New-York tribune., 1909-09-22
PEARY REFUSES H0NORS
TO AWAIT SETTLEMENT
OF CONTROVERSY.
Commander Had Heard of DR..
Cooks Claim - McMdlan'S
Records Stolen.

| discovery of the North Pole has been decided
| by scientific authorities. This he made known
/ tonight I'm the following statement, which he
gave out for publication:
Acting upon the advice of General Thomas II.
| Hubbard and Herbert J. Bridgman. president
| and secretary respectively of the Peary Arctlc
Club, wish to express my thanks 10 IrlchoS % @ LOT
| their kind offers and invitations ana alSo pc
| to say that I have decided not 10 accept any
invitations to receptions or any ovatlons untIl @
| the present controversy is settled by Competen1
| authority.
! Commander Peary supplemented this briefly
| He was asked when the public was likely to get
| a decision on this subject. and he replied
! II do not know hut what I have. to say will
not he very long delayed. Whether my state
ment will be issued in one week or two weeks
! depends on circumstances
| REFUSES TO TALK OF COOKS CLAIM.
| Regarding the story told by his cabin boy,
| William Pritchard, he said he had heard that
| Prtchard had been informed 10y DR.. Cook he
was at the pole. He declined however, to dis
cuss this matter. Asked when he first heard
that DR. Cook had been at the pole. the ex-
plorer started to reply by saying: II knew be-
fore reached Etah''- but did not finish the
answer he intended TO give. He ruled the
| question out a forbidden topic
| Commander Peary said that when he parted
company with Harry Whitney in August, the
| latter said he expected TO be home on October
! L
| to st. Johns. n. F.. direct. if there fair
winds Otherwise the captain would probably
report at a Labrador port where there was COM
! municatiOn.
| Regarding his observations he said he would
| first send general report of his trip TO the
| Peary Arctic Club, and then detailed state
ment of tidal. meteorological observations and
soundings to the Coast and Geodetic Survey, of
which Otto H. Tittmann is superintendent.
| STEAMER TO SAIL FOR NEW YORK
The Roosevelt will sail for New York to-mor-
row night, and will arrive there probably within
| five or six days Commander Peary when
asked about cOngratulato-y kilograms said: Il
| have not received my mail any newspapers
| yet ! expect to look through the accumulated
| correspondence on the train tomorrow
He adheres closely to his determination not to
| discuss the Cook controversy at present, but
when his attention was called again to the
trouble arising out of his placing one OF his men
| in charge of DR.. Cooks stores at Annatok, he
said: My boatsWain. Murphy, had his written
| Instructions which will be submitted at the
proper time
The explorer will leave Sydney at o'clock to-
morrow morning. and will reach his home on
| Eagle Island on, Friday morning. Apparently,
| Commander Peary has made up his mind to re-
| main at that place for some time for in speak
ing of his plans he said: IF the newspaper cor
respondents desire it I will arrange hour
| each day to meet them at South Harpswell,
three miles from Eagle Island and fifteen miles
from Portland or they come to Eagle Island
at the time appointed"
Prior to reaching the determination not to APP
! pear at public receptions, Commander Peary
had promised TO attend a reception between
| trains at Bangor, and this he will do. He will
stay in Portland on Thursday night. AS yet he
| has made no arrangements for lectures. He
| said he knew nothing personally about tho
| Hudson Fulton parade and could not outline
any programme of his immediate plans
| CANNOT FIX DATE OF ARRIVAL HERE.
II do not know when shall go to New York.
| replied Commander Peary tonight. when a di
rect question put to him. Il intend to
make my report the Peary Arctic Club, and
will work on it at Eagle Island
The explorer said that he had no definite
plan with regard to a visit to New York, and
| it is believed by his friends that he will re-
| main for some weeks at Eagle Island. 1T is
serted in some quarters that Commander Peary
| will remain there until DR.. Cook has submit
ted his data and records OF his polar journey
The reception of Commander Peary to-day
began when the Roosevelt edged her way past
Low Point eleven miles down the bay and con-
tinued all the way to the harbor and until the
| commander reached the Sydney heel, where he
q
tire of a great demonstration in which hundreds
OF persons pressed about him and shook his
hand.
Eleven times I have left Sydney for the
north" said the commander. 'Once brought
| back the largest meteor found; the last
time brought back my furthest north. and this
time have brought back the North Pole
SOUVENIR HUNTERS LOOT VESSEL.
While the Roosevelt lay at the city wharf
this afternoon eager throng of sghtseers
visited the ship and went through her from stem
to stern. Souvenir hunters carried away every
| thing portable, and many valuable records and
| data belonging to Professor Mcmillan were lost
| These were records of tides and animal life
north of So degrees latitude. the names of all
the Esqumaus in the Etah region, together
| with more than a hundred books, in which many
| important marginal notes had been made No
records bearing the dash to the pole were
| lost The missing books of immense value
and cannot be replaced. The authorities are
| issuing a public appeal for their return
| Professor Mcmillan is almost in tears. and
has appealed TO the police. He has lost the sci
| entihc fruit OF two years all his hotOgraphs
and there were almost two hundred volumes OF
notes and data. The American Consul. Mr..
Kehl, and police are at work on the theft
George Borup also was robbed OF valuable
| data. his camera. films and photographs.
The Roosevelt pilfered fore and aft of
everything that looked like a souvenir. Sea-
mems ditty bags were robbed. Knives, forks,
spoons cups saucers. cooking utensils side of
bacon and ship biscuits are among the things
stolen.
PLEASED WITH HIS RECEPTION.
The explorer spent the evening quietly with
his family, happy that the object OF many years
|