Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-23

kimos and twenty-six dogs. We counted
Let me put you straight on the matter of
my sledges. We started from Greenland
with eleven sledges, lob dogs and eleven
Eskimos. We left Heiberg Island with
four men. From about sixty miles be-
yond the final dash was made, as l have
said. with two men and sledges. In fact,
we made the provisions last ninety four
or ninety-five days. They gave out west
of Hinges Land"
| What weight was on each sledge?'
| six hundred pounds
| In reply to a series of questions, DR..
| Cook said that he had taken several pho
| tographs at the pole, that he had not
| killed any seal or bear after his last sup
pOrterS went back, and that he had with
him folding boat, French sextant. an
artificial horizon of glass, three chronom-
eter watches, thermometers, barometers,
| pedometer. liquid compass. a survey
ing compass with azimuth attachment
and an ordinary pocket compass.
Did you determine your position by
the suns altitude or by observing the
pole starr"
How could l observe stars when the
sun was always above the horizon? There
were no stars"
Observations at Pole.
did you make any tests with pen
| dulum?''
Il had none"
What other kinds of observation did
you make?"
You've got them all now; the regular
astronomical observations"
How often were they made?"
Nearly every day"
will you describe any single observa-
ton taken by, you at the pole. with the
exact figures?'
Not at the present moment 1 will
make them all public when the University
OF Copenhagen has had them. That will
be soon-within two months probably.
l must have my instruments first"
DR.. Cook was asked if he took a pho
tograph of the land he says he saw near
the eighty-fifth parallel This land. which,
Cook, lies far north of any which has
hitherto been reported, is only 800 miles
from the pole and considerable distance
beyond any known land. Explorers have
put on record a statement which is capa-
BILE of verification by later explorers and
can thus furnish positive evidence. at
least so far as Commander Peary's
charges that he never went beyond sight
of land is concerned.
Il took photographs" he replied to the
question. but the land was SO far away
that l am not sure they will be success
full
How far away was it?"
About forty miles to the westward. We
$685." " 'D' 'ois''ooe
What was it like?"
We were looking on the eastern coast.
1t was In two parcels, the southern part
mountains covered with snow: the north
ern part table land covered with thin ice
sheet
Are you sure it was not cloud?'
Il cannot be absolutely positive on tha +
point, but think am right"
Told Whitney First.
By this time the explorer was answering
every question with perfect ease of man
ner. At times in the earlier part of the
interview he had spoken in SO low tone
as to be almost inaudible apparently not
SO much from embarrassment at any par
ticular turn in the inquiry as from the
fact that that, was his natural voice. Now.
however. he spoke forcibly and quite at
ease.
Who was the first person you told you
had been to the north pole?"
Harry Whitney, in April of this year.
That meeting must have been a strange
one. Can't you tell us about it?''
Leave that to Whitney. He is an un-
biased witness"
Where did you first catch sight of
him?'
I'VE had been sighted on an iceberg
about five miles off shore by his Eskimos
They came out with dogs We had no
dogs and only half a sledge. That was
not with us then, as we had left it on the
ice four or five miles out from the other
side
"Why?"
I'VE were several days without food,
and we knew we couldn't reach land that
day IL we kept the sledge.''
The answer came like the merest mat
ter-of-cOurse statement.
Then you saw Whitney,
He came out about two miles to meet
US. l didn't know him from Adam.
was surprised to see a white man. He
introduced himself. but l didn't catch his
name, and 1 didn't know it until next
day. when l asked him.
Didn't Expect Peary.
Didn't you know Peary was coming
north:'
No. the last news l had of him was
that he hadn't money enough"
why did you show such confidence in
whitney, stranger. as to leave your
instruments and records with him?,
I knew him by name as an explorer.
circumstances that arose while | was
with him justified my confidence. 7 gave
him the instruments to bring back he
cause l thought they would be less liza HE
to injury on board his vessel than if
TOOK them across glaciers and rough ice
covered country"
You felt that your instruments were
safer with him than with yourself?'
Il had hard trip before me until 7
could get out to civilization. / wanted
to make sure that If anything hannenea
to me the instruments and the obserya-
lions 1 had made with them were safe.
knew l could trust Whitney"
What occurred to inspire this con-
CONTINUED on Eighteenth PaRe)