New-York tribune., 1909-09-15
COOK AGAIN ATTACKED
PE4RY READY TO PROVE
HIS STATEMENTS.
Commander GiUes Ont Further De
tails of His Trip-Challenge
to RiUaI.

1 am prepared to prove it," This statement
was made TO the representative OF The Asso-
ciated Press by Commander Robert E. Peary
in reply to a question on the Peary-Cook con-
trOversy
Were you surprised Commander Peary. on
returning TO Labrador, TO learn that Dr. Cook
had reported reaching the pole. or had anything
happened before you returned to cause you TO
expect ths?"
Il heard in New York that Dr. Cook was
going to bring the pole back" replied the COM
mander.
rs it true that you opened letters or docu-
ments having reference TO this point?"
No he responded emphatically
did Harry Whitney make any important
statements 10 you about another polar expedi-
tion?'
He made no statement" said Commander
Peary. He is on the relief schooner Jeanie
now, and is probably shooting bear on the
western coast"
What life is there to be found at the North
Pole? Are there birds. fishes or any animals
there?"
when 1 was there IL not the season for
birds. do not know if there are fish in the
polar seas at that spot. There are no animals
at the pole"
THE COOK SUPPLIES AT ETAH.
Commander Peary declined TO discuss the
TO Dr. Cook, but he said that Captain Moses
Bartlett could not throw any light on this point.
because he had not been in Greenland since
Peary went there last. Rudolph Francke had
begged piteously TO be taken out of Greenland.
He was suffering from scurvy.
Speaking about the unexplored area In the
polar regions. Commander Peary said that there
were one million square miles Of unknown ter
ritory between the pole and Bering Strait pre-
vious to his expedition. He had not yet figured
out by how much that quantity was reduced.
Asked about the purple snow fields at the
/ pole the hummocks and crevices approaching
the pole. Commander Peary said:
THAT is a range of information that do not
| care 10 impart now"
| Speaking OF the depth OF water he said that
| he had run out 1900 fathoms OF line without
reaching bottom within five miles of the pole.
| We took souadtngs from Cape Columbia to
the pole he continued. (which gives a cross
section OF that part OF the foes of the Arctic
Ocean. The soundings were from ten 10 twen-
| ty miles apart.
REFUSAL To TELL TEMPERATURE.
What was the thickness OF the ice and the
temperature Of the atmosphere he was asked
| Il had no means Of measuring the ice, which
~ s heavy l do not care TO tell the temPera-
ture."
Bearing on the Cook controversy. Commander
Peary was asked: Are the Esquimaus who
we're with Dr. Cook in his trip TO the pole on
your shp?''
No but talked with them"
Have YOU heard that any Esqulmaus
were at the pole before yours?'
NO never No inducement that could be
offered them would tempt them out on that
/ sea Of ice until went there. They knew by ex-
perence the liability Of the ice breaking up and
I CARRYING neoDle away 10 DEATH
why did you not have white witness at
the pole2"
Because after a lifetime OF effort dearly
wanted the honor for myself
4 number of dispatches addressed 10 Com
mander Peary Chateau Bay. Red Bay and
Blanc sabon. dated September and o. were
received here only to-day for delivery.
The tug Douglas Thomas. with correspondents
on boardA after a stormy passage up the west
coast Of Newfoundland and through the Strait
OF Belle Isle from sydney. arrived at this lonely
whaling and mission settlement at noon yes
| terday
The Roosevelt looked little the worse for her
| trip to the polar regions. The commanders
| greeting 10 the correspondents was most cordial.
This is a new record In newspaper enterprise
he said. and l appreciate the compliment"
WAITING FOR COOKS STATEMENT
| The commander said that he would not dis
cuss the statements of DIR. Cook until the main
! point. whether Dr. Cook had actually reached
the North Pole not. had been decided by
others. He then dictated the following state
| ment:
| Il am the only white who has ever
reached the North Pole. and prepared TO
| prove IL at the proper time. 1 have already
! stated publicly that Cook has not been 10 the
| pole. This 1 reaIirm. and will stand by il.
| but l decline 10 discuss the details of the mat
| ter. These will come out later. l have said
that Dr. Cooks statement that he had reached
| the pole should not be taken seriously. and that
1 have him nailed by concrete proofs to support
my statement. In six months you probably will
| get the whole story. IL would not be policy
| for me TO enter full debate with the sub
| ject IL now stands. To do SO would be Civ
! ing out much information of which other uses
could be made. intend to wait until Or. Cook
has issued his full authOEized statements. Up
TO the present time there have been only news
| paper accounts of Dr. Cooks alleged polar trip.
and these may may not be accurate. When
DIR. Cook has time to issue complete author
| ized version of his journey will be the proper
| opportunity for me TO make public the infOrma-
| tion which have. After that the jury in other
words the people and the scientific bodies of the
world. will pass judgment the matter. and
there will then be nothing left of Dr. Cooks
case but his own assertions that he has reached
the North Pole. In the mean while 1t Is my de-
termination not to deal with debates for the
reasons already stated"
POSSIBILITY OF NEW CONTINENT.
Commander Peary was asked II new land
could have been discovered in latitude 81. longi-
tude So. In reply he shrugged his shoulders
and said il was quite possible that an unknown
continent existed further west. He referred
| to the land discovered by himself previous
| trips that had not yet been explored.