The San Francisco call., 1909-09-29
Bases Cry of Fake" on Six
Counts, Ringing Principally
on Rivals Equipment
Distance Alleged to Have Been
Traversed by Doctor Could
Not Have Been Covered
Declares SIedges and Snow
shoes Not Right Kind for
Long Arctic Journey
- special Dispatch 10 The Call

II IL
the published statements of DIR.
=. Frederick a. Cook as the am
nunitioa with which he loaded his
vocal batteries. Commander Robert (.
Peary today fired broadsides on
Cooks claims to the discovery of the
north pole
= Pearys charges cover six points.
Summarized they are:
That Cook did not visit the Peary
csirn at Cape Thomas Hubbard.
That Cook did not have a sledge flt
for the journey to the pole.
That Cooks snowshoes were not of
the best kind.
That he could not have carried an
artificial horizon of glass.
That Cooks claim to have travelled
25Iz degrees in one season was ex-
cessive, and that if Cook reached the
pole he would have kept with him the
flag which he took there instead of
leaving it with Harry Whitney.
Hints at Conspiracy
Though using no ugly words in re-
gard to Cook he left the ready infer
ence from his statements that he be-
lirved Cook untrustworthy; regarded
him as absolutely dishonest and con-
sidered his word unworthy of belief.
Eesry also intimated that Whitney
and Cook had schemed together to
give out yesterdays story from Whit
ney as subterfuge to prevent Cook
from being compelled to produce the
character of his data and instruments
As the basis OF proof that the Brook
lyn physician really reached the pole
= Taking Cooks statement that he had
gone from the seventy-eighth parallel
of latitude to the pole and thence re-
turning TO the seventy-sixth parallel
in one sledging season, Commander
Peary stated that such trip could not
be made
To explain. he stated that this meant
a journey of more than LOO miles a
season, which extends from February
until the first of July.
Scores Cooks Equipment
Z Previous explorers of all nations had
never been able to make such trip
even with their best equipment.
Again he attacked Cooks sledge
with which the latter claimed to have
reached the pole No man, he be-
lieved, with such equipment, could
have gone over the ice to the end of
the earth.
Under such conditions as were met
at the pole no man could have gone
-3over the ice with either sledges or
-snowshoes patterned after those OF
Doctor Cook.
Peary said:
One OF my main arguments will be
the strongest that has been advanced
in arctic explorations ever since the
Yfrst great expedition was sent there
the recognized custom of an explorer
when reaching point attained by an
explorer previously to make a copy of
the record left in d cairn there, put it
in the place of the original and bring
the original back with him. Doctor
Cook did not do this at Cape Thomas
Hubbard, where left a record in
1906.
One OF the most significant things
in my mind" continued Peary, "is
Doctor Cooks statement that he car
ried glass artificial horizon through
the journey to the pole and back.
You. can figure out for yourself the
wear and tear on such an instrument
II carried on one sledge over the most
difficult going that human beings can
negotiate.
No Quarrel With Whitney
MY experience in eight expeditions
resulted in my carrying a cast iron
horizon. the mercury in which could be
heated. Breakage was impossible"
did you ever have any quarrel with
whitney, he was asked.
Our relations were those of one gen.
tleman to another" replied the COM
snander with emphasis.
whitney told me that he had some
instruments OF Doctor Cooks, but did
not state their character. 1 did not in
rez from what he said they were other
&an ordinary instruments. compass.
etc. that man ordinarily has when
hunting in the north. ] could not con-
ceive of a man entrusting instruments
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