The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-07
Noted Explorer Declares That
He Is Pleased to Learn That
His Famous Rival Also Has
Reached the North Pole.
HISTORY FURNISHES NO
MORE DRAMATIC EPISODE
.Dr, Cook Is Seated at Dinner
Surrounded by HerO-WOr-
shippers When News of the
Peay Exploit Is Told to Him,
SETS DENMARK FASHIONS

Copenhagen, Sept. 6.-Copenhagen
was electrified tonight by the report
of Commander Peary's announcement
that he had reached the North Pole.
Dr.. Cook was immensely interested,
and said THAT is good news. hope
Peary did get to the pole. His obser-
vations and report on that region will
confirm mine" It is doubtful if his
tory furnishes a more dramatic cpl
sOde than the breaking of the news to
DR.. Cook that Peary had realized the
goal Of his Hfe's ambition and re-
peated struggles.
DR.. Cook was seated at d dinner, sur
rounded by explorers and correspondents,
in the gilded ballroom Of the TivoH ca
sino. Around his neck was hung a gar
land Of pink roses, according to the Sean
diuavian method of hOnOring heroes,
which the explorer wore blushingly and
with visible embarrassment.
Peary Exploit Whispered.
Amid this scene a whisper went around
that P5ary had planted the Stars and
/ Stripes at the pole. Cook was perfectly
cool and unmOVed. He made a striking
! speech, In which he paid high tribute to
the work of SVeTdrup. who sat near. to
whose discoveries he largely attributed
his success, to John r. Bradley, who had
financed the expedition. to the intelli-
gencc, endurance and faithfuiness Of the
. Eskim0s Who had assisted him in the
pT psl1a- luns, ana those who had accom-
PANIED him. The whole story of the eX-
petition. he said, has not come out and
viii not come out for some time. nor will
it come in Ustsllmsnts, but only when
it is completed.
DR.. Cook did not permit the whispers Of
Peary' success TO move him in the least.
LuJ when he had finished he was sur
rounded by correspondents who looked for
some signs of emotion, but the explorer
said. Il am glad
Asked if there was any probability of
Pe5ry having found the tube contain
iuC his records, DR.. Cook replied. 7
hcre so, but that is doubtful on account
IF The drift. Commander Peary would
have reached the pole this year Prob
ably, while ] was in the arctic region last
year, his route was several hundred miles
east of mine. We are rivals. Of course
but the pole is good enough for two.
Others to Reach Pole.
THAT two men got to the pole along
different paths should furnish large ad-
ditiOns to scientific knowledge. Probably
other parties viii reach il in the next
two years. since every explorer is helped
by the experiences Of his predecessors,
Just as Sverdrups observations and re-
ports were of immeasuTable help TO me-
7 can say nothing more without knowing
further details than that ! am glad of it,
While DIT. Cook was ConYeTsing casually
today with American friends the posi-
bility of the Peary denOuement was
lauEhingly suggested. DIT. Cook re-
marked: 1T is quite possible that Peary
viii turn up now He is about due to
get back, if he carries out his plans. We
/ have always been friends. OF course, we
are rivals I'm the attempt to find the pole,
] but We have been friendly rivals.
Those WEO have had the best oppOrtU-
nifty to become acquainted with Dr. Cook
I here believe that he is not likely to enter
/ into "a controversy with Commander
/ Peary.
Important and Wonderful.
/ Sverdrup, who is here to congratulate
/ DR.. Cook, was most interested in the news
/ that Peary had reached the pole. There
| is nothing I can say about this particu-
larly,' he said, except that it is most
1 important and wonderful 1t seems to
me that America is doing wonderfully if
| the pole after such long struggles by Sc
many men of different nations
If any evidence is needed to establish
Denmark'S valuation of DIT. Cook, il can
/ be found in the fact that he is to receive
the highest tokens within its gifts. The
| king is to confer on him the gold medal
/ of merit with the crown, which only three
other geOgraphers, Nansen, Svenhedin and
/ AmUndseu, are entitled to wear. The
| geographical society will bestOW upon him
/ four other travellers only, Nansen, Cap
/ tain Scott, Hedin and Sverdrup.
Continued on Page g.