The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-10-15
A Scientists View of
The Peary-Cook Case.

From the first The Journal has held
that it IS only reasonable to believe
that both Cook and Peary reached
the pole. OF course the former will
go down in history as the discoverer,
for he reached his goal year ahead
of the latter; but Peary is entitled to
honor for his pluck and persistency
and final attainment of the object for
which he has striven for years.
We are happy to be confirmed in
our estimate of the case by so high
an authority as the eminent astrono-
mer Professor Samuel Phelps Leland,
who says in the October number OF
The Florida Review:
At length, after the struggle of
almost century and a half and the
expenditure of vast fortunes and the
sacrifice of many lives, the north pole
of the earth has been reached. Prac-
tically, the results of the discovery
are valueless. A paragraph or two
must be added to our biographies
and a stroke or two more must be
made with the stylus of the map
maker. The measureless ice fields
have been explored a little further
than bfore. That is all.
Two rival explorers are seeking to
establish priority in reaching the
pole. No doubt can reasonably exist
that both men have been there; and
that DE-. Cook and Commander Peary
are entitled TO equal praise. Any
controversy about their respective
claims is childish.
The question is often asked Low
h liz.
of latitude meet be determined. Is il
difficult? BY no means. An astrono-
mer, with proper knowledge Of mathe-
mates and with a seXtant and a
mercurial horizon, with which TO Sc
cure a level, would find little difficulty
in doing it, The observations, to be
exact, must be based upon the appa1-
ent eley alton of the sun above the
horizon plane To secure this the OBJ
server would be obliged to remain
there "a hours or more.
If the sun did not give him aid the
direction of the Polar Star would
guide him closely to the pole. With
the well-knOwn variations of that star
taken into account, the star should
be in the zenith directly above the
observer. This could be easily de-
termined.
The daily Iog-book OF the explorer
would be conclusive evidence to a
scientific man that the author had
reached the point claimed: Could not
this log-book be fabricated? Not
easily. To do that would require a
thorough knowledge OF astronomy.
And a fabricated log book would be
so free from errors as to excite sus-
picion. The real log-book, recording
actual daily observations, made, fire.
80
and faulty, but corrected by the next
days or the next weeks observations
made under better conditions, is very
satisfying and could hardly be manu-
featured so as to deceive a scientific
man. A skilled physician can easily
detect a simulated spasm.
Professor Leland's paper is brief,
but presents the whole matter in a
nutshell. And it is pity that Peary
through his high handed. insulting
behavior toward Cook has alienated
from him many who would otherwise
have accorded him his full measure
of admiration, but who now are
pre.udiced against him and moved by
a spirit of vindictiveness.
Cook. on the contrary. has acted
the gentleman throughout. His calm
assurance speaks volumes in his IA
vor. as we'll as does his refusal to
enter into a wordy controversy al
though egged on by quasi scientific
body. the Peary Arctic Club. He knows
just what Professor Phelps has de-
clared, that the distinguished body of
scientists in Denmark who will
scrutinize his calculations and report
will ferret out and expose any attempt
at fraud just as easily as the skilled
physician" would detect "a simulated
spaSm.