Arizona republican., 1909-09-12
Also Says Cooks Eskmos Told Him Cook Scarcely
Got Out Of Sight Of Land
Information Comes Through Commander Nielsen of a
Fishing Vessel, Who Boarded the Roosevelt in
Battle Harbor- Ship Badly Damaged Is
Delayed for Repairs and May
Not Reach Sydney Till
September 25

St. Johns. n. F., Sept. 11.-Accord-
ing to Captain Nielsen of the fishing
steamer Taft, which arrived here to-
night from Battle Harbor. Labrador,
Commander Peary's steamer Roose-
welt was badly damaged by ice in
the north and may not get to North
Sydney before September 25. The
Roosevelt struck a rock while enter
ing Battle Harbor and was fast for
six hours, but was not seriously dam
aged by the accident
The Taft was in Battle Harbor
last Wednesday when the Roosevelt
arrived from Indian Harbor. The
Roosevelt put in to take on a sup
ply of coal and also to give Peary
an opportunity to send the details
of his northern trip to the United
States. While the Roosevelt was
stranded Captain Nielsen went aboard
TO offer his assistance and was
thanked by Peary and Captain Bart
lett, who decided they would be able
to work the steamer free at high
water.
Captain Nielsen says Peary and
Captain Bartlett showed him over the
ship and told him the pole had been
reached When Captain Nielsen asked
Peary if he was certain he found the
pole, the commander declared, Il got
there; you may rest assured of that"
When the commander of the Taft
asked Peary what he thought of the
Cook claim, Peary replied that Cooks
Eskintos assured him that Cook
scarcely went out of sight of land.
Nielsen says Peary appeared to be
thoroughly convinced of his own sue
cess and Nielsen declared tonight
that he fully believed Peary's report
Nielsen said that the Roosevelt was
badly battered and her hull showed
bruises made by Jagged pieces of ice.
He said Oakum was dropping from
her seams when she reached Battle
Harbor and that Peary engaged TWEEN
ey men there to assist the crew in
giving the ship a complete overhaul
ing, cleaning and painting. He also
said that when he left Battle Harbor
yesterday it was the intention of
Peary and Bartlett to run to the
Assize Harbor, where she would re-
main for ten or twelve days, so that
the men would not be hampered in
their work by stormy weather. Neil
sen said the expedition expected to
reach Sydney about September %.
The crew of the Roosevelt are all
well but look thin and, according to
Captain Nielsen, the most worn look
ing member Of the expedition is Peary
himself Nielsen was informed the
Peary party underwent severe hard
ships in the final stages of the dash
to the pole. The expedition encoun-
tered blizZards and, according to
Nielsen, was Obliged to kill dogs for
food. Prof Marvin was drowned and
an Eskimo was lost. The party jour-
neyed over 400 miles on sledges over
fair ice conditions, although at one
time Peary and several of his men
had narrow escape from being car
ried away by the breaking up of an
ice floe. The Roosevelt was moored
in latitude $3.50 during the winter
Captain Nielsen said the rigging of
the Roosevelt presented curious
sight. About forty muskox heads and
heads of reindeer were suspended to
dry, On deck are twelve dogs, the
last of nearly 200 taken poleward.