Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-10-09
Old Paper In Washington
Book Store Was
Inspiration

III an Oiu DOOk StOTe III WaSnlnStOn
Peary came upon paper on the IN.
land Ice of Greenland" A chord
which, as a boy, had vibreted intense
ly within him at the reading Of Kane's
wonderful book, was touched again.
The pamphlet contained the conflict
ing experiences of Nordenskjold. Jen-
sen and others. He decided he would
see for himself the truth Of the great,
mysterious apex Of the world.
At the time no one had ever at.
tempted to explore the vast, unknown
interior of Greenland. No one knew
whether Greenland was an island or
u part Of a great polar continent.
Peary outlined plan for an expedi-
ton in q paper read before the Ma
tional Academy of Sciences. Having
obtained n leave OF absence from the
navy in May. 1886, he left for Green
land on his first voyage Of exploration.
Though the expedition was intended
only as a preliminary reconnaissance.
Peary succeeded in penetrating more
than 100 miles, for the first time
reaching the real interior plateau Of
unchanging Arctic snow. No white
man before had attained go great an
elevation on the Greenland ice. and
no one had penetrated 30 f..' into the
interior.
The reconnaissance, though brief,
for Peary was absent from Washing.
ton barely six months, added much to
the knowledge of the world, besides
enabling Peary to outline practical
plans for future explorations with sug.
gested routes for crossing Greenland.
hansen Forestails His Plans.
Peary. however. was not destined to
follow out Immediately his plans for
future exploration. Indeed he was
to suffer the bitter regret of seeing
his work forestalled. his plans carried
out by another-for two years later
Greenland was crossed by Nansen.
In 1888 he married Miss Josephine
Diebitsch, who was to exercise an i'm
portant influence upon his future
work. In all this time his projects for
further Arctic exploration employed
every brief interval Of leisure in his
exacting navy work; he was studying
the question Of equipment and trans.
portation. which really determines the
success OF every expedition. Perhaps
no man who ever sailed the polar seas
was more thoroughly prepared In
Ievery respect.
In 1891, having received an Is
months leave OF absence from the
Secretary Of the Navy, he sailed for
the Arctic seas In June, accompanied
by Mrs. Peary and a small party. At
the very outset he was stricken by an
accident that would have sent most
men back to their homes. An Ice foe
striking the ships rudder drove the
pilot wheel against his leg, swapping
the bones. DR.. Frederick A. Cook,
who accompanied the expedition,
promptly set the fracture. and Peary
was strapped to a board. Though the
pain caused by the jarring of the ship
was excruciating, the explorer insist
ed upon going forward without delay.
One Companion on "White March,"
Establishing his headquarters In
Mccormick Bay. he directed the con
struction of comfortable house and
prepared for the expedition across
Greenland. With the return Of the
sun In the spring Of 1892, Peary
whose leg was now healed. set Of
with a single companion, Astrup. fol-
the long journey across the great ice
of Greenland. an expedition which the
explorer well calls "The white march.
All winter long he had been prepar
ing, and his sledges were Of the
strongest and highest, his equipmen
was smallest compatible with safety
and his dogs. 20 in all, Of the best
It was a most remarkable journey
To appreciate 1t family, one must I'M
derstand something OF what the In
terror of Greenland is like.
Greenland Ii an elevated unbrokel
plateau of snow ranging from 5000 4
10000 feet above sea level 1900 mile
} long, 500 miles wide. II Is an Arcti
Sahara In comparison with which tn
/, African Sahara is insignificant. II
= Inner Greenland there Is no form @
life, animal or vegetable; no fragmen
of rock, no grain or sand Is visible.
At these great attitudes Peary sc
his course exactly as q mariner at Sc
would, even In hoisting sail on hi
sledge. They tramped northwart
; often through storm and fog, ofte
= half blind with the sun glare, sleepin
on the ice usually without tent, an
eating half!cooked rations. In 40 day
they covered more than 900 mile'
reaching, on July 1, the rocky norti
!. ern end of Greenland, which no ma
o ever before had seen,
On high hill which Peary name
Navy Cliff, cairn with the stars an
stripes floating above was erected
and the wintery sea which flowed O
its feet was named Independence Ba!
In honor of the day. The land visibl
across the bay now first discovered
Peary called Melville and Heilpri
Land.