New-York tribune., 1909-09-05


worthy feature of the dinner after Dr. Cooks
acceptance in the morning was that the appli-
cations for seats reached into the thousands
ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS
DIR. Cook gave TO large body of newspaper
correspondents whom he met this evening at
the Hotel Phoenix detailed account OF his
Journey TO the pole. At the request OF tbs cor
respondents he consented TO answer all ques-
tions. He was asked first whether or not the
first account OF his discovery OF the pole could
be accepted as entirely his own work He re-
piled in the affirmative. except for the obvious
errors in transmission. He then explained the
doubt about the thirty thousand square miles
discovered. saying that he meant they were able
to see fifteen miles each side during their
journey TO the pole, and thar therefore q
hitherto unknown territory OF thirty thousand
square miles now discovered.
DR.. Cook proceeded to show that he was fully
! competent to take all observations. saying that
| on previous exploring expeditions he had dore
| very little observation work, which usually was
\ divided among the members OF the party.
| This time he continued. "we had started
! out TO reach the pole, and everything else was
OF secondary consideration II was not possibls
| 10 carry certain apparatus. and II was tnnpos-
sibIe also TO study the deep sea take sound
! ings. We carried all necessary simple instru-
ments for astronomical observations. and We
| were very lucky TO obtain observations .vi-ru-
! ally every day. The positions noted must havs
/ been nearly correct We had three chrononn-
| eters. one watch. compasses and pedometers.
All were carefully compared with another
! from time 10 time. The watch. however. got our
! Of order.
| We had all the modern instruments which
other explorers have had. including thernonn-
eters. harometers and sextants OF the latest
models It is possible that our observations
were better than those Of earlier days. but do
not assert that I perfectly familiar with
making astronomical observations, especially in
! the polar regions I think that all explorers viii
| he satisfied with my data.
WHY INVENT? ASKS COOK
Why should sit down and invent observa-
tious?' he exclaimed Il did not do this thing
for anything but sport and because take real
interest in the problem. It would not do me-
any good to invent these things The only wit
nesses had we're two EsquimatIs. csrtainls, but
in all polar expeditions observations have hecp
| made by one man. I regard the Esduimau az
much more intelligent in finding positions than
the white man I'm the Arctic These people as
rule are not absolutely ignorant. They know
that the earth is round They have name for
the pole, which they call the Big Nail They
appreciate the work Of explorers when partici-
pating therein
Il think Rasmussen has obtained some in
formation regarding nv expeditions IRON, ths
Esquimaus. who have learned it from the two
with me- Rasmussen was there much later. and
his information will be published shortly. pos
sibly Tomorrow.
Concerning the ice around the pole, so far
7 could see il was slightly more active thers
than at one or two degrees south. II drtfted
somewhat more to the south and east. It's ger
eraI character Is not very different from that at
other places. We stayed around the pole for two
TO have put my finger the exact spot: do
not claim to have put my foot il, but per-
sonaIly ! think we have been at the spot When
the observations have been figured out again &c
is possible that there will be found slight errors
and differences. but I certain that s-1nshot
fired from where We were would have passed
over the pole
We planted the stars and Stripes at what va
believed to be the pole. but did not leave the
flag with a staff. Instead. placed a small silk
flag in a cylinder. with my card and tbs record
Of the journey. with the date The drift ice
may carry the flag away. but to that Is n
matter OF indifference / should have been very
glad 20 have found land there.
L am quite prepared To place my observations
! before any geographical society in the world E
think there IS no doub; about my obtaining su-
thoritative recognition. have already received
kilograms from the geographical societies OF
countries. which congratulate me, while Anaund-
sen. Nordenskj6ld. Cagni and Lecointe have ac-
knowledged my work I offer my observations
to science, the other men have dons.
and I accept the responsibility
HAS MANY PHOTOGRAPHS.
As 70 the temperature at the pole it was
minus So I took about four hundred photo
graphs. one of which shows the American haS
flying These yet have not been developed
THE daily distance covered on the north-
ward trip was slightly less than fifteen miles:
on the southwark trip IL was ten miles. This
is not an abnormal distance for Esquinnaus on
the ice. They often travel fifty or sixty miles
wiki dogs one Of the greatest advantages Of
our trip that did not take famine route
We had game for long time. perhaps for
hundred miles We fed our dogs well through
out the winter in Greenland. and them four
hundred miles. giving them fresh meat every
day Thus we brought them 10 the polar sea
fat and we'll We had the best men and ths
best dogs
we lived entirely dried meat and beef
talIow. reducing the food problem to science
The last trace of animals a bear
track S3 degrees. Afterward did not even
see life in the water except algse. The drift oc
! the ice during the entire southern trip was
slightly south of east; the direction of the wind
| was generally south of west We found several
| of Sverdrup's old camps The reason util-
/ lied silk tents on some occasions was that Wa
! were exhausted that hadn't strength 10
/ build "A snow shed We had carefully figured
| and planned everything. so that there was no
| surplus weight TO carry. We did not short
except when went astray.
During the expedition ate all kinds oe
meat. I like musk OK best. but we would eat