The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-22

world.
The public was prepared for a verdict
Of not proven but did not expect
its recent hero 60 be branded as an i'm
poster Many still cling TO the belief
that Cook acted i'll good faith, but har-
bored dclusion.
Scientists Lose Faith.
The explorers and scientists almost
unanimously have lost faith i'll Cook 5
honesty. while one Of his warmest sup.
porters. Knud Rasmussen, helped 10
frame the report
The evening papers attack and Sc
vcreIy rcproach him for hiding, whlcn
they regard as a sign of guilty cou-
science.
The rector of the university, DR.. Salo
mQnson, when questioned rs TO the
possibility of the university cancelllng
The degree which ii conferred on Dr.
Cook. said that no decision had bccu
reached, but he thought that the de-
gree would be withdrawn IN the same
way as q government could deprive a
person of an order obtained under false
pIeIenseS.
Statement of Holm,
Commodore Gustav Holm, arctic ex-
piorer, and member of the committee.
said:
'1Cook's claim that he made the oh.
servation 50 degrees, 80 minutes, ~
seconds near the pole proved immediate
ly that he was II bad observer, but
nothing Indicated that he was
swjnJlcr. Now his papers convict him
of being a swindlcr, We examined
Cook observations first. snd agreed
unanimously that they were worthless.
The consistory met today and adopted
written report TO the effect that the
alleged records submitted for eNsuina.
ton by DR.. Cook had failed to prove
his claim.
Professor StromgTen was Chairman. as
presented TO the consiStOry states that
Cook 5 papers are without any value;
that his report 10 the University OF
Copcpbapen is practically the Same as
published in the New York Herald ON
his return from bis arctic expedition.
Observations Not Original.
The copies of his note books submit
ed. saws the committee. contain no or
irinaI calculations of observations put
only results thereof Accordingly. The
committee concludes that they afford
no proof Of having reached the pole.
There was produced before the com
mitice Il letter from DR.. Cook, post
marked Msrseilles, December II. This
lends color TO the earlier report that
Cook sailed from New York for a Med
iterraucaD port.
The documents handed the commits
sion of the University of Copenhagen
for examination arc:
First, n typewriter report prepared
bv Cook = secretary, Walter Lonsdale,
and covering sixty-one pages OF fools
cap.
Second. a typewrittcn COPY made BY
Lousdale from Cook : note books. This
occupies sixteen pages of foolscap and
includes description of tho period from
March Is. 1908. TO June Is. 1905, dur
inc which. according to the statement,
Cook iourncycd from SvartcNog 10 the
north pole aud returned To a point on
ihc polar ice not specifically Indicated
but west of AXel ueiherg land.
The papers were not accompanied ny
a private letter from Cook, hut Secrc' !
iarv Lonsdale stated verbally to INC
commission that the original notes aud
books Of the explorer from which his !
comics were made had been sent TO Eu !
ropc by another route as a precautionary !
measure and would he delivered to the
university in the course of a few DAYS.
In presenting The data IouSdale |
stated explicitly and repeatedly that |
tho copy numbered > was "A complete
and accaratc duplicate of the informa
ZION coutaincd IL all of Cook : motto |
books tnas could he nf any Importance /
to the university for the purposes of
the examination.
In spite O. the explorer promise and
his secretarv' 5 assurance that they /
would he forthcoming, tbc commission
is not vca n possession Of the original
note BOOKS iui diaries.
Explorer Still Missing.
I-p 10 ;his r,mc il has been ini2osSi-
bic for the university authorities TO
communication with DR..
Cook, which was suspended some time
ago. The explorer address is not
known hero even To Secretary Ions.
dale
After inc mcmberS of the examining
committee had made themselves ac
maintcd individually with the mate ierial
delivered and 50 conv inccd themselves
IF it's wurthlcsSurss as means of deter.
mining whether Cook reached the north
pnlc the president of the committee,
Professor Stromgrcn. called general
meeting of the committee for last Fri
lav. when the report 10 the university
Iud which is now madc public was
lrawn up.
Lonsdalc, who had been invited 10
his meeting to answer some questions.
)roughi with him letter which he had
'ccciyed from Cook, which bore neither
be place nor date Of its writing.
The opened envelope. however, bore
he postmark Marscillcs. December II,
s,I. ,s.',. I