The Washington times., 1909-11-13
PEARY HAS TROUBLE.
IN FINDING TEMPLE
Has Laughable Experience
Before His Lecture-Nota-
bic Audience Present.

Friends OF Commander Robert e.
Peary are laughing with him today be-
cause OF his experience Of getting lost
in Washington last night and nearly
falling to reach the new Masonic Tenn
pie, where he vas TO lecture. Forget
ting that the new Masonic Temple had
been completed and was in use for
such events, the explorer strolled down
to the old temple about o'clock last
night and walked into the flower show.
He was not expecting such large
punches of flowers to be thrown at him
during bis first lecture. and so inquired
for his audience. BY the time he got
his bearings il was about 500 O'Clock,
with himself scheduled for the plat
form in ten minutes. The dash for the
pole was nothing compared so the dash
for the new Masonic Temple. The ex-
plorer rushed IN, painting from fatigue
and with MS face crimson with exer-
ton.
President Moore ana Editor Grosve-
nor, who had been frantically telephOn-
ing for him, greeted him cffusiVcly, and
ne was given two minutes to wipe away
the persplratlon and get back his
showed on him all through the lecture.
His fatigue was apparent and he fire.
quently appeared to be almost ex-
hausted.
audience AppfeciatiVe.
The lecture, which was given under
the auspices OF the National Geographic
Society, was we'll attended by an ap-
preeiative and discerning audience.
Nearly all of the Cabinet and many of
the members OF the Diplomatic Corps
were present to hear the plain and
simple account OF the dash to the Pole
1t was told without rhetorical dash, ac-
ful pictures, all but two of which were
taken during the last expedition
When the explorer displayed his pic
ture Of the North Pole with his tattered
banner waving over il while FIVE fur
clad men cheered, the audience broke
out with rounds of applause. That flag,
he said, had been carried by him on
each of his expeditions into the frozen
seas At the highest point reached in
each expedition, he had clipped out a
piece Of IL and had deposited Il with
MS his records filing IN the zap with white.
When the Pole was finally reached, he
cut away a diagonal strip across the
banner TO deposit with his records there
Then, he left flying on huplmock an
The historic banner Of his northern
trips, he brought back with him. lack
ing the strip left with the records.
Seemed Simple.
1t was a simple matter, the discovery
Of the Pole. Commander Peary declared
That is. 1t seemed simple to him after
ne mad reached the apex Of the earth.
he had expected to be fired with en-
thusiasm at sight of the Stars and
Stripes waving over that goal OF the
centuries. bat he felt none of It
1T seemed just ike every day." he
said
The trip to the Pole f,om the time
the Roosevelt was at the farthest point
Har#N a.
ice packs was told Of in detail BY the
explorer.
The audience last. night was given a
chance TO see the labor necessary in
making an arctic Journey. The pic
lures OF the Eskimos and their dogs
IIting the heavily laden sledges over
steep and jagged Ice hills. showed ire
loaded with 500 pounds OF provisions.
and frequently these had 70 be lifted up
and over foes forty to fifty feet in
height.
Pictures Of the Men.
Commander Peary gave some pictures
Of some OF his men before and after
the trip 10 the Pole. The gaunt look
and haggard features Of Esklrnos after
their return made a sensation with the
scientific audience. II was plain to see
that those men, Injured 70 cold and hard
ship as they were. had passed through
nerve-racking season.
Commander Peary paid great tribute
70 the Peary Arctic Club, which had
furnished him with a good ship ana
money for the trip and the men who
had helped him to the success he had
attained. Captain Bartlett. who was
in the audience, was praised as the
greatest assistant an explorer ever had.
The explorer also spoke with reverence
Of Professor Marvin. who was drowned
on his return trip. lie did not make
any mention OF DR.. Cook or of his
claims Neither did he at any time
claim to have been the first man 20
reach the Pole.
Because the Geographic Society was
not able to supply tickets to all who
wished to hear the lecture, IL has been
arranged for Commander Peary to re-
peat II at the Belasco Theater Sunday
night
McLeans In Audience.
Among the distinguished persons in
the audience none were more interested
III the talk than Mr.. and Mrs. Donald
Mclean, of New York city. II was
Mrs. Mclean, who, as president Of the
D A. r., presented 70 Commander
Peary one Of the flags which he carried
with him 10 the North Pole. Mr.. and
Mrs. Mclean were accompanied last
night by Capt. and Mrs. Walter Nc
Lean, who are entertaining them at the
Navy Yard.
BABYS EXPENSES