A WATERY POLE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 612, 15 September 1909, Page 7

A WATERY POLE.

SOUNDINGS BY PEARY-NO BOTTOM. WARDING TO COOK. THE GERMAN AERIAL EXPEDITION.: !Bj Telegraph.—Presa Association.—Oopjrrleht.) - New York, September 13. Commander Peary, in his recent Arctic expedition, endeavoured to take soundings fivo miles from the North Pole 1 . A depth of fifteen hundred fathoms was readhed, but no bottom was found. '■..-■ VERY RAPID TRAVELLING. SURPRISE AT PEARY'S FINAL DASH. (Roc.. September 14, 9.55 p.m.) ' ' Nβ M \ork, September 14. Tho portion of Peary's story which is causing the greatest astonishment is that he covered 138 miles, from latitude 88 to the Pole, in four days. .. . DID DR. COOK REACH THE POLE?

IF HE S4.YS;SO, PEARY "WILL REVEAL THINGS. '

1 Now York, September 13. Commander Peary, cabling to the "Now York Times," says:— "If Cook makes tho, statement bbfor© any reputable body, or oven • over his signatuTo, that ho reached tho Polo, f will furnish material of great public interest." A STRANGE OMISSION. New York, September 13. Mr. Whitney, tho millionaire explorer, who is on a sporting expedition in the neighbourhood of Etah, on the west coast of Greenland, states that ho met Dr. Cook, who spoke of his journey north, but did not mention -that ho had,reached the Pole. GERMAN EAGLE'S INTENDED FLICHT. ARCTIC EXPLORATION. Berlin, Soptember 13. Prince Henry of Prussia, brother of the Kaiser, has, been elected president of tho Gorman National Society, which is .arranging to explore tho Arctic Sea with tho Zeppelin airship. Tho Kaiser is patron of tho Society. THE NORTH POLE PARTY. PEARY, THE NEGRO HENSON, FOUR , ■ ESKIMOS. Now York, September 13.' , Peary's fifth companion in his journey to the North Polo was his negro serrant, Henson. , ,

.:",:■ PEARY THE ONLY WHITE MAN. ' ;' ■ : ■■' MODUS OPEKANDI. ' <, : : ? i 'Previous cablegrams, have, mentioned Pearj' and four Eskimos as having reached tho North Pole,'leaving it vagiie as-to how many more wero in the party. To-day's, cablegram seems to make it definite that the party comprised Peary, his faithful nogro attendant Benson (who has served Peary for; eighteen years), and : the four-Eskimos. It has also been made clear in previous .advices that Captain'Bortlett turned, back near the 88th, parallel, and that iProfessor 'Marvin (who was drowned) "was in charge of a eupporting .party farther .south.' What; -..-■ share l'rofossor M'Mjllan; and. other. V/hitomen had in tho work is'nbt clear, but it'seoms now to bb'certain'.that'Peary .is..tli6.' only white man who 1 "on ,, this tfccasibn' reached thO'Pole. '-. •:■■■:.■'■. ■:'•'-. '■'. '■■: ' ' ; v

'. Peary's modus oporandi, us understood before his departure was as follows:—The.dash.was to be made by his'own personal party of four,. who-wore , to. bo-assisted on thoir ;way by as many, of the Roosevelt's crew of Newfoundlanders as might volunteer for the work. Ho would advance northwards ■ from Cape Colombia with a goodly party, and they would feed from :one.'sleigh until it was exhausted, and thon the driver would drop.back to land. Tills process would be repeated until only, Peary and'ono or ;two companions .wero left. .Meanwhile those who had gone back were to reload their; sledges, and come north again to-meet those returning;' : So. far- as was possible a trail would .laid- across ,the floe towards the ; Pole, and, this would be followed by the' parties, both.going and returning, though, 'of cowse, if the ice should'.break up it would bo impossible. to rely on it, and frequently the train of communication would bo broken.. The modus operandi of Arctic explorers is to attompt all thoir Poleward ventures after the winter solstice on February 21. This virtually ends.storms and bad weather, and makes .it possible for Pole-seekers to travol : with cpin- ; parativo convenience. Prior to that tho sun is •below the horizon all the time, and,if the venture is' delayed much longer the traveler, is caught on the remote ice by .the break-up,of the floes,; with the result that he often gets back in a,starring condition, : and sometimes does not get back at all. .... .''_."_'[/'