Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-17
WANTED THE HONOR
TO HIMSELF ALONE
Answering Categorical Questions
of Associated Press, Command
er Reiterates That Cook
Never Reached Goal.

n. F)-Commander Peary answered a
number of questions asked him by the
Associated Press correspondent.
WAS DR.. Cook at the pole?'' was the
first question, to which the commander
replied:
Cook was not at the pore on April q.
1908, or at any other time. 1 make this
statement advisedly and at the proper
time will back 1t up with proof
Were you surprised. commander
Peary, on returning to Labrador, to rearh
that DIR. Cook had reported reaching the
pole or had anything happened before
you returned to cause you 10 anticipate
this event?" he was mex rasked.
II heard it in New York that DR.. COOK
was going to bring the pole back re-
piled the commander.
DENIES HE OPENED LETTERS.
us it true that you opened letters or
documents having reference to this
pcint?"
NO" he responded emphatically.
did Harry Whitney make any import
ant statements to you about another po-
lar expedition
He made no statement" said Com
mander Peary. He Is on the relief
schooner JEANNE now, and is probably
shooting bear on the western coast.
What life is there to b. found at the
uOINl pOlC' nv
animals there?'
when l was there, it was not the sea-
son for birds. L do not know II there
are fish in the polar seas at that spot.
There are no animals at the poIe."
WOULDN'T DISCUSS STORES.
Commander Peary declined to discuss
the charges that he took supplies at
Etah belonging to DR.. CuO-l, nut declared
that Capt Moses Bartlett could not
throw any light on this point, because he
had not been in Greenland since Peary
went there last Rudolph Francke had
begged piteously to be taken out of
Greenland.
He was suffering from scurvy
Speaking about the UNEMPLOYED area In
the polar regions, Commander Peary SAID
that there were 100000 square miles OF
unknown territory between the pole and
Behring straits previous to his expedition.
He had not yet figured on how much that
quantity was reduced.
Asked with regard to the purple snow
fields at the pole. the hummocks and
crevices approaching the pole' COM
mander Peary said:
THAT is a range of Information that
l do not care to impart now.
FOUND 1900 FATHOMs.
Speaking of the depth of water. ne said
line without reaching bottom within five
miles of the pole.
I'VE took soundings from Cape Column
bia to the pole" he continued, which
give a cross section of that part of the
foes of the Arctic ocean. The sounding
were from 10 to 20 miles apart"
"What was the thickness or the ice and
the temperature of the asnIospnere?" he
was asked
II had no means Of measuring the ice.
which was heavy. l DO not care 10 tel
the temperature"
Bearing on the Cook controversy, Com
mander Peary was asked:
Are the Eskimos who were with DIR.
Cook in his dash to the pole on your
ship?'' g.. .-l......... 49,.
''No. but 1 talked with them"
Have you heard that any Eslkimos
were ever at the pole before yours?"
mo, never. No inducement that could
be offered them would tempt them out on
that sea of ice until I went there. They
know by experience the liability of the
ice breaking up and carrying people away
to death"
WANTED THE HONOR HIMSELF.
why did you not have a white wit
ness at the pole?"
Because after a life time of effort,
1 dearly wanted the honor for myself"
A number of dispatches addressed to
Commander Peary at Chateau bay, Red
bay and Blanc Sablon. dated September
and were received mere only today
for delivery.
Up to the present time his total expen-
ditures in this work, he said. aggregated,
roughly speaking, $500,0O0. The first ana
smaller portion of this was his own and
his wife's fortunes. and the contributions
Il III.
lectures and books also went in, said
Commander Peary OF the total outlay.
about $35O,000 had been supplied by men,
bers of the Peary Arctic club and other
connections. He had always lived on
his salary, and until 1906 was in lebt for
money advanced for his Arctic investiga-
tlons.
Commander Peary has received an in
vitation to address the National Geo
graphical society at Washington. and to
attend the Canadian camp dinner in New
York in November. Bangor, Maine, wish
es to offer a welcome to the explore
between trains, and Portland IS also
anxious to entertain him.
Plaster Model of Cook
for Arctic Club Banquet
NEW YORK. Sept. ia plaster modei
OF DIR. Frederick A. Cook, standing four
feet in his polar costume, will be one of
the decorative features of the banquet
which the Arctic Club of America will
give to the Brooklyn explorer on his re-