Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-07
Unveiled. at Washing
ton in Presence Dis
tinguished Group
Releasing Cord Pulled : by
Daughter Of Arctic Explorer,
Known as "Snow Baby
Born Nearer Pole Than Any
Other White Child-Presi-
dent Stills Represents Bow
doin College of Which Peary
Was Alumnus

Harding, high government officials
and distinguished scientists and ex.
plorers participated in the unwilling
of the memorial to the late Rear
Admiral Robert f. Peary at Airing
ton cemetery, Thursday, the thir-
teenth anniversary of Peary's dis
covery of the North Pole.
Mrs. Harding also attended the
ceremonies. The National Geogra-
phic society had charge Of the exer-
vices.
rotary Roosevelt and Gilbert Gros-
venor president of the Geographic
society, were on the program for ad =
dresses.
The symbolic design of the mon
ument was conceived by Admiral
Peary during his last illness.
The unveiling was performed by
Mrs. Edward Stafford, who was af.
fcctionately known during her child
hood as the "snow baby" She
was born nearer the Pole than any
other white child.
The attendance was very large, in
Guiding many distinguished men and
women.
President Stills represented Bow
dom college of which Peary was an
alumnus.
The memorial is unique. 1t con-
sists Of a huge oblate spheroid OF
white Maine granite, in proportion
and in position like the earth. and
it rests on a massive base. On the
surface of the granite globe are
hewn the outlines of the land and
water masses of the earth's surfa ce
at its North Pole. tilted toward the
north, which is in the direction OF
Arlington's beautiful amphitheatre
is a bronze star. symbol Of the
achievement by which Peary's name
will ever be remembered. The SYM
bolic design Of the monument was
conceived by Admiral Peary during
his last illness and suggestions for 1t
We're dictated to his wife. herself an
Arctic traveller of note, within three
weeks of his death.
On one side of the supporting
Sld1Itt blOth, UPON w i1itIl ItSiS TIE
earth shaped mass, is the Latin
motto -"Inveniam Niam Aut Faciam''
CT will find a way or make one)
which was favorite quotation of
the explorer and now seems a fitting
cpitome of his notable career. The
other sides, respectively, bear tho
legends
Robert Edwin Peary, Discoverer of
North Pole. April 6. 1909.
Rear Admiral u. s. n, Civil
Engineer. Explorer.
Scientist 1S56-19oO.
His Beloved Wife,
Josephine Diebitsch. 1853.
Matt Henson. the only member Of
peary's party to accompany him on
the last leg Of the dash for the Pole,
was among the honored gue@ts
The struggle for the North Pole
began nearly one hundred years be-
fore the landing of the Pilgrim Fa-
Tiers at Plymouth Rock. being in
augurated by Horny VIII. of Eng
land Scores of hardy navigators,
British. French, Dutch, German.
Scandinavian and Russian sought to
hew across the Pole the much COW
eted short route to China and the
Indies. Immense treasures of money
and lives were expended by the
nations to explore the northern ice
world and to attain the apex Of the
Garth. But all efforts to reach
the Pole failed, notwithstanding
the unlimited sacrifice of gold and
energy and blood which had been
poured out without stint for nearly
four centuries.
A brief summer excursion to
Greenland in 1886 aroused Admiral
peary, then a civil engineer in the
United States navy, to an interest In
the polar problem. Peary few
years previously had been gradual
cd from Bowdoin college second in
his class. He believed that the goal
which had eluded so many hun
drcds of ambitious and dauntIess
men, could be won only by a new
method Of attack.
The first Arctic problem with
which Peary grapplcd was consider
W dt 'ildI tiiiic III IHipoi tdhtc SCI
ond only to the conquest of the
Pole; namely. to determine the in
sularity of Greenland and the ex-
tent of. its projection northward. At
the beginning of the first expedition
to Greenland in 1891, he suffered
an accident which sorely taxed his
patience, as well as his body. AS his
ship. the Kite. was working its way
through the ice fields of the Green
land shore, a cake Of ice became
wedged in the rudder. causing the
wheel to reverse. One of the spokes
damned Peary's leg against the case
ment, making it impossible to extri-
cate himself until both bones were
broken. Despite the injury, Peary
insisted on being landed as original
ly planned at Mccormick Bay. The
careful nursing of Mrs. Peary, aided
by the bracing air. so speedily re-
stored his strength that at the ensu-
ing Christmas festivities which were
arranged for the Eskimos, he out
raced on snowshoes all the natives
In the following May. with one
companion. Astrup. he assembled to
the summit of the great ice cap
which covers the interior Of Green
land. 5000 to 5000 feet in elevation,
and pushed northward for five hum
dred miles over a region where the
foot of man had ncyer frod hefpro