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| Bradley Robinson collection photos | |
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How Peary learned to shuffle in snowshoes. Despite losing these
toes Peary continued to explore for 10 more years! That is how tough
he was. Peary would not let anything stop him. In the end, in 1909,
it took a special ship, an incredibly complicated logistical plan with
teams of support people that included 24 men, 133 dogs, and 19 sledges
of supplies—but Peary made it to the Pole.  Of course, many people doubted it was possible until 2000 when super athletes Crowley and Landry stunned the polar fraternity by reaching the Pole with dogs sledges in "Peary style" so powerfully that all claims that it was "impossible" were layed to rest. Yes, Peary and Henson were remarkably skilled Arctic travelers who mastered the Arctic ocean like no one has since them. Crowley and Landry came close (within 4 days time) with modern aluminum alloy sledges, but lacked the 22 other men and 120 dogs Peary's team used! Wonder what they could have done with that kind of team work supporting them? http://www.northwinds-arctic.com/npfullexp.html |
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Peary froze his toes
in the 1890's while reaching Fort Conger in the winter. Matt nursed him
by bathing the feet in disinfectant iodine solution, then sledged him
back to the ship for the surgeon to properly amputate and sew up the
wounds. Matt had saved his life, even though a "doctor" had been with
them. Dr. Dederick was so unsuited for the Arctic that Peary fired him in the field before the expedition had ended. This infuriated the doctor who began a bitter, vicious feud against Peary who wrote in his diary that Dederick was challenging Peary for leadership, angrily jealous of Henson, and that Dederick had sexually molested Eskimo girls. Dr. Dederick was bad news, and so jealous of Henson that Dederick's diary is considered the origin of intense racism against Henson, far worse than Verhoeff's mere "nigger" slurs. A relief ship came north to find Peary and Dederick would not return, choosing instead to cause a wretched scene over his "honor" that ended up being glorified by anti-Peary (pro-Dr. Crook) historians. In fact, a ridiculous novel was writen over this for the apparent purpose of poisoning a new generation of the gullible against Peary and Henson. Peary learned, and later wrote warnings about, the behavior of men when tested against the long Arctic night. Calling this phenomena "cabin fever" trivializes what may be, with some unstable types, pyschotic personality breaks that could be fatal to those trapped in a dwelling with them. Dr. Dederick, for example, killed an Eskimo woman by violently throwing her to the floor. Dr. Dederick was so vile, so hateful, that Henson completely left him out of the narrative of his offical biography Dark Companion. When a librarian ressurected Dedericks nasty racists diary remarks it was no wonder why Matt took the credit of saving Peary at Ft. Conger and bringing him back to the ship. Obviously, Dr. Dederick was useless. In fact, Dederick was a threat to their very lives. Peary had no choice but to fire him. Later Dr. Dederick became a supporter of the polar fraud Dr. Crook but only for vindictive reasons. |
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Copyright© 1999, Bradley Robinson |
