New-York tribune., 1909-09-23
DIR. COOK GIVES DETAILS
Continued from first page.

and twenty-six dogs. We counted dog feed
ing dog for part of the time. Let me put you
straight on the matter of my sledges. We
started from Greenland with eleven sledges, one
hundred and three dogs and eleven Esquimaus.
We left Heiberg Island with four men. From
about sixty miles beyond the final dash was
made, as l have said. with two and sledges.
In fact we made the provisions last nnety-four
or ninety-ive days They gave out west of
Ringes Land"
What weight was each sledge?"
six hundred pounds"
In reply to a series of questions DR.. Cook said
that he had taken several photographs at the
pole. that he had not killed any seal bear
after his last supporters went back. and that he
had with him a folding boat. French sextant.
an artificial horizon of glass. three chronometer
watches. thermometers barometers, a pedo-
meter liquid compass, a surveying compass
with azimuth attachment and ordinary
pocket compass.
Did you determine your position by the suns
altitude by observing the pole stare
How could observe stars when the sun was
always above the horizon? There were no
stars"
OBSERVATIONS AT POLE.
Did you make any tests with pendulum? ?"
'I had none
What other kinds of observation did you
make?'
You've got them all now; the regular astro-
nomical observations"
"How often were they made?"
Nearly every day"
"Will you describe any single observation
taken by you at the pole with the exact fgures?"
Not at the present moment. I will make
them all public when the University of Copen-
hagen has had them. That will be soon-within
two months, probably. I must have my instru-
ments first"
DR.. Cook asked If he took photograph
OF the land he says he near the eighty-fifth
parallel This land, which. according to the pO-
sition given by Or. Cook. lies far north OF any
which has hitherto been reported, is only
three hundred miles from the pole and a con-
siderable distance beyond any known land Ex-
plorers have suggested that by describing it
DR.. Cook put record statement which is
capable of verifcation by later explorers. and
thus furnish positive evidence, at least so
far as Commander Peary's charges that he
never went beyond sight of land is concerned.
Il took photographs he replied to the ques-
tion, but the land was so far away that 1 am
not sure they viii he successful"
How far away was it?"
About forty miles to the westward. We we're
at s647 north latitude, longitude 1856"
What was it like?"
we were looking on the eastern coast 1t
was in two parcels, the southern part noun
tains covered with snow; the northern part
table land covered with thin ice sheet"
Are you sure it was not cIoud?"
4 cannot be absolutely positive that point,
but I think l am right"
TOLD WHITNEY FIRST.
BY this time the explorer was answering every
question with perfect case of manner. At times
4,r c.rlio e int
spoken in low tone as TO he almost in
audible apparently not much from embar-
rassment at any particular turn in the inquiry
from the fact that that was his natural voice
Now. however, he spoke forcibIy and quite at
ease.
Who was the first person you told you had
been 10 the North Pole?'
Harry Whitney, in April Of this year
That meeting must have been strange one
Can't YOU tell us about it,"
Leave that to Whitney. He is an unbiased
witness"
Where did you first catch sight of him."
we had been sighted on an iceberg about
five miles off shore by his Esquimaus They
came out with dogs. We had no dogs and only
half sledge. That not with us then. as
We had left it on the ice four or five miles out
from the other side"
Why"
I'VE were several days without food, and we
knew couldn't reach land that day if we
kept the sledge."
The answer came like the merest matter-of-
course statement
Then you saw Whitney,"
He came out about two miles to meet us. I
didn't know him from Adam. was surprised to
see a white man. He introduced himself but I
didn't catch his name and didn't know il until
next day, when 1 asked him"
DIDN'T EXPECT PEARY
Didn't you know Peary was coming north?"
mo- the last news had Of him was that he
hadn't money enough"
why did you show such confidence in Whit
ney. stranger as to leave your instruments
and records with him?"