The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1909-10-23
'D|6|f|Ct1|D-
T0P0FH'K|N[Ef
Cooks Claims Denied in Affida-
Wit by Guide.
TWENTY MILES FROM SUMMIT
Guide swears That Doctor Ordered
IA Him to Change. Dates and Figures
~ In His DIary-Plctures
f...s Are Fakes.

Z 81 J..
New York.-The Globe prints a copy
of the affidavit made by Edwin, N. Bar.
rill, who accompanied DR.. Frederick
A. Cook at the time he announced
his reaching the summit Of Mount
Mckinley. The affidavit was made
before q notary public at Tacoma.
Wash, on Oct. 4, and has Just been re-
ceived in New York. Barrill's afi-
davit states in effect that he was the
only person present with DR.. Cook
on the date when he claims to have
reached the summit Of Mount McKin-
ley, that they did not in fact
reach the summit, and the nearest
point to the summit reached was ut
least IA miles distant from the sum.
NIT Of that mountain, the elevation
at no time exceeding ten feet. Bar
rill's affidavit also brings into question
a number of the photographs which
DR.. Cook has given as representing
the summit and other high attitudes
of Mount Mckinley.
Was Alone with Cook.
The organization uf the Mount Nc
Kinley expedition is explained, the
members consisting of Fred Printz, q
guide, Belmore Brown, an artist and
naturalist of Tacoma, Walter Miller.
photographer, Of Seattle, Samuel
Beecher, who acted as cook for the
party. and Barrill. The party sailed
from Seattle, May II, 1906. Barrill
recounts that at the start of the trip
he prepared to keep an exact diary
and sets forth that this diary marked
Exhibit A attached to the affidavit, lis
a pocket diary kept by me during all
the time that DR.. Cook and were
together near Mount Mckinley, and
the same is truthful record. with the
exception of the entries and changes
made by me there under the orders of
DR.. Cook"
Cook Orders Diary Changed.
The AFFIDAVIT then proceeds as fol-
lows: "On the evening of Sept. 9th,
1906, DR.. Cook and l started alone for
the purpose of exploring Mount Nc
Kinley. He informed me before start
ing that his purpose was to find way
for ascending the mountain, as he and
Prof. Parker intended to climb the
mountain the following year.
"As shown by my diary, we took to
the ice on Sept. 9th. From and In
GLIDING the 9th down to and including
the 18th of September, all writings
in my diary are by me, but were made
under the direction of DR.. Cook. al
so changed the dates during this time
under his direction. The figures 12,-
900 on the date of Sept. 18th were
changed by me at the dictation of DR..
Cook.
Photograph Is Fake.
AT this time he had been to the top
of the point claimed by the doctor as
the top of the mountain, and the doc
tor had taken photograph of the
point with me standing on the top
thereof, with the American flag in my
hand. The photograph to which re-
fer is shown opposite page 227 of the
doctors book, entitled TO the Top of
the Continent before mentioned.
1.-The truth being that the summit
of Mount Mckinley was over 20 miles
distant in an air line from the point
where my picture was SO taken, ac-
cording> to the scale on DR.. Cooks
map shown between pages 152 and
1853 in the book referred to above.
II was with DR.. Cook continuously
every day during the time he was at
tempting to ascend the mountain, in
the year 1906, and. the nearest point
to the summit of Mount Mckinley
which we reached was at least IA
miles distant from the summit of that
mountain, and at no time did we reach
an elevation In excess of 10000 feet.
Drawings Are False.
1.-THE drawing shown opposite page
2O4 OF DR.. Cooks book above men,
toned is entirely false. as we never
built snow house on the trip, al
though the diary as dictated by the
doctor says SO; nor did we shake
hands or have any other similar cere-
mony, as stated In the diary.
THE drawing opposite page 200 Of
the doctors book Is also false. We
never climbed anything half as steep
as there shown. and we never estab-
lished any camp nor slept as there
shown. We slept every night upon
comparatively level spots.
1.-THE photograph opposite page 22e
IN the doctors book entitled In the
Silent Glory and Snowy Wonder Of
the Upper World. 1900 Feet was
taken two or three hours before the
taking of my picture with the flag,
and was taken in the amphitheater
about one mile northeasterly of the
point where 1t was SO photographed"