The Washington times., 1909-09-15
William T. Stead Reviews
Account of the Brook
Ign Man.
FEW POINTS VARY
IN HIS STATEMENT
Proofs Are Divided, But He In
sists They Cannot
Be Lost.

lived until the sunrise February of
1909. Then we started for Annatook, and
reachcd there on April 10, 1909. Harry
Whitney, the American sportsman, and
friends and relatives who had been
worried over my EsklUos, met us there
soon took ship for Upernavik, and ar
year. Thence 1 1ourneyed 10 Lervtck,
in the shetland islands, and from there
sailed 10 Copenhagen"
Cook volunteered little information.
On one occasion he said that during the
long Arctic night he had written. in an
underground hut, 10000 words OF his
book, and he calculated that another
y 600 words would complete IL. / do
not remember whether he definitely
stated that he had the manuscript with
him. but that was the impression pro-
dueed upon those who heard him de-
scribe how he had written with lead
pencil in microscopic characters, be-
tween the lines Of his notebook. the
whole story of his remarkable journey.
Holds His Book.
We hoped that he would produce that
notebook with its microscopic interline-
atoms before he left Copenhagen. but
he did not do so. We all had a certain
delicacy about asking DIT. Cook either
to substantiate or supplement his story,
as we did not know what contracts he
might be under to publishers to whom
he had promised his story.
The explorer was very reticent. After
his address to the Danish Geographical
Society he said: I've done my best to
say nothing He received interviewers
blandly, but sent them away empty
handed, although never with dis
courtesy. even when their questions
could only be justified on the hypothesis
that he was a liar and impostor
There were only TWO exceptions TO
this rule. The first was when I inter
viewed him for an hour in the presence
Of 100 journalists of all nations. The sec
ond was when breakfasted with him
alone at the Hotel Phoenix Then he
talked freely about his adventure, and
always in the same strain
He dwelt upon the most fortuitous op-
portunity which led him TO try 10 make
a dash for the Pole. He attributed his
success TO the liberaIty or John P
Bradley, the previous explorations OF
Sverdrup, the devotion OF his Eskirnos
and the unwonted abundance Of game
on the land In the early stages of his
journey.
l never met any explorer who boasted
SC little or who spoke so u1odestly about
his own exploits. he never told me of
any hairbreadth escapes or any deeds
o. personal daring. He said much more
about mis- Eskimo boys than ABOUT him
self. and. despite the utmost provoca-
ton. he refused TO say a word against
Peary.
Indeed, when : left. despite his sore
feeling about the way IN wi..ch Peary
treated him in appropriating his stores
az Annatook, he doggedIy refused to
complain
I hops Peary has gone TO the Pole.
l see no reason 10 doubt his ability 70
get there. He had all the supplies he
needed and a well-equipped expedition
behind him
Ready to Talk.
If, when get to New York. find he
really SAYS anything against me, then I
will have to talk. But until then I
prefer to keep silent"
babe DR.. Cook gooo-by after this
and did not see him again
In surveying Or. Cooks story. II will
be we'll TO remember that all the hard
ships, the hairbreadth escapes. all the
famine and the imminent prospects OF
death, occurred, not in the rush to the
Pole, but on his return journey. espe-
cially in the last six months Of his four
neying.
Public attention has been riveted ,noD
his dash 10 the Pole across the frozen
Polar sea But that vas, witt him.
as with Peary, comparatively swift.
uneNentful advance. kept up dav after
Gay at the rate Of fifteen miles daftv.
II the western drift Of the ice had not
carried him out Of reach OF the game
lands at Herbert Island, he would. I'M
all probability, have been back twelve
months ago. The real hardslips of DR..
Cook began, not In high, but in com
paratively low, latitude
He has far more vivid recollection
OF the stirring events occurring last
winter than Of the swift rush to the
Pole
I see this polar Journey a. the END
Of long vista of fifteen months. which
were crowded with such stirring cpl
sodes, filled with suCn wearing eTertiou
that II seems as though all the cells OF
my BODY and brain were burnt out and
replaced In the fire of that strenuous
lfe,' he said.
When Cook and Peary come together.
PeaTy will have the advantage of hav-
| ing no such veil of fifteen months of
perilous adventures interposed between
him and his great exploit.
Peary comes back fresh from the
| Polar Sea. Between Cook and the event
full day when he reached the Fole there
are grim memories of long months Of
| fierce battling with ice foes and Polar
| bears. Of a prolonged combat with The
Arctic region In its dercest moods
| PeaTy had companions with whom he
can fight his battles over again until
| he has the last details Of his campaI Ign
deliberately impressed upon his brain.
| Cook, alone with Eskimos, is in a very
different position.
But due allowance for all such things
| will be made by the generous American