Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-21
NOT IN FAVOR OF COOK.

The report of the Danish scientists
who have examined the records of DR.
Cook as submitted to them. is not
encouraging to the friends of the eN-
plorer II is. in fact disappointing.
II is true the original notes have not
been submitted They are still on thc
wav. 1t is said But the copies, II Is
claimed, are accurate, and IL so, the
original notes cannot change the YER
dict. The Danish scientists say the
documents submitted do not prove that
DR.. Cook reached the North Pole
They do not go so far as to assert that
his claim To have been at the Pole is
false. but they do say that the proofs
submitted are not conclusive.
This leaves the public free to accept
one OF two theories. Either Dr. COOK
did not reach the Pole, but faxed the
story of his thrilling adventures in the
Arctic: or, he did actually reach the
Pole but not being enough of scien-
list, he failed to keep such record
as would stand the test of a scientihc
investigation. Many an uneducated
skippe, from the northern coasts of
Norway has gone to Spitzbergen on
fishing expeditions, and far north into
the Arctic, but # he were put to the
test to prove just what parallel he had
attained. he would be at a loss. not
having the necessary training in SCI
entific navigation but relying entirely
,T
suppositions may be possible. but the
public will probably drop DR.. Cook.
But II he did not reach the Pole, he
certainly is a good guesser. AS pointed
out by the Springfield Republican, pa
per that has championed his cause
with great ability, Cook came from
the north and reported that there was
no land at the Pole, or i'll its vicinity.
Peary returned and confirmed Cook.
How did he know that there were nc
islands? Suppose. however, that that
was merely a lucky guess. The next
point to consider is that Cook reported
that as one neared the Pole the Ice
conditions for travel became much
more favorable, that is, the Ice pack
was smoother than farther south
faker might guess there was no land
at The Pole, but would one who was
never nearer the Pole than Cape
Thomas Hubbard guess that the nearer
the pole you CO. the easier is the going?
That was in the nature of a new dis
covery. Peary came back with the
same report. Again. Cook reported
temperature at the Pole considerably
higher than further south. How can
that be explained? He said he found
the temperature as low as So minus
way down in the valleys of Ellesmere
land, but at the North Pole he found 1t
as high as about 3s minus, that is be-
low zero. Now up in Vermont some
winter mornings, the temperature drops
TO 40 degrees below zero. The doctor,
therefore. gave to the world a polar
temperature which one can experience
in Windsor county. VT. while the really
low temperature which he found he had
credited TO a spot not within 500 miles
of the Pole Mr. Peary reported for the
North Pole a temperature even warm
er than DR.. Cook did, that Is, one OF 81
degrees below zero.
These certainly are extraordinary
condolences, and those who pronounce
DR. Cook faker must give some plaus-
iblo explanation of the source of his in
formation concerning Polar conditions.