The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-05

Arctic regions had already answered that. His brilliant record to those who knew 1t was decisive and in any case we could not cross-examine him on that question.
 The second question, which was one of the competence of himself and of his in- struments. was one on which he could speak; first, as to his capacity to make the elaborate astronomical observations by which alone the pole could be located.
 pr. Cook replied that he had been en gagged in exploring nearly 20 years and had thorough theoretical and practical knowledge of the science of making as- tronomical observations. He had taken them in Alaska when he made the ascent of Mt. Mckinley, and on one occasion when he was virtually In command of d yacht cruising in Arctic waters he had made all the observations necessary for the direction of her course. His observa- tons from a later day would speak for themselves.
 I asked whether there were any means other than astronomical by which he could verify his statement that he had reached the pole.
 Dr. Cook replied:
 Miles Are Measured.
 We know by our pedometers exactly how many miles we travelled each day. The record of ground or ice covered con stituted constant check upon the result of our astronomical observations.
 I asked whether the weather was such that daily observations were possible.
 Dr. Cook replied
 "On the outward journey we were able to take observations every day, and as we did not travel more than 15 miles we had time enough
 Here various objections were raised as to the possibility of covering 15 miles a day.
 Cook answered these by saying:
 Tt is impossible to cover more than 10 miles a day when you rely upon men to haul the sledges. It Is impossible to cover 10 miles a day if you carry heavy lug gage as Nansen did, and it is also inn possible if you start with half starved men and dogs, but we had reduced our impediments to an irreducible minimum. We started with well-fed dogs and men and we had the pick of the best men an1 dogs in the Arctic regions. Further in the early stages we travelled through a coun- try abounding In game, supplying ample food When we had left land behind us we were on strict rations of one pound of pemmican. Under these conditions 15 miles was quite possible z I asked him whether he was quite sure he had located the geographical pole how did he know that one particular spot of ice in the vast expanse of the Polar ocean was the pole?
 Two Days at the Pole.
 He replied:
 of you ask me whether I located the pole to a square foot l reply, I did not but I located it with sufficient certainty to be scientifically sure that the pole was within the circumference of circle not more than a gunshot in diameter. I was two days at the pole. I took observa- tions both at the center and all around the circle. l am quite certain that when my records are examined by competent scientific men they will accept my con- clusions as correct"
 I pointed out that his only witnesses were two Eskimos, who could not possibly be regarded as scientific experts
 To this he replied:
 NO; not in our sense but the Eskimos are better witnesses than the white men who usually accompany an expedition Their knowledge of distances is superior They understand the lay of the 1and They have their own traditions of the Great Nall as they call it. However I expect that entirely independent of the Eskimos, version of the discovery will be published by MT. Rasmussen Of the Greenland government, who has taken down their statements"
 I objected to the remark about the comparative value of white men, but Dr. Cook said:
 Always a Place.
 Tn all expeditions there has been one man who has made the observations and calculations and his companions have ac- cepted them as correct. My evidence is just the same as that upon which the story of every other Arctic explorer must necessarily rest. I have made these ob- servations; l have recorded them care fully I shall publish them as speed fly as possible, and by them I must be judged"
 I suggested that one skeptlc has said that any clever man could invent a se- ries of observation in his own room and put them forth as If they had been taken on the spot.
 To this objection pr. Cook replied:
 But why should I do such thing? Why should l. who am an enthusiast on my own account. who has pursued this quest at the peril of life and limb for years, be suspected of suddenly be- coming so great a scoundrel as to at tempt to palm such a fraud upon the world?'
 replied that thought the best answer to that was to say that no human being possessed audacity so sublime as to dare attempt IO ucC0lNc tiiC "hoic huiiiehiA ie''.S. Such a flight of ambitious imagination was beyond any but the champion crim- inal of the world.
 Complete Outfit.
 Returning to more technical questions, I asked him as to his instruments. He said:
 q had a complete outfit of the very latest and best instruments that could be carried on our sledges. We had, first, three chronometers and a watch The Watch went wrong but the chronometers lasted through. We had sextants, barom- eters. in short, everything we neded. There was by the way, mistake in the published letter which told of tempera- ture of S3 degrees Centigrade. It should hove been S3 degrees Fahrenheit
 I asked if his letter was published as he wrote it. .
 Cook said:
 q have not yet seen 1t in print"
 A copy being handed to him he said that so far as he could see on a cursory glance it was printed as he wrote it. The names of the EslSimos, however, were mis-spelled They were called Etukishuls and Ahwelah.
 Did you come upon any traces of pre- vious explorers?" was asked
 "Only the remains of camps"