Evening star., 1920-02-20
tClinedinst photo.)

train the Eskimo to become his sleds-
! ing crew.
! In his first north polar expedition,
which lasted for four years, 1S9S-19O2.
miles to the pole. Each successive
year dense packs of ice blocked the
passage to the polar ocean, compeli-
ing him to make his base approxi-
mately 700 miles from the pole. or
zoo miles south of the headquarters
, OF Mares. too great distance from the
| pole TO be overcome in oae short sea-
son. During this trying period. by
siedgfng feats which in distance and
! physical obstacles overcome exceeded
Greenland. he explored and mapped
hundreds of miles Of coast line of
, Greenland and OF the islands west
and north of Greenland
On the next attempt. Peary insured
reaching the polar ocean by design
ing and constructing the Roosevelt.
whose resistless frame crushed its
way to the desired haven on the
; shores of the polar sea. From here
ne made that wonderful march of
! world record. Winds of unusual fury.
by opening big leads. robbed him of
the pole and nearly Of his life
Results In Cr0wninE Discovery.
The last Peary expedition, 1sos-1sos.
resulted in the discovery Of the pole
and of the deep ocean surrounding
the 3S6 miles from Greely's farthest
n; nad been vanquished as follows:
Nineteen hundred. 80 miles: 1902, 23
miles; 1905. 16s miles; 1903. 174 miles
No better proof of the minute care
with which every campaign was pre-
arranged can be given than the fact
that, though Peary has taken hun,
various expeditions. he has brought
them On back. and in good health,
with the exception of two, who lost
their lives in accidents for which
the leader was in no wise response
BILE. What contrast this record is
to the long list of fatalities from
disease. frost, shipwreck and starva-
tfon. which in the popular mind has
made the word arctic synonymous
with tragedy and death.
life devoted to the exploration of
the icy north and to the advance
ment Of science by the hard-won dis
covery of the north pole. The prize
of four centuries Of striving yielded
at last to the most persistent and
scientific attack ever waged against
1T. Peary's success was made pos
sible by long experience. which gave
him thorough knowledge of the
dimculttes to be overcome. and by
an unusual combination Of mental
and physical power-a resourceful-
ness which enabled him to find a
way to surmount all obstacles,
tenacity and courage which knew no
defeat. and a physical endowment
such as nature gives to few men.
1t has been we'll said that the glory
of Peary's achievement belongs to
the world and Is shared by all man.
, kind. But we, his fellow w-countrymen.
who have known how he struggled
those many years against discourage
ment and scofilng and how he perse-
vered under financial burdens. that
would have crushed less stalwart
shoulders. specially rejoice that he
made good at last" and that an
American has become the peer Of Hud-
son. Magellan and Columbus.
Last Public Appearance.
Peary's first address to the National
Geographic Society was in the fall Of
1883, when the society was only few
months old. He then described an ex-
pedition which he had led across Mica
ragua. He has been actively asso-
ciated with Its work ever since those
early days. and on his return from
each of his expeditions to the sfar
north mis- first public address was to
the National Geographic Society. His
Lass public appearance was on the
platform of the National Geographic
Society. when in January, 1919. he in
troduced Stefansson, who had just re-
turned from the Canadian north.
In 1907 he was presented the Hub
bard2 gold medal Of the society Dy
President Roosevelt, and In 1909 a
special gold medal for his discovery OF
| the north pole, and later was Q MEM
hAr ~ tia hoa I'd Of MANAGERS for years.