The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-10-05
STORY
CANNOT Be
SHAKEN

NEW YORK, September 22.-Dr.
Frederick A. Cook, discoverer of the
North Pole, gave today an interview
at his apartments at the Waldorf.
Astoria to thirty-two newspapermen
which was pronounced the most re-
markable off-hand talk of the kind
ever given by public man.
DR.. Cook emerged triumphant. For
two hours DR.. Cook replied to every
question. Among his inquisitors were
men representing the publishers of
Peary's story of the discovery of
the pole. They were armed with catch
questions prepared by scientist rep.
resenting the Peary interests.
1t was the doubters, the questioners,
who quit. DR.. Cook stood the two.
hour ordeal without one sign of weari.
ness or worry.
Laughs at Catch Question.
When the catch question was put to
DR.. Cook regarding what observations
he had made at the pole by the aid
of the "North STAR he fell back in
"How can the North Star be seen
when the sun is shining all the time7"
Among the new points made by DR..
Cook were the following:
His observations at the pole were
all by means of the suns altitude.
Harry Whitney has the sextant with
which these observations were made.
DR.. Cook never knew Whitney until
the latter went out two miles on the
ice after DR.. Cook had been sighted by
the Eskimos and rescued DIR. Cook, who
had been without food for two days.
Danes in Greenland knew for three
months before the announcement to
the world that he had discovered the
pole.
No Quarrel With Peary.
DR.. Cook denied any previous quarrel
with Peary that might have led to the
present feud.
"What were your reasons for asking
Whitney, Pritchard and possibly others
to maintain secrecy regarding your dis
covery of the polef' was the first ques.
ton.
~ didn't think I was bound to let
Peary know anything DR.. Cook re-
piled. ''He can give all of his news.
l wished to give all of mine. -
''How about Pritchard s knowledge
of your discovery?'
81 was surprised that he knew. He
must have overheard me talking with
Whitney. Pritchard asked me to mail
a letter for him. l asked to see the
letter. When L found that he had said
he had heard me tell Whitney | had
found the pole, insisted that he leave
this out. l did it because l wished to
be sure of announcing my own discov.
cry"
Still Friendly to Commander.
The further questioning with their
answers follow:
Q.-Did you look upon Commander
Peary as friend or as an enemy3
Al must say l do not know.
have treated Peary as friend. Until
| know more about the situation l shall
continue to do the same.
Q.-Did you ever say anything in
Etah that indicated that you feared
for your life if he got theref
A.-No.
Q.-Would you be willing to meet
Peary in a debate when he gets here
A.-AS far as l am concerned, the
Peary incident is closed. Peary is not
the dictator of my affairs, and L do not
care to say anything further about
him.
Q.-What caused you to have such
confidence in Whitney that you intrust
ed your instruments to himG
Al knew him by name. Circum
stances that arose while | was will
him justified my confidence. l CAV,
him the instruments to bring back be
cause l thought they would be les
liable to injury on board his vessel thar
if L took them across glaciers and rougl
ice-covered country.
Q.-What is you opinion of thu
story told by the negro Henson of tn,
information he obtained from your tive
Eskimos7
A.-Well, the Eskimos were bount
by me not to tell anyone where the,
| had been. Henson IS testimony is en-
tirely founded ON heresay.
Q.-Was your determination of thu
pole solely by an observation of tn,
sun s altitude, or did you take observa
tions of the pole star twelve hours
apart and by the determination of tn,
| celestial pole mld-Detween the TWO po
sitions prove the accuracy of your po
sition on the terrestrial pole7
Allow are you going to take al
observation of the polar star when yol
have a continuous suni There is n,
night; you cannot have any stars
There is no darkness.
Won't Tell His Figures.
OWN you describe in detail an.
single observation taken by you at tn
North Pole, the exact figures of tn
results and the corrections appliedf
A.-Not at this present moment. w
viii describe every one of them in dc
tail when they 90 to the University o
Copenhagen within two months. Afte
that they will go to everybody tha
wants to examine them.
Q.-ln your original narrative, a
published, you said' "The night o
April 7 was made notable by tho swing
ing Of the sun at midnight over th
northern Ice. Our observation ON Apr
placed the camp in latitude s6.S'