Norwich bulletin., 1909-09-11
5ARDING THE PROVISIONS
CACHED IN THE ARCTIC
7tements by Capt. Bartlett and Chief
6ngineer Pike-What Became Of
Doctor Cooks Supplies.

st. Johns. n. f.. Sept 1O-Com-
ander Robert T.. Pcarv is expected
sail from Battle Hal sor. Labrador
Ae-c he put in last Wednesday, for
th sydney. G.. 3, tomorrow. The
siosCvclt was at Battle Harder late
Gay and the wireless station at that
int vas still working overtime on
'ca1y's detailed account of his far
tther1 journey 1t is understood
that |cary's long stay at that. point
not so much for the purpose OF
ccalirr but that Battle Harbor was
decided upon rs stoaping place
where the commander could send the
account OF his trip to a syndicate of
newspapers. of which the New York
Times is the head.
Peary Has Net Yet Reached North
Sydney.
1t is not known here what time
Commander Peary expects to reach
North sydney, but mariners acquaint-
ed with the Roosevelt do not look for
her appearance at the Cape Breton
port before next Monday or Tuesday.
Much will depend on the weather con-
ditions in the Strait of Belle Isle and
upon the state of the vessels machin-
cry.
The Peary Cook controversy is of
intense interest throughout Newfound-
land.
Pesry Took Possession Of Stores, Saws
~. Captain BareItt.
Today, Capt. Moses Bartlett Of
Brigus, who. commanded DIR. Cooks
schooner John r. Bradley. which was
fitted out at Gloucester. Mass. in 1907,
issuedya public statment as follows:
DIR Cook is correct in stating that
Peary took his provisions after the
steamer Erik returned to Brigus last
fall. Three of her crew who belonged
to Brigus told me that when Peary
arrived at Etah that summer he took
possession of al. the stores I had left
there the previous fall for Cook,
against his return from the north.
These men say they helped to move
the stuff from where / left it, The
men are now on the Labrador coast.
This supply consisted of two dory-
loads of stores, food and, kerosene.
which our crew piled up on the beach
and then placed the dories over bot
tom up. Hiling stones around and above
them to make a cache. At Annatook.
thirty miles north. where Cook landed,
had previously put ashore two years
supplies for Cook and five tons of hard
coal, Our vessel, the John R. Brad
ley, was laden with stores and ten
tons of hard coal. When Cook landed
We gave him half the coal and the
stores except what we required to
bring us home. Cook could not steal
Peary's provisions because Peary had
none on any part of the coast having
used up all the provisions left there
by previous expeditions in his 1906
1906 trip"
Apparently Taken by Mistake.
When seen tonight. Richard Pike.
chief engineer of the steamer Erik.
fo1, N Tor 20,
Commander Peary last year. by con-
veying stores and coal to Etah to sup
plement those on the Roosevelt, said
that Peary did not take Cooks pro-
visions nor were they put or board of
Peary's shin. Pike said:
'Peary left two men of the Roose-
Welt, the hoatswain and one of the
fircmen. with the immense accumula-
tion of supplies he left at Etah when
came south. These men apparently in
took some of Cooks stores
that were also cached there"
What a Seaman of the Erik Says.
Another member of the Erik's crew,
who refused to have his name pub
lshed. said tonight that the stores
were taken by an understanding with
Francke, Cooks assistant, in part
for his passage from Etah to
the United States. The stock of ivory,
furs, skins and curiosities which
Francke and Cook had accumulated
were accepted as the equivalent of
Passage money. he said. The seaman
stated that at that time Cook was re-
garded as dead. as he had been miss
ing. and his stores and belongings
were regarded as legitimately availa-
BILE for this purpose. F'rancke, he add
eS was given tp understand that in
return for those gifts. a relief expedi-
tion would be organized as sort of
side line by the Roosevelt's crew to
search for Cook and bring him back
should be have been found alive.