Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-20
NORTH POLE
|DISC0vERER'
IS At REST
Rear Admiral Peary Sue
cumbs After 35 Blood
Transfusions Fail.

Washington, Feb. 20.-Rear Al
miral Robert Edwin Peary. retired,
arctic explorer and discoversr Of
the north pole, died at his home
here today from pernicious anemia,
from which he had suffered several
years. Arrangements for the fu-
neral have not been completed. but
lie will be buried with full naval |
honors.
Had Many Blood Tra1sfasions.
Admiral Peary submitted to o.
blood TRANSMISSION at local hospital
here about ten days ago. Later he
was removed to his home and his
condition was reported 40 somewhat
improved. He gradually grew
weaker, however. and the end came
early this morning. DR.. H. F.
Strine. the admiral's physician. dis
closed that the TRANSMISSION this
nonth was the 35th to which Ad-
miral Peary had submitted within
two years.
Admiral Peary was "a years old
and entered the navy as . civil en-
gineer on Oct. 26, 1881. He was as
sistant engineer Of the Nicaragua
ship canal. under government
orders in 1SS4-S5. Returning to the
United States he became interested
IN Arctic explorations and "a years
ago he made his first trip to the
north, making q reconnaissance Of
the Greenland iceland ice cape east
of Disco bay.
Tried for Pole in 1891.
In June, 1891. he led his first big
polar expedition. being head OF the
Arctic expedition Of the Academy Of
Natural Science, Philadelphia
Admiral Peary made seven other
expeditions into the Arctic before
he finally was successful in reach
ing the pole, returning in 1909 to
find that DR.. Frederick A. Cook was
being praised as the discoverer.
In 1913 he was promoted to the
rxnk of rear admiral in the navy
and given the thanks Of congress by
. special act.
@Nailed Stars and Stripes"
1t was on the afternoon OF Sept.
6, 1909, that the following few
words reported to the civilized
wcrld for the first time this crown
ing achievement of three centuries
of effort:
Indiana Harbor. via Cape Ray,
N. F., Sept. 6.-To the Associated
Press. New York.
STARS and Stripes nailed to north
pole. PEARY."
Peary's actual attainment Of the
pole had been just five months be-
fvre, on April 6, 1909.
When this dispatch came, tho
wtrld was, quite unknown to
Peary, already praising DIR. Fred
erick A. Cook as the discoverer.
Only four days previous to the
Peary announcement. Cook. who
was on his way back to Copenhagen
on board a Danish steamer. had
telegraphed the claim that he
reached the pole on April 21, 1905
nearly a year ahead Of Peary.
While DR.. Cooks claim did not
go 'unquestioned from the first. he
had for four days at least been
widely acclaimed as the discoverer
of the pole. With Peary's message
there arose one of the greatest con-
trcversies Of all ages over the
honor of actual first discovery.
There can be no one who has for
gotten the dispute. Peary's asser-
items we're not seriously questioned, ,
but among newspaper readers there
came to be two great camps. for
and against Cook.
| Science Comes 70 Aid.
Peary, with his record OF seven
successful trips to the Arctic. his
official standing in the United
States navy and in scientific cir
c!es, easily held the commanding
position in the controversy. But it
was only after the scientific bodies
one by one had sifted the evidence
and pronounced Cooks claims un-
founded that Peary's title as dis
coverer of the pole was really won.
The bitterness of this episode Is
only one item In the price which
Feary paid for the immortal fame
that Is now acknowledged to be
bic. He spent practically all he had
in money. gave all that was in him
fer hard work, and suffered all that
tie human frame could endure from
hunger, cold and disappointment.
He made eight journeys into the
Arctic, spent upwards Of half =
million dollars and several times he
barely escaped the death which IN
various forms had been the fate or
more than TOO explorers before
him.
The first step that led Peary to-
ward the pole was taken In Wash
| fCo0ffnnAd IN PAIe ThreN)