Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-21
PEARY TELLS MORE
OF OBSERVATIONS
Observations Were Taken by
Himself and Prof. Ross Marvin,
and All of Them Tailed.
Duplicates Were Made.


(via Msrconi wireless telegraphy to
Capt Ray, Newfoundland)- command
Robert K. Peary consented today to talA
further concerning his dash to the north
pole. He dwelt particularly upon the OBJ.
servations 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 substantisting DR.. Frederick A
Cocks claim to have reached the north
pole april q. 1905.
We took five observations prior to
reaching the pole" Commander Peary
said. Two of them were made and work
ed out by the late Prof. Ross Marvin,
who prepared duplicate records in each
case and duly signed the duplicate certin-
Gates To guard against accident l took
one set of these papers and Professor
Marvin took the other.
THIRD OBSERVATION TAKEN.
When q distance OF 125 miles from the
pole the third observation was made BY
Captain Bartlett, who also signed the rec
ords and certificates in duplicate he re
fourth and fifth observations were made
by myself, the last being taken five miles
from the pole proper"
Was there more than one observa-
ton taken at the pole. and by whom?"
the explorer was asked
There were several observations" he
replied, land took them all myself.
They all agreed. You must understand
that the pole is a theoretical point, with
out length, breadth or thickness. It's
actual location depends on the accuracy
of the instruments employed and the con.
ditions under which the observations are
taken"
You have stated, Commander Peary.
that copy OF your records and polar
observations was wrapped in a piece of
silk American nag and deposited in
an ice cavity at the pole; did any per-
son witness this act?''
To this question Commander Peary de-
clined TO make any answer at present.
! Continuing, Peary said that DR.. Cook
was expected by the world to submit to
an impartial tribunal or board of arbitra-
ton a revised and authentic signed state-
ment Of his alleged discovery of the pole.
DR.. Cook soon would reach the United
States. Commander Peary said. and he
was glad at the prospect of the matter
being submitted for consideration at an
early date. 1t should be done inside OF a
couple of weeks, and when II was done,
the commander declared. he was prepared
to turn over to the board of arbitration.
to the public and to scientific bodies an
array Of testimony which would disprove
DR.. Cooks claims for all time.
GOLD BRICK CHARGE PRIVATE.
Continuing, the explorer said that he
had stated in a private message to a
friend that DR.. Cook had given the world
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 en-
! phatic The explorer said also that lac
- k..4t~ ~
and the public, certified copies of his own
observations made on his trip to the pole.
with all other information bearing on
them.
II is rumored 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 Greenland, giving notice that
he intended to make a dash for the pole.
-- TALKS OF WHITNEY.
Asked how Harry Whitney happened to
remain in the north, Commander Peary
said Whitney was one of a party Of
sportsmen who went as passengers on
board the steamer Erik. The party in
cluded Whitney, W. Norton, Of New
York; a man named Harmed and G. ].
Crafts, of Washington, who came for the
purpose Of taking magnetic observations
for Dr. Bauer, Of the Carnegie institute
at Washington. At Etah, where 1t was
determined to land a party and supplies
for the relief Of DR.. Cook particularly in
view Of the fact that Rudolph Francke
was being invalided home, Whitney asked
II he might remain on the station to hunt
walrus and polar bear in the spring and
make trip to Ellesmere Land with Eski-
mos after musk oxen.
This was decided on. In order to pro-
vide against the contingency of the
Roosevelt not coming down from the
north in the summer of 1903, in which
event he would be obliged to remain in
the Arctic for two years, Mr.. Whitney
made arrangements for a ship to come
up for him this summer.
COULDN'T GIVE DETAILS.
while 1 am not in position to 90 into
the details of the plans in regard to this
relief ship" Commander Peary contin-
ued, "I was informed by Whitney and
Norton that the general proposal was
that Norton should get up another party
of sportsmen and that this party, who
we're to be Whitney's friends or rela-
tives, should pick him up. Whitney had
no doubt as to this ship coming north.
and when the Roosevelt was sighted by
Eskimos at Etah. August II last, Whit
ney started out at once in a sail boat for
the Roosevelt under the impression that
she was his ship.
las a matter Of fact the party Of
sportsmen did not materialize but the
relief vessel Jeanne was sent north to-
bring Whitney back On her arrival
Whitney was transferred from the
Roosevelt to the jeanne and he is now
probably engaged in hunting bear some
where on the west side of BafiIn bay or
Davis strait"