The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-07-21
THE ARCTIC PERIL
Peary's Method Of Battling With
Polar Conditions.
THE USE OF RELAY PARTIES.
Without This System. the Explorer
Says, Il Would Bs . Physical I'm.
possibility For Any Man to Reach the
Pole and Return to Tell the Tale.

Many persons who have asked why.
II Peary got to the pole, 1t was impos.
sible for Cook to do SO will ind an
answer in Commander Peary's own
story in Hampton's. Although he does
bot mention DR.. Cook by name. Peary
shows how impossible 1t would be for
man without his equipment and sys-
TEN to surmount the difficulties OF
such journey He says:
"Fortitude and endurance alone are
not enough III themselves to carry q
man to the north pole. Only with
years OF experience in travelling those
regions, only with the aid OF large
party also experienced in that charac-
ter OF work. only with the knowledge
Of arctic detail and the equipment
necessary to prepare himself and his
party for any and every emergency.
Is 1t possible for man to reach that
long sought goal and return.
In order that the reader may un
] derstand this journey over the ice OF
the polar sea 1t Is necessary that the
theory and practice OF pioneer and
supporting parties should he fully uD
dersiOOd.
''fhe use of relay parties In arctic
work Is not new. but the itip; was
carried further In the last expedition
of the Peary Arctic club than ever
before.
without this system it would ,~ u
physical impossibility for any mau 10
reach the north pole and return to tell
the tale.
"First-Recause siugle division.
comprising either a small or IL large
number of men and dogs. could not
possibly drag all the way 10 the pole
aud back tsome 800 miles, as much
food and liquid fuel as the men aud
dogs of that division would consume
during the many weeks Of the journey
Second IL Is absolutely necessary
that the arduous work Of trail break
Ing for the first two thirds Of the dis
tance should be done by nne division,
after another IN succession in order
to save the strength OF the main lIari y
for its ina, dash alone
Third When the supplies Ut one
sIedge after another have been con
sumed the drivers 0f these sledses anC
the dogs are sulertiuOuS mouths which
cannot be fed from the stanty supply
of provisions being dragged forward
over the Ice.
Fourth. Each division being I'M in
n Ais.i. IA,
withdrawn at intervals from the nn,iI
party without affecting the main party
Fifth. AT the very end. when ID,
supporting parties have performed
their important work of trail brs.akin,
and transportation ut supplies. tn
main party for the final dash must b.
small and carefully selected. as smal
party can travel SO much faster thar
, a large one.
''The pioneer party was one uni, div1
sion. made up of four Of The n,,St &C
tive and experienced men Of the expe
d:tiOn. with siedges lightly loaded wit
five or six days provisions. drawn b
the best dog teams that could be- Se
iected from the entire pack Whe
We started from Cape Columbia lhi
pioneer party. headed by Bartlett. wen
out twenty -four hours 10 advance q
the main party. Later on. when "
reached the time Of continuous d:i!
: light and sunlight through the twent!
four hours. the pioneer party was bt
twelve hours in advance Of the mai
!, party
"rhe duty of this pioneer party va
to make march In every twenty .fOt
" hours in spite of every obstacle. q
:. ,elpting. Of course. some impaSs;'l'
leud Whether there was Il deep SnO
y Or violent winds to be faced or nluu
tainous pressure ridges to he climlN
: over. the march Of the pioneer part
: must be made. for past experience III
proved that whatever distance ";
covered by the advance party with
light sledges could be covered IN IL
= time By the main party even wi
~ heavily loaded sledges. because Il
~ main party having the trail to folio
!" was not Obliged to waste time In reco
I" nOitering.
~ I'm other words. the pioneer par
= was the ln,,emaker OF the expedititl
US and whatever distance 1t made "
III the measure ct accomplishment
le. the main party. The leader ut I
ne pioneer party In The first instasl
y! Bartlett. would start out ahead Of
ed division. usually of the snowsli0
or Then the light sledges OF the par
would follow after Thus the lead
Of the pioneer division was pfoneert
ahead Of his own party. and n
at whole division was pioneering abe
Ia Of the main party
ty .One great advantage which u
'er 90 this expedition was that. owing
al the size of my party. whenever
he men In this pioneer division beca
So exhausted with their arduons la'
he and lack OF sleep could wiihdr
,ll them into the main party and -
AS out a fresh division TO take their l'l;'
er- A large party is absolutely necess;
no to success"