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National Geographic : 1920 Apr
Contents
PEARY'S EXPLORATIONS IN THE FAR NORTH Arctic reindeer, musk-ox, etc., which his explorations had proved comparatively abundant, thus with fresh meat keeping his men fit and good-tempered through the depressing winter night; and, lastly, to train the Eskimo to become his sledg ing crew. In his first North Polar expedition, which lasted for four years, 1898-1902, Peary failed to get nearer than 343 miles to the Pole. Each successive year dense packs of ice blocked the passage to the Polar Ocean, compelling him to make his base approximately 700 miles from the Pole, or 200 miles south of the head quarters of Nares, too great a distance from the goal to be overcome in one short season. During this trying period, by sledging feats which in distance and physical obstacles overcome exceeded the extraordinary records made in Green land, he explored and mapped thousands of miles of coast line of Greenland and of the islands west and north of Green land. PEARY LED HUNDREDS INTO THE ARCTIC WITH ONLY TWO TRAGIC ACCIDENTS On the next attempt Peary insured reaching the Polar Ocean by designing and constructing the Roosevelt, whose resistless frame crushed its way to the desired haven on the shores of the Polar sea. From here he made that wonderful march of 1906 to 87° 6', a new world's record. Winds of unusual fury, by open ing big leads, robbed him of the Pole and nearly of his life. The last Peary expedition, 1908-19o9, resulted in the discovery of the Pole and of the deep ocean surrounding it. The 396 miles from Greely's farthest had been vanquished as follows: 1900, 30 miles; 1902, 23 miles; 1906, 169 miles; 1909, 174 miles. No better proof of the minute care with which every campaign was prear ranged can be given than the fact that, though Peary has taken hundreds of men north with him on his various expedi tions, he has brought them all back, and in good health, with the exception of two, who lost their lives in accidents for which the leader was in no wise respon sible. What a contrast this record is to the long list of fatalities from disease, ADMIRAL PEARY'S PHOTOGRAPH OF THE NORTH POLE The northern axis of the globe is in the midst of a vast Polar Sea, and the mound of the photograph is a mere mass of snow and ice utilized by Peary as a pinnacle for the Amer ican flag which floats at the top. On his re turn journey, five miles from the Pole, the ex plorer came upon a narrow crack in the ice, through which he attempted a sounding. The length of his apparatus was 9,000 feet, but the lead did not strike bottom. So, the depth of the sea at the Pole is still undetermined. frost, shipwreck, and starvation which in the popular mind has made the word arctic synonymous with tragedy and death. THE PRIZE OF FOUR CENTURIES IS HIS REWARD Thus Robert E. Peary crowned a life devoted to the exploration of the icy North and to the advancement of science by the hard-won discovery of the North Pole. The prize of four centuries of striving yielded at last to the most per sistent and scientific attack ever waged against it. Peary's success was made possible by long experience, which gave him a thorough knowledge of the diffi culties to be overcome, and by an un usual combination of mental and phy- 321
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