The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-17
Smmander Again As ] sails Dr. Cook,
EAGER FOR NvESTIGATIoN
Awaits Publication of Rivaps 0b-
 servations.
SEr. Peary Declines to State Whether any Person Saw Him Deposit Records and Flag at
 North PoIe.


 (via Marconi Wireless Teiegraphy to Cape Ray. N. F.)N-Commander Rob. ert E. Peary consented today to talk further concerning hls dash to the North Pole. He dwelt particularly up- on the observations taken at the apex of the world, and the movements of Harry Whitney, the sportsman of New Haven, Conn, who has been described as the bearer of records substantiating pr. Frederick A. Cooks claim to have reached the North Pole April 2l. 1908.
 We took five observations prior to reaching the pole" Commander Peary said. Two of them were made and worked out by the late Prof. Ross Mar win, who prepared duplicate records in each case and duly signed the dupli- cate certificates. To guard against ac- cident I took one set of these papers and Professor Marvin took the other. ,
 When at distance of 125 miles from the pole the third observation was made by Captain Bartlett, who also duplicate. he retaining one set and I the other. The fourth and fifth ob- servations were made by myself, the last being taken i've miles from the pole proper"
 .,was there more than one observa- ton taken at the pole, and by whom?" the explorer Was asked.
 Took Observations Himself.
 There were several observations" he replied, and took them all myself. They all agree. You must understand that the pole Is theoretical point. without length. breadth or thickness. Its actual location depends on the &C., curacy of the instruments employed and the conditions under which the obser- vations are taken"
 You have stated. Commander Peary. that a copy of your records and polar observations was wrapped in a piece of silk American flag and deposited in an ice cavity at the pole; did any person witness this act?"
 To this question Commander Peary declined to make any answer at pres ent.
 Continuing. Dr. Peary said that Dr. Cook was expected by the world to submit to an impartial tribunal or board or arbitration, a revised and au- thentic signed statement of his alleged discovery of the pole. Dr. Cook soop would reach the United States. Com mander Peary said, and he was glad at the prospect of the matter being sub mitted for consideration at an early date. It should be done inside of g couple of weeks and when 1t was done, the commander declare, he was pre- pared to turn over to the board of ar bitration. to the public and to scientific bodies an array of testimony which would disprove .Dr. Cooks claims for all time.
 Explains "GOld Brick"
 Continuing, the explorer said thar he had stated in a private message to a friend that pr. Cook had given the world a "gold brick" This message had been allowed to leak out and while he would have preferred a more elegant expression, he was willing now to let these words stand because they were at least emphatic. The explorer said also that he would turn over a competent tribunal and the public cer- tified copies of his own observations made on his trip to the pole, with all other information bearing thereon.
 Peary does not care to exhibit these records at the present time for the req son that the record contained therein if divulged in advance of the placing on file of Dr. Cooks authentic and definite statement, might be of advant- age to the Cook partisans.
 It Is rumored here that Commander Peary's brief will contain sensational statements and that a portion of his document was prepared as long ago as the early months of 1908, when letters were received from Dr. Cook in Green land, giving notice that he intended 10 make a dash for the pole.
 Asked how Harry Whitney happened to remain in the north, Commandear Peary said Whitney was one of party of sportsmen who went as passengers on board the steamer Erik. The party included Whitney, W. Norton of New York; a man named Harmed. and G. J. Crafts of Washington, who came for the purpose of taking magnetic observations for Dr. Bauer of the Car negie Institute at Washington.
 Whitney Wants to Hunt.
 At Etah. where 1t was determined to land a party and supplies for the relief of pr. Cook. particularly In view of the fact that Rudolph Francke was being invalided home, Whitney asked if he might remain on the station to hunt walrus and polar bear in the spring. and make a trip to Ellesmere Land with Eskimos after musk oxen.
 This was decided on. In order to provide against the contingency of the Roosevelt not coming down from the north in the summer of 1909, in which event he would be obliged to remain in the Arctic for two years, Mir Whit ney made arrangements for a ship to come up for him this summer.
 ''While I am not in position to ec into the details of the plans in regard to this relief ship" Commander Peary continued, q was informed by Whitney and Norton that She general proposal was that Norton should get up another marty of sportsmen and that this party. who were to be Whitney's friends or relatives, should pick him up. Whit ney had no doubt of this ship coming north and when the Roosevelt was sighted by Eskimos at Etah August IF. last, Whitney started out at once In A sailboat for the Roosevelt under the impression that she was his ship.
 "As a matter of fact, the party of snortsmen did not materialize. but the relief vessel. Jeanie, was sent nortl, to hiring Whitney back. On her arr rival Whitney was transferred from the Roosevelt to the Jeanie and he .= z2ss nrobably engaged in hunling beny somewhere on the west side of Baisa Bay or Davis Strait.
 Asked if pr. Cook was aware that whitney expected a ship and what his reasons could be for not returning to the United States on that vessel, if he wanted to go back. Commander Peary said he did not know. He ex- plained that Whitney might have ex- pected his ship at Etah about August 6. If the Jeanie had returned at once after taking Whitney on board. th~ commander continued. she could have reached Sydney. August IS or 20. last
 Cook Used Sledges.
 Asked how Dr. Cook had made hiP way from Etah to South Greenland Commander Peary replied that he prob ably travelled by dogs and sledgeS south and across Melville Bay.
 All the members of Commander rls. aavfsr hat fho ND nrAf