New-York tribune., 1909-12-13
NEW COOK SkEPTIC
"NEW LAND 4 MYTH.
Open to Scientific I'm mprobaba-
ity," Says Scientist.
From The Tribune Bureau. !

Washington. Dec 12-Thoss who are
skePtieal OF Dr. Cooks polar claims have
received an important addition % their
ranks IN the person OF Dr. J. ". Spencer.
member OF the Geological Survey, Of OF
tswa. and author of many important SCI
entihc treatisss On tas subject OF co-n-
mental shelves and submarine canyons Dr.
Spencer IS especially skeprical Of the ex-
istencs OF Bradley Land. which DR.. Cook
says he had seen and which the Canadian
sciertist declares TO be open to scientific
fmprobahility"
MY opinion regarding Bradley Land"
says DR. Spencer. lis based on study OF
the continental shelves and fords OF the
Arctic basin I am inclined 70 place the
theoretical limit Of from fifty 10 one hun
CRED miles as the breadth OF the shelf in
front Of the known islands. without the
expectation OF finding any great islands
further north The edge OF the shelf. in
dicating the limit OF the insular sx1en-
sion of continental lands. wherever found.
precludes the probability OF land beyond
rising out OF the deep sea basin
1t viii be clearer 70 the general reader
70 explain that the edge OF the continent
IS MOI that OF the present shore line. for
beyond the shore line the coastal plain ez-
tends seaward- IL may De for only a few
miles or even three hundred where II Is
al a depth OF from zoo to 500 feet below
the surface. This is the continental slope.
Beyond this the siops is abrupt and
plunges into the oceanic abyss This slope
may be fringed BY submarine platsaus. or
terraces. az depths CT from 1000 20 40OO
feet, and both these and the slope are dis
sectsd by canyons.
Captain AIIkkslsen. Of Denmark. has
found the edge OF the c0ntinsntal shelf
north OF Alaska less than sixty miles from
land and AZ a depth OF two hundred feet
below the surface OF the sea- Commander
Peary has discovered the edge OF the shalt
north of Grant Land AZ forty miles and a
depth Of six hundred feet. There IS also 8
lower submarine plateau. the highest point
Of which is az a depth OF two thousand
feet, Immediately beyond which Is a plunge
70 ths oceanic abyss The lower plateau
is traversed by deep hord trending 10 The
west, proving the existence OF deep basin
in thar direction The course Of the deep
trench is transverse 70 that OF the rsputed
Bradley Land and even Il q suomergee
mountain range should be found on the
plateau its direction would also Be cross.
wise OF Bradley Land"
DR.. Spencer points out that Bradley
Land OF which Dr.. Cook gives = somewhat
extended description. saying il rises in
steep cliffs TO e height OF about twelve
thousand feet. must be. according 70 Dr.
Cook. from 10 20 200 miles srorn Grant
Land Or. Spencer argues from this that
Bradley Land must rise cut OF the polar
basin az q point where Il is more than a
nile. i not Two miles. deep. and four times
as far from land as IS the known edge Of
Tie continental shelf.
Taking another picture entitled The
Stars and Stripes az The North Pols. April
p, 1903 d. Spencer points ont that The
light On The objecJs photographed, with the
sun shining. comes from al four points OF
the compass AZ once. From careful analy-
sis OF The text and photographs furnished BY
Dr. Cock, the Canadian scientist concludes
that Bradley Land is n myth"