Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-09-16
Declares Peary Put q Boatswain
in Charge Of House Estab.
lished by Cook.
LETTER BY DR.. HANSEN
Perry Declared Cook Had Long bee N
Dcnd and Claimed the Provisions
for mself-Cook HID TO Fight
to Regain Possession Of
His Own Food.

ietter, giving Dr. ffeueTlCk y. LOOK y
version of the trouble with Commander
Peary over supplies, appears In the
newspaper Bolitiken. The letter was
written by Or. Norman Hansen. a
prominent Danish physician, who several
times visited Greenland to study eye
diseases, which he has made n speciality
Of.
Or. Cook told practically the same
story to one of his closest American
friends Just week ago, before Com
mander Penry reappeared on the scene.
Or. Hansen was with Cook for some
time in Greenland and returned with
him on the Danish government steamer
Hans Egede. In his letter. he says:
Now that DR.. Cook has gone ! am
no longer under any obligation to keep
silence. and will exercise my right to
publish the story about the house In
Annatok. a story which DR.. Cook has
too much delicacy to relate TO the
world. write It according to my me-
mory. in the same manner that DR..
Cook in Egedesminde told It to me. and
I am fully convinced that in no details
are my recollections wrong
"Dr. Cook had built his house for stores
in Annatok. North OF Etah. and 1t wa.
February. 1909. crossing Smith sound. II
was pretty large house. the walls be-
ing built Of heavily filled provision boxes
70 that Or. Cook knew that when this
important point was reached everything
was safe. He had before the start, ar
ranged with young friend named Whit.
ney that he have the right TO use the
house while hunting musk oxen for sport
IN the winter Of 1a0s-09
when Dr. Cook and his two Eski-
mos, exhausted and half starved. came
within a shots distance 81 the house
In Annatok. young Whitney came out
70 bid him welcome. but inside the
house was stranger. a giant New
foundland boatswain. on watch. This
man had been placed in DR.. Cooks
house by Peary. when the latter
passed Etah with his ship bound
north Peary had given the boat
swain a written order. which com
menced with the following words
This house belongs to Dr. Frederick
A. Cook but DR.. Cook Is long ago
dead and there Is no use to search
after him Therefore. I. Commander
Robert f. Peary. install my boatswa!n
III tHlS deserted
TOOK COPY OF DOCUMENT.
This paper his boatswain. who could
neither read nor write. exhibited to DR..
Cook and the latter took n copy OF this
wonderful document. DR.. Cook gave me
n lively account OF how the young mil
lioraire. Mr.. whitney. during the whole
winter was treated like a dog by the
4. g.
witnessed the sailor barterng DR. Cook
provisions for fox and bear skins for
himself. Or. Cook also had TO put a good
face on the unpleasant situation. lie had
TO beg to get into his own house and
had to make a compromise with the
boatswain with strong fists.
"Dr. Cook made a present Of the
house with all its contents to his two
faithful Eskimos. with the proviso that
Whitney was to have the use OF the
house as long ms his hunting trip lasted
but he was compelled TO let the New
Foundland boatswain continue his watch
Now, suppose the sailor will celebrat,
his triumphal entrance to New York har
Dor aboard Peary's ship while whitney Il
where? Aboard his own yacht Jeanne
Or perhaps he has not wanted 70 await To-
his own podt ana mas gone apodr'
Peary's ship.
GAVE WHITNEY HIS OBSERVATIONS
ITO Mr.. Whitney DR., Cook gave hi
instruments and his observations. as h
thought these precious things were safe
there than on the long siedge trip In tn
spring across Melville bay but all hi
notebooks and greasy and soiled recort
books which have been so closely writer
UP ne kept and carried with him Blu
what Is the record 10 us? The two men
Peary and Cook, the character. thei
conduct that Is what interest us, ant
every little item throwing aside light upol
their natures Is valuable"