New York Times
New York City, NY.
Friday, April 16, 1897
Page 7
LIEUT. PEARY'S NEW POST.
Ordered to Mare Island - His Projected Polar Expedition May Be Affected.
WASHINGTON, April 15. - The Navy Department is much exercised over an order to Lieut. Peary, the arctic explorer, to leave the New York navy yard and go to Mare Island, California. Lieut. Peary's friends and persons actively interested in polar explorations are raising a fund in New York to defray the expense of anotehr expedition to be conducted by Lieut. Peary into the far north.It is asserted that the detachment of the officer from New York now will involve the enterprise in failure. The Chief of Bureau of Yards and Docks is said to hold that the New York Navy Yard, which now employs four civil engineers can get along with three, wherefore it is proposed to sent Lieut. Peary to Mare Island. On the other side are the scientists urging Secretary Long to allow the officer to remain in New York for a time, and then to go on leave of obsence while conducting the polar expedition.
The foregoing dispatch was show to Lieut. Peary last evening by a reporter from THE NEW YORK TIMES.
"It is true." said the explorer, "that I have been ordered to Mare Island. The order can several days ago. But as to the other maters in the dispatch, I have no knowledge."
Lieut. Peary refused to discuss further the efforts of his friends to keep him in Brooklyn or his plans for the immediate future. But he said that the funds to send out his expedition were assured.
"I asked for $150,000 to equip an expedition for ten years," he said. "That sum is assured."
