CHAPTER XVI 



THE ARCTIC S. S. " ROOSEVELT" 



IN JULY, 1904, in one of the charming villas over- 

 looking the city of Bar Harbor a meeting took 

 place, small as to numbers but weighty with impor- 

 tance in the affairs of the Peary Arctic Club, for at that 

 meeting was taken the formal step which meant the 

 building of the Roosevelt. 



Four men were present at the meeting: Morris K. 

 Jesup, Lewis L. Delafield his counsel. Captain Charles 

 B. Dix, and myself. 



Mr. Jesup had stated some time previous, that if 

 subscriptions to the Peary Arctic Club could be secured 

 to the amount of $50,000, including his own generous 

 check for not less than half that sum, he would assume 

 responsibility for the construction of the ship and 

 guarantee the contract, thus insuring the construction 

 of the ship in time to go North in 1905, and giving 

 nearly a year additional time in which to secure the 

 additional funds necessary. 



Up to this time the interest had not been particularly 

 widespread. The amount of subscriptions was still 

 short of $50,000, but time was pressing and the material 

 must be ordered at once in order to give even a 

 reasonable chance of completing the ship in time. 



Personally I felt no doubt but what the total amount 

 of money could be raised, and yet it must be admitted 



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