The North Pole - Its Discovery in 1909 under the auspices of the Peary Arctic Club

Robert E. (Robert Edwin) Peary

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• Publié par: onjya
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 12
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 37 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The North Pole, by Robert E. Peary

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Title: The North Pole  Its Discovery in 1909 under the auspices of the Peary Arctic Club

Author: Robert E. Peary

Release Date: August 3, 2006 [EBook #18975]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NORTH POLE ***

Produced by Suzanne Lybarger, Brian Janes, Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

THE NORTH POLE

COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

THE FIVE FLAGS AT THE POLE

LEFT TO RIGHT 1. Navy League—Ooqueah 3. Polar Flag Carried 15 Years—Henson

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2. D. K. E. Fraternity—Ootah 4. D. A. R. Peace Flag—Egingwah 5. Red Cross Flag—Seegloo

THE NORTH POLE

ITS DISCOVERY IN 1909 UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE PEARY ARCTIC CLUB

BY

ROBERT E. PEARY

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT

AND A FOREWORD BY GILBERT H. GROSVENOR DIRECTOR AND EDITOR, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

GREENWOOD PRESS, PUBLISHERS NEW YORK

Originally published in 1910 by Frederick A. Stokes Co.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TO MY WIFE

INTRODUCTION

S O ME years ago I met at a dinner in Washington the famous Norwegian arctic explorer, Nansen, himself one of the heroes of polar adventure; and he remarked to me, "Peary is your best man; in fact I think he is on the whole the best of the men now trying to reach the Pole, and there is a good chance that he will be the one to succeed." I cannot give the exact words; but they were to the above effect; and they made a strong impression on me. I thought of them when in the summer of 1908 I, as President of the United States, went aboard Peary's ship to bid him Godspeed on the eve of whatproved to be his final

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effort to reach the Pole. A year later, when I was camped on the northern foothills of Mt. Kenia, directly under the equator, I received by a native runner the news that he had succeeded, and that thanks to him the discovery of the North Pole was to go on the honor roll of those feats in which we take a peculiar pride because they have been performed by our fellow countrymen.

Probably few outsiders realize the well-nigh incredible toil and hardship entailed in such an achievement as Peary's; and fewer still understand how many years of careful training and preparation there must be before the feat can be even attempted with any chance of success. A "dash for the pole" can be successful only if there have been many preliminary years of painstaking, patient toil. Great physical hardihood and endurance, an iron will and unflinching courage, the power of command, the thirstfor adventure, and a keen and farsighted intelligence—all these must go to the make-up of the successful arctic explorer; and these, and more than these, have gone to the make-up of the chief of successful arctic explorers, of the man who succeeded where hitherto even the best and the bravest had failed.

Commander Peary has made all dwellers in the civilized world his debtors; but, above all, we, his fellow Americans, are his debtors. He has performed one of the great feats of our time; he has won high honor for himself and for his country; and we welcome his own story of the triumph which he won in the immense solitudes of the wintry North.

T HEO DO RE R O O SEVELT .

T HE W HITE N ILE ,March12, 1910.

COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

PORTRAIT OF ROBERT E. PEARY, IN HIS ACTUAL NORTH POLE COSTUME

CONTENTS

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CHAPTER I NTRO DUCTIO N F O REWO RD I T HE P LAN II P REPARATIO NS III T HE S TART IV U PTO C APE Y O RK V W ELCO MEFRO MTHE E SKIMO S VI A N A RCTIC O ASIS VII O DD C USTO MSO FAN O DD P EO PLE VIII G ETTING R ECRUITS IX A W ALRUS H UNT X K G P

NO CKING AT THE ATEWAY TO THE O LE

XI C LO SE Q UARTERSWITHTHE I CE XII T HE I CE F IG HT G O ES O N XIII C APE S HERIDANAT L AST XIV I N W INTER Q UARTERS XV T HE A UTUMN W O RK XVI T HE B IG G EST G AMEINTHE A RCTIC XVII M USK - O XENAT L AST XVIII T HE L O NG N IG HT XIX T HE Roosevelt'sN ARRO W E SCAPE XX C HRISTMASO NTHE Roosevelt XXI A RCTIC I CE S LEDG INGASIT R EALLY I S XXII E SSENTIALSTHAT B RO UG HT S UCCESS XXIII O FF A CRO SSTHE F RO ZEN S EA XXIV T HE F IRST O PEN W ATER XXV S M E L N

PAG E vii xv 1 11 25 34 42 53 63 72 79 88 97 106 117 126 134 143 151 162 172 182 193 201 213 221 O ME O F Y SKIMO S O SE THEIR ERVE 230 240 248 255 264 272 280 287 302 314 325 337 350 363

XXVI B O RUP ' S F ARTHEST N O RTH XXVII G O O D -B YTO M ARVIN XXVIII W E B REAKALL R ECO RDS XXIX B ARTLETT R EACHES 87° 47´ XXX T HE F INAL S PURT B EG UN XXXI O NLY O NE D AYFRO MTHE P O LE XXXII W E R EACHTHE P O LE XXXIII G O O D -B YTOTHE P O LE XXXIV B ACKTO L AND A G AIN XXXV L AST D AYSAT C APE S HERIDAN A PPENDIX I A PPENDIX II A PPENDIX III

ILLUSTRATIONS

FULL-PAGE PLATES REPRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGEMENTS COLORED BY HAND THEFIVEFLAG SATTHEPO LE Frontispiece. Facing Page PO RTRAITO FRO BERTE . PEARYINHISACTUALNO RTHPO LECO STUME viii

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STELLARPRO JECTIO N , SHO WINGTHERELATIO NO FTHEPO LARSEATOTHE VARIO USCO NTINENTSANDTHERO UTEO FTHEEXPEDITIO N ESKIMODO G SO FTHEEXPEDITIO N (246 INALL ) O NSMALLISLAND . ETAHFJO RD CAPTAINBARTLETTANDHISPARTY ( ATYPICALUNITDIVISIO NO FTHE EXPEDITIO N ) ILLUMINATIO NO FTHE Roosevelt INWINTERQ UARTERSO NAMO O NLIG HT NIG HT ATYPICALEXAMPLEO FTHEDIFFICULTIESO FWO RKINGSLEDG ESO VERA PRESSURERIDG E CRO SSINGALEADO NANICECAKEASAFERRY - BO AT

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BLACK AND WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS Facing Page G EO RG EA . WARDWELL , CHIEFENG INEER 16 BANKSSCO TT , SECO NDENG INEER 16 RO BERTA . BARTLETT , MASTER 16 THO MASG USHUE , MATE 16 CHARLESPERCY , STEWARD 16 PRO FESSO RRO SSG . MARVIN , ASSISTANT 17 G EO RG EBO RUP , ASSISTANT 17 DO NALDB . MACMILLAN , ASSISTANT 17 DR . J . W . G O O DSELL , SURG EO N 17 SNO WYO WL , CAPESHERIDAN 36 BRANTG O O SE 37 SABINE ' SG ULL 37 RED - THRO ATEDDIVER , MALEANDFEMALE 37 KINGEIDER , DRAKE 37 ESKIMO SCO MINGO FFTOTHE Roosevelt INKAYAKS 42 THEMIDNIG HTSUNASSEENINTHEWHALESO UNDREG IO N 42 ESKIMOINKAYAK 43 THEICE - CLIFFSO FHUBBARDG LACIER 52 PEARYDISTRIBUTINGUTENSILSTOWIVESO FHISHUNTERSATETAH 53 DECKSCENEO NTHE Roosevelt53 ESKIMOMO THERANDCHILD 60 ESKIMOCHILDREN 61 KUDLAH , ALIAS " MISFO RTUNE ," WITHPUPPIES 61 KINGESKIMODO G 70 THEDO GMARKETATCAPEYO RK 71 THEWHALE - BO ATRETURNINGTOTHESHIPFRO MTHEWALRUSHUNT 71 THECAPEJESUPG RENADIERS 71 HO ISTINGAWALRUSTOTHEDECKO FTHE Roosevelt86 ANARWHALKILLEDO FFCAPEUNIO N , JULY , 1909. THEMO STNO RTHERLYSPECIMEN 87 EVERCAPTURED CAPTAINBARTLETTINTHECRO W ' SNEST 104 TABULARICEBERGANDFLO E - ICE 105 THE Roosevelt DRYINGO UTHERSAILSATCAPESHERIDAN , SEPTEMBER , 1908122 THE Roosevelt O NSEPTEMBER 12, 1908, MARIEAHNIG HITOPEARY ' SBIRTHDAY 123 " PEARY " SLEDG ESO NBO ARDTHE Roosevelt123 VIEWBETWEENTHE Roosevelt ANDCAPECO LUMBIA 136 ESKIMOTYPEO FSLEDG EUSEDO NJO URNEY 137 " PEARY " TYPEO FSLEDG E 137

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PO LARBEAR , ARRANG EDBY " FRO ZENTAXIDERMY " ANDPHO TO G RAPHEDBYFLASHLIG HT FAMILYG RO UPO FPEARYCARIBO U (Rangifer Pearyi), ARRANG EDBY " FRO ZEN TAXIDERMY " ANDPHO TO G RAPHEDBYFLASHLIG HT HEADO FBULLMUSK - O XKILLEDO NPARRYPENINSULA HERDO FMUSK - O XENRO UNDEDUP WEESHARKO O PSIANDMUSK - O XCALF BEARKILLEDINCLEMENTSMARKHAMINLET MUSK - O XHEADSINTHERIG G INGO FTHE Roosevelt CARIBO UHEADSINTHERIG G INGO FTHE Roosevelt CRANECITY , CAPECO LUMBIA , ATTHETIMEO FDEPARTUREMARCH 1, 1909 FACEO FTHELANDICE , " G LACIALFRING E ," O FFCAPECO LUMBIA PINNACLENEARTHESHO RE TYPICALTRAILINSO FTSNO W ( LO O KINGBACKWARD ) TYPICALVIEWO FTHEICEO FTHEARCTICO CEANNO RTHO FG RANTLAND TYPICALCAMPO NTHEICE WO RKINGTHRO UG HANEXPANSEO FRO UG HICE PASSINGTHRO UG HADEFILEINRO UG HICE APPRO ACHINGALEADTHRO UG HRO UG HICE STO PPEDBYO PENWATER ATHLETICSPO RTSATTHELEADCAMP PICKAXINGARO ADTHRO UG HZO NEO FRO UG HICE ACHARACTERISTICVIEWO FTHEEXPEDITIO NO NTHEMARCHINFINEWEATHER REPAIRINGSLEDG ESINCAMP MARVINTAKINGANO BSERVATIO NINASNO WSHELTER CRO SSINGALARG ELAKEO FYO UNGICE , NO RTHO F 87° CAMPAT 85° 48´ NO RTH , MARCH 22, 1909 AMO MENTARYHALTINTHELEEO FABIGHUMMO CKNO RTHO F 88° BARTLETTANDHISPARTYREADYTOSTARTBACKFRO M 87° 47´ NO RTH , APRIL 1, 1909 CUTTINGBLO CKSO FSNO WFO RIG LO O SATNEXTTOLASTCAMP , 89° 25´ NO RTH THEHALTFO RLUNCHINLASTFO RCEDMARCH , 89° 25´ TO 89° 57´, SHO WING ALCO HO LSTO VESINSNO WSHELTER CAMPMO RRISK . JESUP , 89° 57´, APRIL 6 AND 7, 1909 THERECO NNO ITERINGPARTYATTHEPO LE THEDO UBLETEAMO FDO G SUSEDWITHTHERECO NNO ITERINGSLEDG EATTHEPO LE , SHO WINGTHEIRALERTNESSANDG O O DCO NDITIO N PEARYWITHCHRO NO METER , SEXTANT , ANDARTIFICIALHO RIZO NATTHEPO LE PEARYTAKINGANO BSERVATIO NATTHEPO LE , WITHARTIFICIALHO RIZO N , INASNO W SHELTER PEARY ' SIG LO OATCAMPMO RRISK . JESUP , APRIL 6, 1909; THEMO STNO RTHERLY HUMANHABITATIO NINTHEWO RLD MEMBERSO FTHEPARTYCHEERINGTHESTARSANDSTRIPESATTHEPO LE , APRIL 7, 1909 RETURNINGTOCAMPWITHTHEFLAG S , APRIL 7, 1909 THEFO URNO RTHPO LEESKIMO S EG ING WAHSEARCHINGTHEHO RIZO NFO RLAND PEARYSEARCHINGTHEHO RIZO NFO RLAND LO O KINGTO WARDCAPECHELYUSKIN LO O KINGTO WARDSPITZBERG EN LO O KINGTO WARDCAPECO LUMBIA LO O KINGTO WARDBERINGSTRAIT ATTEMPTEDSO UNDING , APRIL 7, 1909 ACTUALSO UNDING , FIVEMILESSO UTHO FTHEPO LE , APRIL 7, 1909, 1500 FATHO MS

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(9000 ft.) NOBO TTO M SWING INGANICECAKEACRO SSALEADTOFO RMANIMPRO MPTUBRIDG E PASSINGO VERTHEBRIDG E SO UNDING BREAKINGCAMP . PUSHINGTHESLEDG ESUPTOTHETIREDDO G S LASTCAMPO NTHEICEO NTHERETURN BACKO NTHE " G LACIALFRING E " APPRO ACHINGTHEPEAKSO FCAPECO LUMBIAO VERTHESURFACEO FTHE " G LACIAL FRING E " CRANECITYATCAPECO LUMBIA , O NTHERETURN EG ING WAHBEFO RESTARTINGO NTHESLEDG ETRIP EG ING WAHAFTERTHERETURNFRO MTHETRIP O O TAHBEFO RESTARTINGO NTHESLEDG ETRIP O O TAHAFTERTHERETURNFRO MTHESLEDG ETRIP PERMANENTMO NUMENTERECTEDATCAPECO LUMBIATOMARKPO INTO FDEPARTURE ANDRETURNO FNO RTHPO LESLEDG EPARTY PEARYCAIRNATCAPEMO RRISK . JESUPASPHO TO G RAPHEDBYMACMILLANANDBO RUP MEMO RIALERECTEDTOTHEMEMO RYO FPRO FESSO RRO SSG . MARVINATCAPE SHERIDAN THESPECIALG REATG O LDMEDALO FTHENATIO NALG EO G RAPHICSO CIETYO F WASHING TO N THESPECIALG REATG O LDMEDALO FTHERO YALG EO G RAPHICALSO CIETYO FLO NDO N

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N O TE .—The general plan of illustration is based on an unusually close adherence to the negatives, as giving more interesting and valuable results. Many of the most important pictures are from photographs not retouched in the least,e.g., those facing pages 270, 284, 290, etc. In others the sky-line has been indicated,e.g., those facing pages 208, 271, 299 (top), etc.; but change of no other sort has been made except to remove specks and other similar mechanical defects not widely extended. The color-plates are, of course, exceptions requiring special treatment. T HE P UBLISHERS

FOREWORD

The struggle for the North Pole began nearly one hundred years before the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth Rock, being inaugurated (1527) by that king of many distinctions, Henry VIII of England.

In 1588 John Davis rounded Cape Farewell, the southern end of Greenland, and followed the coast for eight hundred miles to Sanderson Hope. He discovered the strait which bears his name, and gained for Great Britain what was then the record for the farthest north, 72° 12´, a point 1128 miles from the geographical North Pole. Scores of hardy navigators, British, French, Dutch, German, Scandinavian, and Russian, followed Davis, all seeking to hew across the Pole the much-coveted short route to China and the Indies. The rivalry was keen and costly in lives, ships, and treasure, but from the time of Henry VIII for three and one-half centuries, or until 1882 (with the exception of 1594-1606, when, through Wm. Barents, the Dutch held the record), Great Britain's flag was always waving nearest the top of the globe.

The same year that Jamestown was founded, Henry Hudson (1607), also seeking the route to the Indies, discovered Jan Mayen, circumnavigated Spitzbergen, and advanced the eye of man to 80° 23´. Most valuable of all, Hudson brought back accounts of great multitudes of whales and walruses,

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