The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-10-02
HARRY WHITNEY TALKS.
BELIEVES COCK AND PEARY
HAVE REACHED POLE.
Knows Little of Dispute and Can Add
40 Direct Testimony as to Cooks
Claim of Discovery.

-. Johns. y. F.. Sept. 2S.-Harry
whitney of New Haven believes that
DR.. Frederick A. Cook found the pole
and that Commander Peary did the
same. In expressing this belief to-
day, Mr.. Whitney said that he knows
no reason for doubling Cook more
than Peary.
DIR. Cooks story" he added,
seems to me truthful and probable.
Nothing else would explain his l2
months absel e."
The schooner JEANNE arrived here
today with Mr.. Whitney aboard, COM
ing from the Greenland coast by way
of Indian Harbor, Labrador.
Mr.. Whitney feels keenly the nos;-
ton in which he is placed. He went
north. he said, merely on a hunting
trip, and now finds himself in the
storm centre of polar controversy.
DIR. Cook left with him at Annatol<
several cases containing instruments.
and some other belongings. but SO far
as Mr. Whitney knew, no written rec
ords. There may have been records.
however, packed withsDr. Cooks per-
sonal effects, but the explorer did not
tell him especially that he was Ieav-
ing written records in his possession.
Speaking of DR.. Cooks. detailed ac-
count of his trip to the pole, Mr..
whitney said that the explorer show
ed him how the western drift OF the
ice had landed him in a region far re-
mote from where he expected to go.
and he was unable to get back. He
could not speak with authority as 10
whether DIR. Cook and his two Eskimo
could carry on their three sledges
enough food for their journey to the
pole, as he himself is a rovice in Arc
tic tarveling. He declared he knew
nothing of the controversy beyond the
vaguest details. The first he learned
of it was at Indian Harbor, when he
received messages from several Amer
lean papers asking for a statement.
Mr.. Whitney denied that Com
mander Peary had removed DIR.
Cooks stores from Annatok to Etah.
What Peary really did was to transfer
a few things and rebuild the house at
Annatok. Boatswain Murphy's only
reason for refusing to help Capt. Ber-
ner's Canadian expedition to get dogs
and sledges at Etah was that they
were short of dogs themselves. Mr..
Whitney had trouble in getting
enough dogs for his teams all through
the winter and Murphy was looking
out for Peary' so that he would have
sufficient dogs for the commanders
exploring trips around the country
when he returned from the north.
The day the Roosevelt was leaving
Etah for home Whitney informed
Peary that Cook had intrusted To him
certain belongings to bring home on
the vessel that was coming up for
Whitney, but as this ship had not ar
rived Whitney was at a loss what to
do with the property.
Peary declined to permit DR.. Cooks
belongings to be brought aboard the
Roosevelt and he put Whitney on his
honor not to include anything belong
ing to DR.. Cook i'm his own baggage.
Whitney thereupon went ashore from
the Roosevelt. separated DR.. Cooks
property from his own baggage, and
with the aid OF Capt. Robert Bartlett.
commander OF the Roosevelt, whom
he had asked to help. repacked
Cooks i'm boxes.
After this had been done, Whitney
and Bartlett cached all Cooks prop
erty in a cave in the rocks. They built
up the case securely with stones and
turf and left it and the property i'm
charge of one of DIR. Cooks Eskimos.
1t may be remembered in passing,
Mr.. Whitney went on, that ten years
ago Peary did with the explorer Sver-
drup. who was cruising In Faith
sound. what he has done with Cook
he refused to bring back any of Sver-
drup's letters or records.
In conclusion Mr.. Whitney declared
he regretted being dragged into the
controversy. He said he had found
both DR.. Cook and Commander Peary
courteous and considerate and that he
had never met any men whose con-
duct generally was more commend
able or whose dealing with him had
been more fair.
New York, Sept 2S.-Dr. Cook,
when shown Mr.. Whitney's statement,
said tonight that he approved OF all
that Mr. Whitney had said.
III t,z .l.a n