The Race for the Pole.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 104, 19 September 1901, Page 3

The Race for the Pole.

Americana were becoming anxious about the fate of Lieutenant Peary, the intrepid Arctic explorer, and the news that he has been found at Etah in excellent health will be very welcome. Very few particulars about his trip are yet' available, but it is evident that his bold attempt to reach the Pole, or, at any rate, to establish a new record, has not yet been successful. Peaty, it will be re - - membered, sai'ed for Greenland jn the Windward on July 7th, 1838. Prior to yesterday's announcement, the last news from him was from ; Greenland in 1899, whon it transpired that So far.his plana had been successfully carried oiit, but that he had had the misfortune to lose seven of his toes through frostbite early in the year. Many a man would have felt that after such an experience he would be bettor off, bit Arctic explorers are ' made of sterner stuft, and Peary : pushed on northward. His plao's wore to wait at Bitah until February, 1900, and from there to make bis great advance by; Fort Conger to Cape Hecla, where his last depot of' stores was to be established. From Oape Hecla he proposed to make a dash towards the Pole accompanied by two comrades and-ten Eskiai s and dogs. It was a bold sobeme. I The sledges were to tie fully equipped with stores, and all hands were to use the one sledge until its contents were exhausted, and then it was to return "to thß base with one driver and/ tw*6 dogs the remainder of the party continuing northwards*. E»»Uft sm? aufi bis two. -American, companions watt to makft-*Jie MtiW^fem,

Pole. ' It was known that the expedition would be oat oftouch with the world for possibly five years, but as the months lengthened into years we can well believe that anxious 'thoughts went out'to'the" gallant party among the Arctic;, snows. The latest news appears to indicate that Lieutenant Peary has so far confined himself to exploring the Greenland Archipelago, "re-' serving his supreme effort till-next spring. To establish a fresh record in the race for the Pole, he will have to beat that of the Duke of Abrazzi's Stella Pol are expedition, which, in the spring of 1900, pushed north frpm Crown Prince Rudolf Land and reached 89deg. 38min., the northernmost point ever trodden by man. Needless to say, the sympathies of the American nation are with Peary, in proof whereof fourteen wealthy compatriote ha've subscribed 1000 dol.'i apiece to aid the bold attempt to plant the Stars and Stripes "farthest North."—Press.