Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-09-28
Dr. Cook Issues Formal State
ment Designed to Refute
Charges That Expedition Was
lnadeQuateIy Equipped,
EXPLAINS WHY RECORDS
WERE LEFT WITH WHITNEY
Peay Devotes Tine to Prep
aration of 0utburst With
; View to DemoIishing Brook
Hn Mans Claim to Fame,

New York. Sept. 27.--Dr Frederick
A. Cook consented tonight to give the
Associated Press II formal reply 70
some OF the charges brought against
him by Commander Peary. \ more
complete declaration viii be issued by
the explorer when Peary makes his
accusations over his signature. The
statement follow;
Commander Peary says that my
sledges were not fitted for Arctic ta-
vel ana that he would not care to VOy-
age in the Arctic with them. The only
sledge Commander PearY saw was a
half one, which | had given to Mr..
Whitney as a souvenir The remain
der of il had been used to make bows
ana arrows.
AS to my reasons for leaving my
Instruments with Mr. Whitney. he had
told me that the Eric was coming to
Etah and would take him CVcr to the
American side 20 lini gau.e and
would cob -ck .natook.
The dist rom Upper
navik by. i quite which t was com
PEELED to follow was nearly 700 miles.
In that journey had to travel over
high land in two places with glaciers
and difficult places The, ice was eX-
tremely rough and there was a good
deal of water 10 be expected that
would have subjected the instruments
to risk which was entirely unneces-
sary when Mr.. Whitney awaited
ship TO go TO Etah for him upon
which he expected TO return direct to
America by going to UppernaVik 7
hoped to get back by the end of July
or the middle of August. l wanted TO
see my family as soon as possible as
] had been separated from them more
than two years while Nj. Whitney did
not expect to get back before October.
"As to the charge that ! had not
found traces OF Commander Peary s
records at Cape Thomas Hubbard.
The point which Commander Peary
would call Cape Thomas Hubbard is
round profnonitOry and it would be
difficult to find any distinct point that
could be positively recognized as cape
Thomas Hubbard. From Commander
Peary's map | am absolutely unable
to locate Capt Thomas Hubbard. We
did not search for any cairn where re-
cords might be deposited In fact, l
did not know that Peary had left any
records there.
Considerably to the west ! did see
q rock which might have been a cache
bnt it might have been merely a
clump of rocks. | was at a long dist
ance from it and there was no reason
why | should have searched. | left
. cache of provisions close to the be-
ginning of the cliffs of what SVer |
drup puts down as SvartevoeG. There |
was no indication Of a cairn near
where We LETT our provisions.
The other points of the so-called !
charges have been replied to in de- |
tail several times. ! will answer ev- |
erything in the most formal way when |
Commander Peary prints or makes
public his other points. MY reply then |
will be given out as a written state !
ment
MY instruments are not lost. am !
sure, of that" said Or. Cook. Il shall |
have them brought here. My Eskimos |
are at Etah ana they know the value !
of the instruments. They Will take |
care Of them.
IF had known what I know now !
! should not have left either records !
or instruments AT Etah. Mr.. Whitney |
told me and fully believed his ship |
was going to that place and he advised |
me 10 leave my things in his care, to |
be brought to New York on board his
ship. where they would not be jolted /
50 much as in a long slcdgc Journey |
over the rough land ice to Upper
nayik.
Il did not think at any moment OF
having them forwarded on the Peary |
shin. If had not met Mr.. Whitney | |
would have taken them on the Sledge 1
with me To TppernaVik.
As to the incident of the American |
flag which | had hoisted temporarily |
at the pole and then brought back 70 /
Etah with me. I gave it 10 MI Whit
ney on his special request. He hdd |
IL in his private trunk when ne went
aboard the Roosevelt but he was not.
according 10 his own statement per
mitted to bring it with him. II" Was |
compelled to take II out of tho trunk
and bury il
Asked what he thought Of PeafN
action DR. Cook said:
Il prefer to wait. II Pcary hau
been in need Of anything AT Etah he |
could hav, had everything OF mine. l
gave Mr.. whitney instructions 10 turn
over any of my things 10 Pcary or any
white man who required them and