Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-28
HALF OF COOKS SLEDGE
is ALL PEARY HAS SEEN
His Old Shoes Fed to Dogs, Except
Pair Now on Exhibition.
WHITNEY OFFERED MUCH AID
Would Have Carried Records and
Instruments With Greater
Safety Than Cook Could
Have Done.

/
erick A. Cock has been questioned con-
corning cairn pile of stones. which
! was left by Commander Robert f. Peary
! at Cape Hubbard in his effort to reach
! the north pole in 1906 Commander
Peary built the cairn and in it deposited
record of his trip UP to that point.
/ 1t is the custGm of explorers to build
these cairns and place therein such rec
| ords for those who may follow them.
! Many have been constructed in the arctic
| regions.
| The explorer finding them takes the
records placed therein. In this way ex-
plorerS able to know whether they
are traversing regions that have been
touched.
| In his description of his polar trip DR..
Cook had mentioned building a cache at
| Cape Hubbard. but never spoke of having
| found the cairn left at Cape Hubbard by
| Commander Peary.
Did Not Find Peary Cairn.
! When the question was put to him
whether he had come upon Commander
Peary's cairn. with its record, DR.. Cook
| reflected moment, and then replied:
NO, don't remember that l did,
Commander Peary has said that he
| built cairn of considerable size, and
| placed in 1t some records. said one of
DIR. Cooks interrogatOrs.
Il did see pile of stone there, replied
| DIR. Cook 1T was some distance from
where we were. 1 didn't go to see what
it was. I can't say whether it was
carn or not
Why didn't you investigate it, was
asked.
| Because we were i'm hurry to con-
tinue our trip NORTH was Dr. Cooks
answer. THE conditions were SO favor
| able that we felt there was not any time
| to lose.
isn't it the custom of explorers to
look for the records left by others?"
1T is, but in this case I had no idea
what it was that saw. 1t did not par
know, Cape Hubbard is large. round
prominence extending for a great dis
| lance. What l saw was so far off that
| it seemed waste Of time to look for
Had you thought you might find
some records in it Of Commander
Peary's would you have gone to inves-
tigate 'it?"
any new developments concerning the
! instruments left by Harry Whitney at
! Etah.
Believes Instruments Safe.
NO." replied DIR. Cook. II am not
worrying about those instruments. OF
course, If I had known that they would
likely be left at Etah would have
taken them with me. I want to get
them as soon as possible. But they
are in safe hands with my Eskimos.
1T may be more than a year before
| have them. In the meantime l think
I shall present my proofs to the Unit
versity of Denmark. If they decide
that they need the Instruments. then
| rryil l,o tn N hi
until / can get them"
Would you consider it strange If any
other explorer left his instruments with
man he had never known before way
up in the arctic resions?' asked a re-
porter
Il cannot answer for other explor-
ers." answered DIR. Cook. Il am only
speaking for myself. I have said that
| had every reason to trust Mr.. Whit
ney or l would not nave allowed him
to take my proofs and Instruments
In this connection there is report
that both Cook and Whitney are Free
Masons, and that this was the reason
why Cook felt he could place entire
confidence in the New Haven sports
MANS word. The explorer would not
speak of this.
Commander Peary is compilins
proofs with which he says he will
said one questioner
Il haven't any idea what he can have
in preparation, and 1 don't know that
l am concerned about it," was Cooks
reply:
will it not be possible for you TO
rush your proofs to Denmark. now
. that you are unable to get hold OF
your Instruments" was asked.
That's the same old point again,
replied Cook impa tiently: Il have said
what ! propose doing with the proofs
and / have nothing to add to 1T"
Fed His Old Shoes to Dogs.
The interview turned to the shoes
worn by Cook on his dash for the
pole Peary had asserted that Cook
ment that would indicate the hard
wear and tear Of arctic explorations.
For shoes we used Eskimo sealskin
kamiks." he said. when the first pair
were used up we gave them to the
dogs to eat. They were hungry and
needed the food
J This was at Jones sound. There
we made new shoes, and in them we
returned to Etah. My shoes-the last
pair made-are now on exhibition in
Madison Square Garden, if any ole
wants to see them"
! Cook replied, in answer to qucs-
ton. that he had no information as
TO when Commander Peary would come
to the city.
You know more about that than
do" he said. Il have no reason for
wanting to avoid him. If Mr. Peary
has any charges against me that he
wants to place over his signature. in
the meantime I am prepared to meet
them. But ! don't propose to become
mixed up in any controversy until l
know what he says. plainly and explic-
lily.
| Cook said he expected that Whitney
would reach the city by the end of this
week. and he would be glad IT Whit
ney would then make the fullest state
i ment of what happened at Etah with
respect to the instruments left In his
care.
Formal Statement by Cook.
| DR.. Cook also made a formal reply to
some of the most material of the charges
brought against him by Commander
Peary. A more complete declaration will
he issued by the explorer when Com
mander Peary makes his accusations over
his own signature.
| The statement is follows:
Commander Peary says that my
| .,o,,a. yra,a not fitted IN arctic travel