Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-07
FEDERAL OFFICIALS
ARE ENTHUSIASTIC
OVER PEARY'S FEAT

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6.-"should an
American first of all place the Stars
and Stripes at that coveted spot there
is not an American citizen at home or
abroad but would feel little better
and a little prouder of being an Ameri-
can"
Commander Robert E. Peary almost
three years ago thus prophetically out
lined his view of the value and interest
attached to the achievement he an
nounced in his dispatch today
The news of Peary's feat, following
close on the heels of DR.. Cooks plant
ing of the American flag at the same
spot evoked enthusiastic plaudits in
Washington.
"such wonderful achievements as this
| make epochs in the history of the
world" declared Capt Veeder. in
charge of the United States naval OBJ
servatory.
"Pearv adds still another name to
the long list of American heroes said
Prof Asaph Hall of the observatory
"The energy he has displayed, MS
persistence and the intelligence he has
brought to bear on tilis great problem
are worthy of all commendation.
Accepted Statement
Those persons who had associated
with Peary here spoke OF hin TO-DAY as
a man of wonderful capacity for doing
things, and they instantly accepted the
statement that he had discovered the
pole.
The courses taken by Commander
Peary and DIR. Cook did not differ very
materially, according TO Prof. henry
| Grannett, the geographer.
TT seemed to me that Peary was be-
| ing delayed when he left year or so
ago." said Prof Grannett.
"Peary's plan was to get up 10 tne
northwestern cape of Grant Land where
he made his former headquarterp pc
| fore the ice closed in. He had been
previously to the vicinity OF Lazy
Franklin bay and then northwest along
the coast for quite distance pe1ore
proceeding away from land and start
| ing out for the pole.
II should say he took about the same
course this time. DR.. Cook started ar
FJtah and crossed over into Grinnell
| land to some point on the north coast
near where Peary started. Their
courses seem to have varied little
Crowns His Work
Peary's attainment crowns the work
of expeditions that he has led for a
number of years. His last expedition
| was in 1906, when by means OF the NJ
| tie Arctic steamer Roosevelt, and by
| journeying on sledges, he succeeded IN
reaching 81 degrees 6 seconds north
| latitude.
| 1906 after a zigzag journey in the Arc
tic ocean exactly two years TO a day
| before DIR. Cook reached the pole.
He regarded that expedition as sim
plifying the task by 90 per cent, and
| his failure to reach the pole was at
tributed by him to the fact that the
winter was not normal. being par
| ticularly open season throughout the
northern hemisphere.
| He believed he could have reached the
| pole then in spite of the open season,
! if he had known actual conditions
northward as he subsequently knew
| them.
An exploration following him. ac-
cording to Commander Peary, could not
easily attain the pole, but could make
deep sea soundings throughout the CEN
| trail Polar ocean, and delineate the un-
| known gap in the northeast coast line
of Greenland from Cape Morris Jessup
to Cape Bismarck
Commander Peary's last public ap-
| pearance at Washington was when
| President Roosevelt presented to him
| on December IS, 1906. the Hubbard
| medal of the National Geographic So
ciety. 1t was then that Peary declared
that man and the Eskimo dogs are the
only two mechanicisms that could meet
all the contingencies of Arctic work,
Prof Willis L. Moore, in discussing
the achievements of Cook and Peary.
said it was entirely probable that the
| data of one would not check up with
that of the other because of the NOV
| ing ice. and that Peary may not have
| found on April last any trace indi-
eating that Cook had been there the
| year before.
The statements of both explorers that
| they have found the pole are accepted
| by Professor Moore. who says he be-
lieves that they will be substantiated
| by satisfactory scientific data.
| He states that he will call a special
meeting of the Geographic society
| directors later in the week to take ac-
ton toward making suitable recognition
| of the remarkable exploits of the two
American explorers,