CHAPTER XVI
THE ARCTIC S. S. “ROOSEVELT”
In July, 1904, in one of the charming villas overlooking the city of Bar Harbor a meeting took place, small as to numbers but weighty with importance 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 that the prospects were none too favourable and discussion did not seem to appreciably clear the situation.
Mr. Jesup was as deeply interested as I, and was not only willing but anxious to do everything in his power to put the matter through, but he hesitated at assuming too much responsibility because, as he frankly told me, he did not feel, much as he wished to, that he could properly assume the entire burden of the expedition.
Finally Captain Dix said that he would order the timber for the building of the Roosevelt on his own responsibility; that he believed the money would be raised, and that if it were not, he would assume whatever loss might result from his action. His statement was like a ray of sunlight both to Mr. Jesup and myself, for it brought out clearly the fact that there was something in the project which appealed irresistibly to business men of big ideas.
The next scene which I recall most distinctly was in another beautiful villa in Vermont, commanding miles and miles of beautiful country and with a regal mountain and forest domain back of it. It was just before the 1st of August, the date on which the $50,000 must be subscribed to insure the signing of the contract for the construction of the ship. The total still fell several thousands short of that amount. Mr. Colgate had already promised a generous check with an intimation that he might increase it if it were necessary.
At this meeting there were but three: Mr. Colgate, Judge Darling, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and myself. The situation was presented to Mr. Colgate, and with characteristic promptitude and generosity his check was increased by an amount that rounded out the $50,000 and so the building of the Roosevelt became a certainty.