The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-26
Commander PeaTy Again Takes
 Up Dr. Cooks Claims
PROOFS ARE SUBMITTED
Peary Says Whitney Has Nothing To Do With Cooks Claim and That Important Proofs Are in
 Hands of Hubbard.

Hands of Hubbard. Portland, Me, September 25-"Harry Whitney does not play any part. one way or another, in any evidence regarding pr. Cooks claim of first reaching the pole" said Commander Peary to a score of newspaper men at his summer home ! today He said that he was unable to say in what way Whitney Is connected with the controversy. He has received no word from Whitney since the latter ar rived at Indian Harbor in the Jeanie and he says that he has no intention of attempting to communicate with him.
 Whitney, he said was with him on the Roosevelt from August F to. "A. but never told him that pr. Cook had discovered tie pole nor did he know that any one on the Roosevelt knew it until he received a message from the Associated Press Continuing. Commander Peary said:
 'I have absolutely no intention of mak- ing a statement previous to my interview with General Hubbard at Bar Harbor un- less there is a change of plans to suit General Hubbard. Having turned over certain papers to him. the whole matter is now in his hands. These papers bear almost entirely on the main proposition which is: Has Cook been at the pole? I feel the utmost reliance in General Hubbard's judgment" he added
 Commander Peary understands that Lewis A. Deafield Is counsel for the Peary Arctic club. and that General Hubbard is acting only In the capacity of president of the club. The report that q suit for islander was contemplated by pr. Cook was received without comment.
 The Secret Paper.
 He did say, however that he was un- able to understand how his secret papers, copies of which were left in several hands year ago last July and which expressed his views on Dr. Cool1'ss methods, could enter into the controversy.
 When asked today if that paper con tained proof, Commander Peary replied:
 How could I. before going north, have given proof that Dr. Cook did not dis cover the pole? I should have no objec- tion to giving out the paper, for there is nothing In it I would not say to anyone and nothing in 1t which is not familiar 10 frlenuS ana dcQualnIanceS Wltn whom I have talked. A person who has read my previous work could tell pretty well the substance of that paper. particularly if he has read some interviews with me within a year of my going north, or has heard me discuss the subject frankly. I left the paper in several hands, the <')- ject being to make entirely clear the light in which regarded Dr. Cooks method of launching his expedition and entering my sphere of work"
 "Could Dr. Cook have reached the pole if he had had your equipment?" was asked.
 "Yes,'' replied Commander Peary. If he had known what my sledge was and had had 23 years experience in the Arc- tic, but not otherwise"
 Peary's Perfected sIedge.
 The bringing of the Morris K. Jesup sledge to its state of perfection, he said. was the result of experience gained on every expedition, as changes were, made after every trip.
 Speaking of Henson, he said:
 "'rhere are three reasons why I took Henson on the last march. The first was because of his loyalty in 1894, when all the party turned back except he and Lee The second was because Henson can handle Eskimo dogs and a sledge as we'll as any Eskimo and better than any white man ever had on an expedi- ton. The third was that was the only white man who could afford to walk and take supplies from a single sledge on the last dash Captain Bartlett never had the idea that he was going to the pole, so far as I know
 Speaking of the big lead which three years ago delayed his progress north a week and carried him 70 miles ofr his course, Commander Peary said that ex- perience made him realize that he must keen in close touch with his supporting parties and this time the supporting parties were not cut off at any time.
 Temperature in Arctic.
 Tn regarding to conditions in the Arctic and Dr. Cooks statement as to temper ature, he said
 .I should hesitate about saying that S3 | degrees below zero was improbable, but never observed the Temperature within 10 degrees of that mark. The lowest tenn perature observed during the last trip In the camps was 54 degrees with 59 degrees below zero on the ice. The lowest tenl- peraturel ever took was B degrees be- low zero in March, 1901, at Lake Hazen in the interior of Greenland. We were then a number of miles from the coast and several hundred feet above the level Of the sea.
 ..The ice caps in the interior of Green land are 10000 to 12,000 feet high. and the temperature there Is probably colder than anywhere in the world. except possibly some high attitudes in the Antarctic.
 Living like Eskimos means sleeping in igleos and wearing their clothing. It does not mean that we eat raw meat then, al- though three years ago we were driven to that extremity when we were blocked by the big lead"
 Commander Peary appeared more cheer ful tonight than at any time since his re- turn from the north.
 orviIle Wright Will Not Fly.
 Berlin, September 25. Orville Wright, the American aviator, has