New Britain herald., 1920-03-19

com panion, AstriIp, he stscen9ed to the summit of the great ice cap winch covers the interior of Greenland, 5000 to 5000 feet in elevation, and pushed northward fer 50o miles over a region where the foot of man had never trod before, in temperatures ranging from 10 deerce1 to 50 degree; below zero. imagine his surprise on descending from the tableiand to en- ter little valley radiant with gorge ous flowers and alive With murnuring bees. where musk oxen were lazily broWsinG
 This sledding journey, which he du- plicatcd by >anothcr equallN remark a ble crossing Of the ice cap three years later. define. the northern eX- tension of Greenland and conclusively proved that it is an island instead. of a continent extending to the Pole. Tn boldneSS Of conception and brilliancy of results these two crossings of Greenland are unsurpassed in arctic history. The magnitude of Peary:s feat is better appreciated when it is recalled that Hansens historic cross ing of the island was below the Arc tic Circle. .Oe0 miles south or Peary's latitude, where Greenland is some 25O miles wide.
 Peary now turned his attention to the Pole, which lay 396 S,eoeyaphicaI miles farther north tii;1n any man had penetrated on the western hemisphere To get there by the American route ne must break a virgin trail every mile north from Greely's SS degrees 24 minutes. No one had pioneered so great a distance northward. Mark ham and others had attained endur- ing fame by advancing the flag consid- erably less than 100 miles. Parry had pioneered 150 miles, and Nansen 12S from his ship.
 His experiences in Greenland had convinced Peary, if possible more firmly than before, that rhe only way Of surmounting this last and most formidable barrier was to adopt the manner Of life, the food, the snow houses. and the clothing of the Eski- mos, who by centuries of experience had learned the most effective method of combating the rigors of arctic weather; to utilize the game of the northland, the arctic reindeer, musk OK, etc, which his explorations had proved comparatively abundant thus with fresh meat keeping his men fit and good-tempered through the de- rreseing winter night; and lastly to train the Eskimo to become his sledg- ing crew.
 First Trip ina 1898.
 in his first north polar expedition which lasted for four years, 1S9S- 1902, Pelry failed to set nearer than 343 miles to the Pole. Each success Hiye year dense packs of ice blocked the passage to the polar ocean, com- relling him to make his base approx inately TOO miles from the Pole, or 200 miles south of the headauarters of Mares, too great distance from the Pole to be overcome in one short season. During this trying period. by sledging feats which in distance and physical obstacles overcome exceeded the extraordinary records made in Greenland, he explored and mapped hundreds of miles of coast line of and north Of Greenland.
 On the next attempt, Peary insured reaching the polar ocean by designing and constructing the Roosevelt, whose resiStlesS frame crushed it's way to the desired haven on the shores of the polar sea.
 From here he made that wonder ful march of 1906 to S7 degrees, 6 minutes a, new worlds record Winds of unusual fury, by opening big leads, robbed him of the Pole and nearly of his life. sS,
 The lasts Peary expedition. 190s- 1909, resulted in the discovery Of the Pole and of the deep ocean surround ing it. The 396 miles from Greely's