Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-02-27
REAR ADMIRAL
PEARY is DEAD
Discoverer of the North Pole Dies
in Washington After Iona
Illness.
BLOOD TRANSMISSION FAILS
Made Many Efforts to Reach Farthest
North Before He Finally Succeeded
In April, 1soe-Helped to Gre
ate Large Aviation Force.

Washington, Feb. 20.-Rear Admiral
Robert E. Peary, discoverer of the
North pole, died at his home here
early today after an illness Of several
weeks, as the result of pernicious
anemia.
Rear Admiral Peary had been suf-
fering for nearly two years. A few
weeks ago he underwent an operation
for blood TRANSMISSION, but this failed
to relieve him.
Admiral Peary was born in Cresson,
Pa, May 6, 1856, the son of Charles
and Mary Peary.
Since his triumphal return from his
arctic expedition and the subsequent
controversy over the discovery of the
North pole, Admiral Peary has not
been In the best of health.
Admiral Peary's first arctic expedi-
ton was in 1885, when he went far
into Greenland, and in 1891 he headed
another expedition of arctic explor-
ers. He made continued and repeated
efforts to reach the North pore during
the following years, but 1t was not un-
til April, 1909, when he led small
expedition to success. The final dis
covery of the North pole was the re-
suit Of fve-day dash under most try
ing circumstances, but 1t carried Ad-
miral Peary and the American flag
to and beyond the North pole.
During recent years Admiral Peary
has devoted much of his time to the
development Of aviation. He has been
one of the most enthusiastic workers
for the commercial development of the
airplane, and during the early days
of the war he was behind a movement
which gave much impetus to the Gre
alton of large aviation force for the
army and the navy.
Admiral Peary was graduated from
Bowdoin college in 1877. He entered
the United States navy as a civil en-
gfneer on October 26, 1881; was as
sistant engineer in the construction
of the Nicaragua ship canal under
government orders, 1SS4-5, and was
made engineer In charge Of the canal
survey in 1887.
1t was in the afternoon of Septem-
Der 6. 1909, that the following few
words reported to the civilized world
for the first time this crowning
achievement Of three centuries of eff
fort:
Indian Harbor. via Cape Ray, N. f..
Sept. 6.-To the Associated Press,
New York:
K "Stars and Stripes nailed to the
North pole. PEARY."
Peary's actual attainment Of the
pole had been just five months before,
on April 6, 1909.
When this dispatch came the world
was, quite unknown to Peary, prais-
ing DR.. Frederick Cook as the dfscov-
erer. Only four days previous to the
Peary announcement Cook, who was
on his way back to Copenhagen on
board q Danish steamer, had tele.
graphed the claim that he reached the
pole on April q, 9S+nearly year
ahead Of Peary.
While Doctor Cooks claim did not
go unquestioned from the first, he had
for four days at least been widely ac-
claimed as the discoverer of the pole
With Peary's message there arose one
of the greatest controversies of all
ages over the honor of actual first dis.
covery. There can be no one who has
hA
tons were not seriously questioned
but among newspaper, readers there
came to be two great camps. for and
against Cook.
Peary, with his record Of seven sue
cessful trips to the arctic, his Off
cial standing in the United States
navy and in scientific circles, easily
held the commanding position in the
controversy But 1t was only Naftel
the scientific bodies one by one hal
sifted the evidence and pronounced
Cooks claims unfounded that Peary'l
title as discoverer Of the pole wal
really won.
The bitterness Of this episode Il
only one item in the price which Pear,
paid for the immortal fame that Il
now acknowledged to be his. He spen
practically all he had in money, gav'
/ all that was in him Of hard work
and suffered all that the human fran,
could endure from hunger, cold ant
disappointment. He made eight jour
neys into the arctic, spent upward O
half million dollars and several time
ae barely escaped the death which IL
various forms had been the fate o
more than 700 explorers before him.