The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-29
AearArctic Explorer Comments
Caustically on Feat Claimed
by Discoyercr.
SAYS ACHIEVEMENT WOULD
HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE
Glves Peary Credit for Having
Accomplished Journey and
Making Accurate Record.

man. whose prepare tionS ioY a conquest
OF The North poe in an nlrship were
aodndoueJ upon the announcement OF the
claims Of Or Frederick y. Cook ard
Commander Robert T.. PcaT9-. tonight is
sued long statement. in which he an
diNzes tlc narratives OF tho two eXrlor-
rFs' declaring ihst NJ Pcsry precise
workmanlI,c. consistent. credible in ov-
cry particular" aud dcnouncing taat 81
ilr Cook as Il self-cvid"nt and even de-
iiberate 'mposturc.
Wnat u does tell and what it docs not
tell. MI Wcliman declares. "l4e Is
generally vague and indefinite. but like
most mon Of his class altogether too
! preciS" AT tic wrong place. Nowhere
does his story ring true. II Is always
an approximation OF reality Itself This
Is rs true OF his figures. his descriptions
Those OF us who have had Il share
on Arctic life. and VINO have felt auT-
the proud record Of efforts and sacrifice.
bad = iirst hope that Or. Cook would
oc able to demonstrate mis- good faith.
his story. y second hbpe-that he was the
E,otim OF some h7lluctnauo or mental
| illness; and himself believed he had
has not--vanishes IN the light Of earlier
and subsequent events. There remains
though on" SAYS u with kcrnest regret
'hiN AiI'- '.IFu 1lltGIHIlNf liD6N LNH
journey which he did MAKE. and ,f1o 70
port which ne gave OF il. were deliberate
~ planned from the outset
Calls 1t a Conspiracy.
Tho gist of Mr.. Wellman's finding Is
| that. With his meager party aud couip-
accomplished tho feat for which he claims
credit, that his astronomical dam arc
under the claimed conditions in the field
ana that rho explorers dash for the lee
ture platform and bis acceptance "f
crowns OF nowcrs placed upou his head
submitting his field records 20 scientific
examination all conspiro to mis- dis
credit
Mr.. welIrnan drzt attacks Cooks story
tic sledsing is not = new venture nor IN
experiment, but has been reduced almost
osiuor that the first thing n oc done
in advancing over The ice fields 10 the
fuel. and, secondly. the organization OF
supporting parties that can be sent back
from tho dwindlirg main body until the
few who are hardest enter on the final
struggle 10 THE coal.
Tho longer the route. he sets forth.
necessarily the greater The weight Of
food and fuel, ana, in consequence. a
much slower pace.
Comparison Between Two
BaSnc bis argument mainly on these
principles, Mr.. Wellmlr lakes up a COM
plri"on Of the supposed acIhevements -
Pcarv and Cook ifa quotes from records
10 show that tho former took his ship
10 within $50 miles of tho pole. advancing
supplies Iud his party fortH-seVen miles
closer In the autumn and spring. Cook
hc points out started from ADnatok, ZOO
geographical miles from tho pole. and
vent 10 geographical miles westward be-
fore turning northwa?d according 10 his
own story,
Peory. Wellman continues, mapped out
his plans carefully for the advance and
.Ht.s tod Il ,,fI 81, tr1,.n
auG lwonty-onc sledgc.. lie divided his
party so he mad four supporting parties
9S Kept open 0S Sod% Ta'T b;o5es lTsI sn& osd
which men aud dogs were compelled 10
Dr. Cook had no supporting party. says
wcllman. except for the FIRST three daya,
HIS party consisted of three men, twenty
sIN DOGS and two sledses in the long
dash be made.
"That which nc claims TO nave done
declares ar. Wcllman, referring 10 Cook.
With his eiGniRme@5 2nd 9rsani%aS"m sInI
human power" Later in his statement
nc adds.
Laws Are Inuutablc.
The laws OF physics and OF mechanical
forces can no more be dehnd aud ignored .
in the Arctic regions than elsewhere. Save
in the ina agination.
Taking up in order Dr. Cooks record
OF his trip northward Mr.. Neilman
party madc siXty-cight miles In three
days. despite bad weather. rough ice and
the necessity OF going twice over 4 big
lead TWO miles wIdc. aud this. nc adds.
at time when the slodgc loeds were
heaviest Cook. he SAYS thus travelled
q distance OF - per cent greater at
speed 10 per cent faster, than Pearv with
his years OF experience and his superior
organization.
his criticism OF pv, Cook for not turning
over records OF his trip lmmcd'ately 60
sorc scientific BODY; especially when his
-isoG ntI,s=
declares 10 bs indefenslhle.
Records. he says. or any Arctic irav-
honestly inscribed, th>y cannot bc sub
ioct 60 revision. Such records, he points
ont. are kept in ''diriy: srraSy, E,1my
nave been "pcnno6 with frost bitten
fingers by weary man. lying II the
m II darkness Of rejndcer-SSin bag,
within Snow hut or tent
Records Need No Revision.
Let 1t he understood. says Mr.. Well
mar. "thpt such records are always
cady They are complete 3rd perfect
he moment they arc written. They can
&c Turned over to scientific committee
N two minutes IS wei! as in two months
and much better
,icCc Of work and recorded IL i3ithtu0y
,our bv hour needs not 10 reconstruct
hat record. Tho bank cashier who ;ooE
Is daily lrdgcrS coyeTnE Il quarter year
omc with Him. upon The p-eteNt that
hey needed revision and preparation be-
orc being submitted. and insisted on rc-
aiming them for some months with nc
ther eve tlian. his. 20 see them, would
robahiy Nnd himself In trouble with his
irectors and Officers OF the law"
Mr Welmou SCOTS 1T Cooks nstrc-
omicai data. especially the observation
'hlch he claims To have taken within
.iiS Tcot Of the polo.
''uc Is indeed u marvellous traveller
cclares WcllnaE. who can aYeraCe
80 miles per day ror more than a moCt1
ser sea ice with heavy slcdgcs. and a
Confined ON Pare Two.