Mexico Missouri message., 1909-10-07
PEARY GIVES OUT
GIST OF CHARGE
SAYS COOK SHOULD HAVE RE-
TANNED RECORDS LEFT AT
CAPE HUBBARD.
IS HIS STRONGEST PROOF"
Asserts Rival Ignored Recognized Gus
tom Of Arctic Explorers and Calls
17oo-Mile Dash IN Season I'm
possibie-critlclse Outfit.

possibie--criticlses Outfit.
Bar Harbor, Me-Commander Rob
ert E. Peary, while on his way
from Portland to Bar Harbor, made
his first authoritative statement
regarding the charges TO be contained
in his indictment" against DR.. Fred
erick A. Cook. He came here to con-
suit with Gen. Thomas H. Hubbard
over the final preparation of the in
dictment.
In response to the direct question::
What is your strongest line of proof
that DR.. Cook was not at the North
Pole?" Commander Peary replied;
"One of my main points will be the
| strongest that has been advanced in
Arctic exploration-that is the recog-
nized custom of an explorer, when
reaching point attained by an ex-
plorer previously, to make a copy of
the record in the cairn there, put it
in place of the original, and bring the
original back with him. DR.. Cook did
not do this.
AT Cape Thomas Hubbard l left a
record in 1906. DR.. Cook declares
that, after he left Annatok, he went
to Cape Thomas Hubbard with his
large party of Eskimos. Although he
had men enough to make a thorough
search, he did not do so. He passed
the cape twice to the pole, as he out
lines, but neither time did he say he
had looked Tor the cairn. My record
! is still there If he can show that
record, l will accept it as positive
proof he was at Cape Thomas Hub
| bard.
LOO Miles in Season.
you have read what DR.. Cooks
equipment was, and you know what
mine was. Remember that he had to
travel PA miles more than l did. He
claims to have gone from Annatok
(about 1880 north latitude) to the
pole at 80, a distance of liz degrees
from the pole, to Jones Sound, 76,
distance of IA degrees, in one single
sledging season. That is 25h de-
grees, or more than LOO miles in a
single sledging season; that is, from
the beginning of the return of daylight
to the breaking up of the ice.
Before DIR. Cook no explorer has
ever been able to cover more than IL
degrees of latitude (75G miles) in a
single sledging season, even with a
perfect equipment, sturdy men and a
full complement Of the best of dogs"
Peary was asked what was his best
record for single sledging season.
I'm former expeditions, considerably
less than 13 degrees 600 miles)," he
replied. I'm my last, not quite IA
degrees (975 miles,"
sPeary then pointed out what he con-
sidered a great defect in the Cook
equipment-the snowshoes.
1.-THE Cook snowshoes," he said.
were not the best for practical pur-
poses such mine were. They were
short and round and wide. Those
used on my expedition were long
they were turned up at the toes so
they would not catch in the snow, and
they had long tail in the rear that
aided travelling. Mine were built from
patterns drawn by the makers after
suggestions given by me-"
81 examined that sledge," said the
Commander 81 looked it over very
carefully So did Henson. So did
Mcmillan. They know sledges, ]
guess, and so do l."
Gould you describe it? Was ii like
your Morris X. Jesup sledge?"
|
of any sledge have ever used in Arc
tic work"
'Was it such a sledge as you would
likely use?"
1T was not. I would not trust my
self with 1t for any length of journey
1t would not have travelled one day on
the ice with a standard load"
do you think Cook could have
gone to the pole with it,"
Absolutely no. Never at any time
while was in the north did / thinl
| there was possibility OF Cook having
reached the pole. nor did think Sc
later"
why did you not ask Whitne,
what he knew Of DR.. Cooks trip Il
! the pole2 Why did you not seek hi
, proof or dlsproof?"
Hadn't seen and talked with ev
cry Eskimo in Eskimo land, and didn'
Z Henson talk TO them2 Why, / know
I those Eskimos as father knows hi
: children. ! won't say that they lool
; upon me as a god, but they do lool
on me as benefactor.
jerome Files Independent Candidacy
n i 49,. VEL lNiA.. Ini..a..i.A A ~ y