The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-02-20
Ex.Service Men Among Those
Who Gave Blood to
/. Check Anemia.
ILL SINCE LAST POLAR TRIP
Family at Bedside When End
Comes-ExpIorer Conscious
To the Last.

Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary,
discoverer of the North Pole. died
at his home, 1881 Wyoming avenue,
at 1:25 this morning, after an i'll
ness Of several weeks, as the result
Of pernicious anemia.
Rear Admiral Peary had been
suffering for nearly two years. A
few weeks ago he underwent an op-
GRAFTON for blood TRANSMISSION. but
this failed to relieve him.
Family At Bedside.
Admiral Peary Is survived by q
wife, one daughter. Mrs. Marie Stat
ford, known as the "Snowbaby"; .
son-in-Iaw, Capt. Edward Stafford, son
Of Justice w. p. Stafford. and son.
Robert Peary. They were at his bed
side when the end came.
Since his triumphant return from
his Artic expedition and subsequent
controvefsy over the discovery OF the
North Pole. Peary had not been In the
best Of health. Two years ago his
ailments became more serious and NJ
had been fighting against an anaemic
He submitted to the blood trans
fusion operation after physicians de-
cided 1t was his only hope for life,
but though he rallied from the i'm
mediate effects of the operation 1t
failed to ward of the disease which
was gradually dragging him down.
During the last two years Peary
has undergone between forty and
ffty blood transiusions. 1t was
learned.
Those offering their blood for the
TRANSMISSION operations were enlisted
men of the navy and attaches Of the
Naval Hospital.
.Peary's last public appearance was
in February, 1919, when he introduced
Steffanson, the Arctic explorer, to the
National Geographic Society at
meeting here.
Knew End Was Near.
When he left the hospital for his
home last week. however, 1t was un-
derstood by his family that death was
a matter Of months OF weeks. He
couid only be kept alive by repeated
blood transfusions, and in spite OF
these he was steadily growing weak
er.
Peary's mind was clear until very
near the end, II was stated at his
residence. During yesterday he talk
ed with a number of people and ap-
parently took lively interest in all
that was going on.
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 aeroplane, and during the early
days of the war he was behind a
movement which gave much impetus
to the creation of a large aviation
force for the army and the navy.
Hoists Flag at Pole.
II was 10 o'clock on the morning OF
April G. 1909, that the Stars and
Stripes were hoisted over the North
Pole by Peary, terminating a race for
that honor which has attracted the
most learned and daring explorers Of
the. world for 400 years.
Robert Edwin Peary was then a
commander in the United States Navy,
and one Of the foremost Arctic eXi
plorers OF the world. The achieve
ment was the climax OF a career of
twenty-three years of effort, of which
period twelve years were actually
spent in the Arctic regions.
His explorations In the Arctic start
ed in 1885 when Peary made a re-
connaissance of the Greenland inland
Ice cap east of Disco bay. Follow
ing this performance, Peary was
made chief of Arctic expeditions for
the Academy OF Natural Science, of
Philadelphia, and acted in that capac-
ity from June. 1891, to September.
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