420 HUDSON HONORED IN NEW YORK 



of her when she is squeezed, and she bobs up when the ice crushes together." 



The north pole flag which the steamer bore was the usual American en- 

 sign with a stripe of white bearing the words "North Pole" in black letters 

 running diagonally from the upper corner of the horizontal stripes to a 

 corner under the stars. Commander Peary explained its origin as follows: 



"I wanted a piece of the silk flag I flew at the pole to bury at that point 

 with my records, so I cut a diagonal strip out of it. Then, to preserve the ,^ 

 flag, I sewed a strip of white silk into the cut when I returned to the Roose- "S 

 velt. The design seemed so appropriate that we lettered this strip and adopted 

 it as the north pole ensign." 



Mr. and Mrs. Peary had stepped on a tug and were on the way to the 

 Roosevelt before the crowd realized who they were. Then there was a burst 

 of cheering. Handkerchiefs and hats were waved, and the whistles renewed 

 their blasts. 



Capt. Bartlett and the crew of nineteen men were on the Roosevelt in 

 the garments they "had chosen for their rough trip to the Arctic, flannel 

 shirts, fur boots and picturesque sea togs. 



The Roosevelt lay at anchor answering salutes of vessels while most of 

 the ships intending to take part in the parade passed. It then dropped into 

 the line and brought up the rear of the procession. 



Later the following dispatch was sent to The Associated Press by Harry 

 Whitney : 



"Stephenville Crossing, N. F., Sept. 29. 



"So many questions are being asked of me by different papers that I de- 

 sire to make the following statement : 



"My reasons for not going back to Etah after Dr. Cook's things were 

 that the engine in the Jeanie, one of the smallest boats that ever went to the 

 North Arctic, was not working satisfactorily, and we were depending partly 

 on sails, which later we had to do entirely. There was no reason why the 

 Jeanie could not have gone back, but, not knowing that Dr. Cook's things 

 left with me were of such importance as they have since turned out to be, I 

 did not return. In addition, I had promised the Eskimos who were with me 

 after musk oxen in Ellesmere Land certain things which I expected on the 

 ship coming for me, but they were not aboard the Jeanie, and I did not want 

 to return and disappoint the men. Another reason was that I wanted to 

 prolong my hunting trip, which I was able to do by not going back, but by 

 cutting across Smith Sound from North Star Bay and following the edge 

 of the ice south. 



