The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1920-02-26
DISCOVERER OF
NORTH POLE
Dies At His Home In
Washington City.
BURIAL IN ARLINGTON.

| Rear Admiral Robert p. feary,
discoyerer Of the North Pole passed
away at his home in Washington City
last Friday after a long illness Of
pernicious enema. His body was
laid 20 rest in Arlington cemetery
last Tuesday with full naval and mil
i,ary honors.
Sketch Of His Career
IL was on the afternoon Of Sep
tember q. 1909. that the following
few words reported 20 the civilized
world for the first time this crown
ing achievement Of three centuries
OF Effort:
Indian Harbor. via Cape Ray. y.
r.. September q Ito the Associat-
ed Press. New York; STARS and
Stripes nailed TO the North Pole
Peary."
Peary's actual attainment Of the
Pole had been just five months be-
fore on April 6, 1909.
When this dispatch came, the
world was. quite unknown to Peary,
already praising DR.. Frederick A.
Cook as the discoverer Only four
days previous to the Peary an
nouneement Cook, who was on his
way back to Copenhagen on board
Danish steamer. had autographed
the claim that he reached the pole
on April 81. nearly year
ahead Of Peary.
While Dr. Cooks claim did not
go unquestioned from the first, he
had four days at least been widely
acclaimed as the discoverer Of the
Pole. With Peary's message there
arose one Of the greatest contro-
versies Of all ages over the honor
Of actual first discovery. There can
be no one who has forgotten the
dispute. Peary's assertions 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
successful trips to the Arctic. his Of
fetal standing in the United States
Navy and in scientific circles, east
~ held the commanding position in
the controversy. But II was only
after the scientific bodies one by
one had sifted the evidence and
pronounced Cooks claims Unbound
ed that Peary's title as discoyerer
Of the Pole was really won.
The bitterness Of this episode Is
only one item in the price which
Peary paid for the immortal fame
that is now acknowledged TO be his.
He spent practically all he had in
money. gave all that was in him
for hard work. and suffered all that
the human frame could endure from
hunger. cold and disappointment.
He made eight journeys into the
Arctic. spent upwards Of half mil-
hon dollars aEa several times he
barely escaped the death which in
various forms had been the fate Of
more than 700 explorers before him.
The first step that led Peary to-
ward the Pole was taken In Wash
ngton one day when he walked in
to book store to bowse and pick
ed up a fugitive account Of Green
land. He became an Unsuitable read
er on the subject Of the Arctic.
He was then 80 years old. He
was born in Cresson Pa, in 1856. |
His father died when he was 3 years
old. and ms mother took him to Port
land, Ne. where he spent his boy
hood, roaming about Caseo Bay. |
He went 20 Bowdoin College, won
fame there as a runner and jump |
er. and stood in the honor column
Of scholarship. Il was a little lat
err that he had gone 10 Washington
to work as a draughtsman in the
Coast and Geodetic Survey offices.
lie spent his spare time studying |
civil engineering and passed IN that
branch into the naval service lie
became Lieutenant Peary L. $. y.
Expedition Into Greenland.
Ills first assignment was TO the
tropics. lie vas a leader 81 the sur
yeying for the Nicaraguan canal
route Il was when he returned TO
Washington that he fell upon the
book about Greenland. and thereafter
virtually consecrated himself TO polar
exploration.
Obtaining leave from the naval
service, he led AN expedition into
Greenland to determine the extent Of
this mysterious land lie determin-
ed It's insularity. discovered and nam
ed many Arctic points which today
are familiar names--such az indie
pendenee Bay, Melville Land and
in one Of his later voyages he dis
covered the famous meteorites which