty odd walrus.
We encountered the ice a short dis
tance from the mouth Of the harbor
but 1t was not closely packed and was
negotiated by the Roosevelt without
serious difficulty. AS We neared Cape
Sabine the weather cleared somewhat
and we passed close by Three WORT
island and Cape Sabine, easily making
out with the naked eye the house al
Hayes Harbor occupied by me in the
winter Of 1902.
From Cape Sabine north there was
so much water that We thought of set
ting the lug sail before the southerly
wind, but little later appearance Of
ice to the northward stopped this.
There was clean open water To Cape
Albert and from there scattered Ice
to point about abreast of Victoria
head. thick weather and dense Ice
bringing us some ten or fifteen miles
away.
From here we drifted south some
what and then got slant to the
northward out Of the current. We
worked Il little farther north and stop
ped again for some hours. Then we
again worked westward and north
ward till we reached series Uf lakes.
coming TO a stop Il few miles south
Of the Windwards winter quarters
ut Cape Durville. From here, after
some delay. we slowly worked a way
northeastward through fog and broken
Ice Of medium thickness through one
night and the forenoon Of the next
day. only emerging into open water
HIlu cledI "tdlutl oIl N-tIN i''''N'
From this point we had clear run
through the middle OF Robeson chan.
mel to Lady Franklin Bay. Here We
encountered both ice and fog and were
forced across to the Greenland coast
at Thank God Harbor.
The fog lifted there and enabled uS
to make out cur whereabouts. and we
steamed north through Il series of
leads past Cape Lupton and thence
southwark toward Cape Union. y
few miles Off that cape we were stop
ped by impracticable Ice. ANA we drift
ed back south 10 Cape Union, where
we stopped again.
Twice Forced Aground.
We lay for some time in Il lake of
water and then to prevent being drift
ed south again took refuge under the
north shore of Lincoln Bay.
Twice we were forced aground 10y
the heavy ice. We had our port quar-
ter rail broken and n hole stove IN
the bulwarks. and twice we pushed
out I'm an attempt To get north. but We
were forced back each time 10 our
precarious shelter.
Finally on Sept. 2 we squeezed
around Cape Union and made fast In
shallow niche in the ice, but aftc!
some hours we made another short
run to Black Cape and hung on t.
grounded bit of ice. At last. n lii.
tie after midnight Of Sept. .. we pass
ed through extremely heavy runnn-
ice into strean Of open water. round
ed Cape Rawson and passed Cap,
Sheridan.
Within quarter Of an hour of the
same time we arrived three years be
fore-7 n. M. Sept. 5-we reached the
open water extending beyond Cape
Sheridan.
We steamed up To the end Of IT, ant'
It appeared practicable at first to reacl
Porter Bay. near Cape Joseph Henley
which | had for my winter quarters.
But. the outlook being unsatisfactory
went back and put the Roosevelt in
to the only opening In the foe. being
barred close to the mouth of the Sheri
dan river, little north of our position
three years prior.
The season was further advanced
than In 1903. There was more SNOW
on the ground. and the new Ice inside
the foe bergs was much thicker. Tho
work of dlscharging the ship WAS com
menced at once and rushed to com
pletion. The supplies and equipment
we sledged across ice and sea and de
posited on shore. \ house and work
shop were built of boards. covered
with sails and fitted with stoves, an'
the ship was snug for the winter II
shoal water where she touched bot
tom at low tide. This settlement or
the stormy shores of the Arctic ocear
was christened Hubbardville.
Moving the Supplies.
On Sept. II the full work OF trans
porting supplies to Cape Columbii
was incugurated. Marvin, with DR.
| Goodsel and Borup and the EskimoS
took sixteen sledge loads Of supplies
| to Cape Belknap and on the 9th th'
same party started with loads TO Por
ter Bay. The work Of hunting AM
transporting supplies was prosecuted
continuously by the members of th'
party and the Eskimos until Nov. D.
On Oct. / went on hunt with TIVE
Eskimos across the field and Parr Ba.
| and the peninsula, made the circuit o
| Clemants Markham inlet and returned
to the ship In seven days with tifteel
musk oxen. n bear and deer.
| Professor Mcmillan went to CO
lumbia In November and obtained
month Of tidal observations. returning
IN December In the Decamhar moot
Borup moved the Hecla depot to Cap'
COlan. In the February moon Bartlett
went to Cape Hecla. Goodsell move'
some more supplies from Hecla L
Cape Colon. and Borup went to Mark
ham inlet on hunting trip. On Fen
Is Bartlett left the Roosevelt with hi
division for Cape Columbia and Par
Bay. Goodsell, Borup, Mcmillan ant
Hansen followed OH successive day
with their provisions Marvin return
ed from Bryants on Feb. IL and LEI
for Cape Columbia Feb. II. | brough
up the rear Feb. %.
| The total of all divisions leavin
the Roosevelt was Z members OF IN
party, 50 Eskimos, 140 dogs and
sladres Ry Feb. 21 such of the Cap