Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-09-24
Explorers Own Account
OF His Wonderful and Sue.
cessful Dash to the Pole.
Copyright. 1909. by the New York Time
Company.

" Ray, y. F.. Sept 8 The !
steamer Roosevelt, bearing the |
north polar expedition of the Peary Are J
Tic club. parted company with the Erik
and steamed out of Etah Ford late In
the afternoon of Aug. Is. 1908 setting
the usual course for Cape Sabine. We
had on board - Eskimo men, IL wom-
Ell and 10 children, 226 dogs and some
forty odd walrus.
We encountered the ice a short dis
lance from the mouth of the harbor. ,
but it was not closely packed and was /:
negotiated by the Roosevelt without
serious difficulty. AS we neared Cane /
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 at
Hayes Harbor occupied by me i'm the
winter OF 1912
From Cape Sabine north there was /
SO much water that we thought OF set /
ting the lug sail before the southerly |
wind. but Il 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 n slant to the
northward out of the current. We
worked a little farther north and stop
ped again for some hours. Then we
again worked westward and north
ward till we reached a series of lakes,
coming TO q stop few miles south
of the Windward's winter quarters
at Cape Durville. From here. after
some delay, we slowly worked n 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
and clear weather Off Cape Fraser.
From this point we had clear run
through the middle of Robson 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 our whereabouts. and We
steamed north through series OF
leads past Cape Lupton and thence
Southward toward Cape Union. A
few miles Off that cape we were stop
ped by imprIcticable ice. and we drift
ed back south TO Cape Union, where
we stopped again.
u Twice Forced Aground.
We lay for some time In n 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 by
the heavy ice. We had our port quar-
ter rail broken and hole stove I'm
the bulwarlis. and twice we pushed
out I'm an attempt TO get north, hut we
were. forced back each time to our
precarious shelter.
Finally on Sept. we squeezed
around Cape Union and made fast In
n shallow niche I'm the Ice. but after
some hours we made another short
run TO Black Cape and hung on to
n grounded bit of ice. At last. n lit
tie after midnight OF Sept !. we pass
cd through extremely heavy running
ice into stream OF open water. round
ed Cape Rawson and passed Cape
Sheridan.
Within n quarter OF an hour OF the
same time we arrived three years be-
FORE a. M. Sept. 1--WE reached the
open water extending beyond Cape
Sheridan
We steamed up TO the end OF IL. and
II appeared practicable at first to reach
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 1905. There was m. re- snow
on the ground, and the new lie inside |
the foe bergs was much thicker. The
work OF discharging the ship was COM
menced at once and rushed To com- |
pletion. The supplies and equipment
we sledged across Ice and sea and de- !
posted on shore. 4 house and work |
shop were built OF boards, covered
with sails and fitted with stoves. and |
the ship was snug for the winter I'm |
shoal water. where she touched bot |
tom ut low tide. This settlement on |
the stormy shores OF the Arctic ocean |
Moving the Supplies.
On Sept. II the full work OF trans |
porting supplies to Cape Columbia |
was inaugurated Marvin with DIR |
Goodsell and Borup and the Eskimos. |
took sixteen sledge loads OF supplies |
70 Cape Belknap and on the 21th the |
same party started with loads TO por-
ter Bay. The work OF hunting and |
transporting supplies was prosecuted |
continuously by the members of the
party and the Eskimos until Nov. z.
On Oct. j went on a hunt with two
Eskimos across the field and Parr BAY
and the peninsula; made the circuit of |
Clemants Markham inlet and returned
10 the ship In seven days with fifteen
musk oxen. Il bear and deer.
Professor Mcmillan went to Co
lumbia Ia November and obtained
month of tidal observations, returning
In December In the December moon
borup moved the Hecla depot to Cape
Colan. In the February moon Bartlett
went TO Cape Hecla, Goodseli moved
some more supplies from Hecla to
cape Colon, and Borup went TO Mark
ham inlet on a hunting trip. On Feb.
10 Bartlett leftsthe Roosevelt with his
division for Cape Columbia and Parn
Bay. Goodsell, Borup, Mcmillan and
hansen followed on successive DAYS
with their provisions. Marvin return
tad from Rrvo nfS -, EoA