Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-07-23
THE ARCTIC PERIL
Peary's Method Of Battling With
Polar Conditions.
THE USE OF RELAY PARTIES.

! Without This System, the Explorer
Says, Il Would Be n Physical Inn
possibility For Any Man to Reach the
Pole and Return to Tell tho Tale.
Many persons who have asked why.
II Peary got to the pole, 1t was impos-
sible for Cook to do so will find an
answer In Commander Peary's own
story in Hampton's. Although he does
not mention DIR. Cook by name, Peary
shows how impossible it would be for
man without his equipment and sys-
tenn to surmount the difficulties of
such journey. He says:
"Fortitude and endurance alone are
not enough in themselves to carry n
man to the north pole. Only with
years of experience In travelling those
regions, only with the aid of a 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.
I'm order that the reader may I'M
derstand this journey over the ice OF
the polar sea 1t is necessary that the
theory and practice Of pioneer and
supporting parties should be fully I'M
derstood.
''The use of relay parties IN arctic
work is not new, but the idea was
carried further In the last expedition
of the Peary Arctic club than ever
before.
Without this system 1t would be a
physical impossibility for any man to
reach the north pole and return to tell
the tale.
'First.-Because u single division,
comprising either a small or a large
number of men and dogs, could not
possibly drag all the way to the pole
and back (some 300 miles, as much
food and liquid fuel as the men and
dogs of that division would consume
during the many weeks of the journey.
"Second.-It is absolutely necessary
that the arduous work Of trail break
ing for the first two-thirds Of the dis
lance should be done by one division
after another In succession In order
to save the strength of the main party
for its final dash alone.
Third. When the supplies of one
sledge after another have been con-
sumed the drivers of these sledges and
the dogs are superHuous mouths which
cannot be fed from the scanty supply
of provisions being dragged forward
over the Ice.
Fourth. Each division being an in
dependent unit. these divisions can be
withdrawn at intervals from the main
party without affecting the main party.
"Fifth.--At the very end. when the
supporting parties have performed
their important work of trail breaking
and transportation of supplies. the
main party for the final dash must be
small and carefully selected. as a small
party can travel so much faster than
a large one.
THE pioneer party was one unit divi-
sion, made up of four of the most ac-
tive and experienced men of the expe-
dition. with sledges lightly loaded with
FIVE or six days provisions, drawn by
the best dog teams that could be Sc
lected from the entire pack. When
we started from Cape Columbia this
pioneer party. headed by Bartlett. went
out twenty-four hours in advance Of
the main party. Later on, when we
reached the time of continuous day
light and sunlight through the twenty,
four hours, the pioneer party was but
twelve hours in advance Of the main
party.
."The duty of this pioneer party was
80, L.. 49, g..
hours in spite of every obstacle, ex-
cepting, of course, some impossible
lead. Whether there was a deep snow
or violent winds to be faced or noun
famous pressure ridges to be climbed
over. the march of the pioneer party
must be made, for past experience had
proved that whatever distance was
covered by the advance party with its
light sledges could be covered in less
time by the main party even with
heavily loaded sledges. because the
main party, having the trail to follow,
was not obliged to waste time in recon-
noiterihg.
'In other words. the pioneer party
was the pacemaker of the expedition.
and whatever distance 1t made was
the measure Of accomplishment for \
the main party. The leader Of the
pioneer party. in the first instance
Bartlett. would start out ahead Of his
division, usually of the snowshoes.
Then the light sledges of the party
would follow after. Thus the leader
of the pioneer division was pioneering
ahead of his own party. and that
whole division was pioneering ahead
of the main party.
zone great advantage which I had
on this expedition was that. owing to
the size Of my party. whenever the
men in this pioneer division became
exhausted with their arduous labor
and lack Of sleep ! could withdraw
them into the main party and send
out fresh division to take their place.
u. - 49,