The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-09-13
Sidney is AnxiousIy Scanning the
North For the Steamer Roose-
veIt With Psary on
Board.
ovERHAULING THE BOAT
The Roosevelt is In Need Of Repairs
and Painting Before Making
lts Appearance In
America.

SYDNEY, N. S., Sept. 13. All sgd
ney awaits the coming of Commander
Robert b. Peary to give welcome to
the finder Of the "big nail' when he
first sets foot on the American con.
tinent after his long but successful
search for the North pole.
Mrs. Peary said that she had re-
ceived wireless telegram from Com
mander Peary at Battle Harbor saying
that he was we'll and would keep her
posted. She added that she assumed
her husband was still at Battle Harbor
and that no definite time had been
set for his departure for this city.
Miss Marie Peary received telegram
from her father congratulating her on
her sixteenth birthday
Commander Peary is moving south
ward in the same precise manner that
characterized his methodical and we'll
calculated dasa for the pole. The
\ Roosevelt is being overhauled and
painted at Assizes Harbor, near Bat
! tie Harbor, and her commander has
orders that every injury sustained in
her long stay in the ice cradle of Cape
Sheridan shall be removed before she
sails for this port. The bunkers of
the Roosevelt are being filld, as it is
calculated that it will take nearly five
days steady steaming before she
reaches this port 1t required nearly
4 seven days for the Roosevelt to rur
/ from Battle Harbor to Sydney on the
return from the previous Arctic trip
though at that time the ship had only
the use of one boiler
No Color Line In Arctic.
SYNDY, N. s., Sept 13.-"Any talk
of trouble in Mr.. Peary's crew because
he took Mat Hensen, the negro, with
: him on his final dash to the pole, car
: be put down as absolutely fiction,
today declared Mrs Robert E. Peary
Z. 1t had been reported that Peary had
promised Captain Robert Bartlett o.
the Roosevelt that he would be the
man chosen. There is no color line
in the arctic" declared Mrs Peary
Il am sure the matter of Hansen's
! color never occurred to any membel
: of the crew In addition to that
know that my husband never prom
ised any man that he would be taker
on the final sledge trip. The maj
best fitted for the trip one day nigh
be wholly unfit the next. Mat Han
!. sen has always been with Mr.. Pear,
on his final dashes and by reason o
his skill as a dog driver, his knowl
edge of the eskimo language and his en-
durance, was probably the best maj
fitted for the party next to Mr.. Pear.
himself, for the final dash. But NOR
important than all is the fact that Ma
is an American and | am sure tha
if for no other reason, my HUSBAND
would have chosen him ahead of an
: of the men who were not" Thcr
we're still no tidings of Peary toda
and as he had promised to notify nj
wife when he left Battle Harbor,
is the presumption that the Rooseve.
is still laid up there. In response Z
an inquiry as to her opinion of VIII
Harry Whitney. the, man who Is SUI
posed to have Cooks records of reacf
ing the pole. had not continued sout
: on the Roosevelt, but is coming late
on the Jeanie, Mrs Peary said: "Whil
can only surmise. suspect that MI
Whitney, failing to get polar bea
Z at Etah, went on the Jeanie to Gun
. berland where the bears are plentiful
am sure his leaving the Rooseve
had nothing to do with DIR. Cook
claim"