From: eugene@wilbur.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya)
Subject: Re: North Pole 
Organization: NAS, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 22:21:27 GMT

In article <4078@moscom.UUCP> de@moscom.UUCP (David Esan) writes:
>In article <Btv8EE.E6s@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> phil@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG
(Phil Gustafson) writes:
>>In article <1992Aug30.053237.18509@sq.sq.com> msb@sq.sq.com
(Mark Brader) writes:
>>>ObUL: Peary led the first party of men to reach the North Pole.
>>And UL it is indeed. The leader of the first party to reach the Pole,
>>and be able to prove it, was the same Roald Amundsen who first reached
>>the South Pole fourteen years earlier.  Cook and Peary and Byrd claimed
>>to have been there, but serious study shows them all as mountebanks and
>>liars.
>>Amundsen did it in an Italian dirigible, and it's entertaining to compare
>>his story with that of Nobile, the Italian pilot.
>
>Well, there has been some controversy about Peary.  The National Geographic
>had a long article about Peary and his claims, and concluded that even
>though there are some inconsistancies to his notes, he did make it to the
>Pole (along with Matthew Henson and two natives of Greenland).
>
>Amundsen did not reach the North Pole.  He flew over it.
>
>The USS Nautilus reached the North Pole, but to the best of my recollection
>no one got off the ship, so they two failed to actually stand at the Pole.
>
>The first explorer then to reach the North Pole, and stand there, and
>have no controversy about his position, were the group of explorers who
>recently took snowmobiles to the Pole (about 5-7 years ago).  This is also
>documented in the National Geographic.

Back after a ton of email.  Second post to follow.

Peary with all likelihood came within less than 60 miles of the Pole
which was accurate enough for the standards at the time.  The NG and a
Naviation society did a photogrammetric analysis on Peary's photos to
verify the Peary which was recently upheld.  Before poo-pooing
photogrammetry, one should be aware that it's the basis for making
topographic maps to this day (ignoring cultural changes and the occasional
error).

Some people hold that Cook might have actually made it (and others).
This is hard to say.  Farley Mowley is among those supporting Cook
(Mowley has a 3 volume set of books on Arctic exploration)
and Dave Roberts (who wrote Great Expedition Hoaxes) give him at least
some credit.  But other point out that travel and rates of travel
aren't straight line or fast.I

The Nautilus (SSN-571) went under the pole and made their determination
by gyrocompass.

I am considering a visit to Antarctica at the moment to help some friends
and their research.  Intense place.  Nothing mysterious about photogrammetry,
it's just measuring information off photos (ratios) and gaining information
that way. I've had a couple of classes on the subject.  Additional references
follow.

--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@orville.nas.nasa.gov
  Resident Cynic, Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers
  {uunet,mailrus,other gateways}!ames!eugene
Second Favorite email message: Returned mail: Cannot send message for 3 days
Ref: Elements of Photogrammetry, Paul Wolf.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban