Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-13
Exnlorer Cook and the Pole.

| the pole must strike the unbiased Oh
server as complete and conclusive. The
two Escuimau boys, whom Cook as
serts accompanied him to the North
pole state distinctly that they went nc
where near there with him. They give
a complete account of precisely where
they did go and Of the various Incl
dents connected with their journey. \
strong feature of their story is the
fact that it is corroborated by others
who accompanied them on the greater
part of their Journey. From the testi-
mony it appears that Cook started in
his alleged quest of the pole accom-
panied by Francke and II EsquimauN.
They left Anoratok, crossed Smiths
Sound to Cape Sabine, slept in Com
mander Peary's old house at Payer
Harbor, then went through Rice Strait
es Francke and three EsquimauX re-
turned to Anoratok The remainder of
the party pushed on to point on the
west side of Nansen's strait. Here
four of the EsquimauX turned back.
-Four others went on one march; two,
Itockashoo and Ahpelah, the boys
whom Cook claims accompanied him to
the pole, state that, from this point,
they went in a northerly direction one
more march. when they encountered
rough ice. They then turned westward
or southWestWard short distance and
returned to Heiberg Lana, where they
remained four or five days. From here
they went southwest along the north
west coast of Heiberg Land to Cape
Northwest. From there they Went
west to low island where they stay
ed one sleep. From here they Journey
ed to Amund !;in2nes land. From here
they travelled south to the lower enu
of Amund Ringnes land thence east
to the southerly end Of Ileiberg Land.
From here their course lay southcrly
to Graham island; thence due east to
Eds Friord; thence southwest to Hell
cate ana Simmons peninsula. From
here they made their way, in part by
boat, to Cape Vera. From thence
to point near the mouth of Jones'
sound. From here they doubled back
tn SrDpln ISrp,11 iapn thnI
cceded in Il generally northern Girec-
ton along the coast of Elesmere land
to Payer I1arbor, where they crossed
Smith sound to Anoratok, the point
of starting According to this state
ment Cooks course was something OF
4 large circle, but at no time was he
within $50 miles of the pole.
1t will strike the average man as
somewhat singular that a man who
claims to have been at the North pole
with these two EsquimauX boys on the
DIST of April, should be sending back
March II. AS is pointed cut it would
have required at least to the 18th
of March for him to have gone from
that point to Cane Northwest. which
would leave him but p days in which
to have covered the distance of $40
miles from that point to
the pole. In this connection it must be
that q geographical mile
is. in round numbers, 60S3 feet, while
a statute mile, the standard of road
measure, in this country and England,
is but $3.50 feet. 1t will therefore be
seen. that the distance from Cape
Northwest to the pole expressed in our
standard of measure. would be APP
$50 mles-a considerable
distance for a man to journey in y
days amid Polar conditions. 1t is evil
facts, the statements of DR.. Cook are
not impressive.
But if anything further We're needed
to confirm the statements of the men
whom Cook claims went to the pole
with him. his own conduct since his
return to civilization would furnish it
His whole policy has been a play for
delay. In tn" meantime he has hustled
onto the lecture platform, where he las
been reaping Il golden harvest Not
his claim that his eXpedi
ton was an American one, financed
with American money, and that Il was
the stars and Stripes that he raised
at the pole. he made haste to promise
the faculty of the University of Copcn-
hagen the first opportunity to pass up
on his records, although he must have
known full Well that such a promise,
if adhered to- would mean q delay of
months before the scientific authorities
of his own country would have any OPP
portunity to scrutinize the proofs of
his alleged discovery of the pole. 1t
would look now. in the light of the
clear and detailed statement of the
men who were claimed to have gone
to the pole with him, that THIS WAS