The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-11-29
WELLMAN SAYS
COOKS RECORDS
ARE FRAUDULENT
Newspaper Arctic Explorer
Tears the Story to shreds
in Analysis
POINTS OUT some OF THE
: MOST GLAR|NG INACCURACIES

| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ed to Have Been Used by Cook Are
Human Impossibilities.
Washington, Nov. 29.-Walter Well
man. whose preparations for a con-
quest of the North Pole in an airship
was abandoned upon the announce
ment of the claims of DIR. Frederick
A. Cook and Commander Robert F.
Peary, issued long statement in
which he analyzed the narratives of
the two explorers. declaring that of
Peary precise. workmanlike, con-
sistent. credible in every particular"
and denouncing that of DIR. Cook as a
self evident and even deliberate i'm
posture.
| Cooks story is suspicious both in
what it does tell and what it does not
tell,' Mr.. Wellman declares. He is
generally vague and indefinite but,
like most men of his class, altogether
too precise at the wrong place. No
where does his story ring true. 1t is
always an approximation of reality
itself. This is true of his figures, his
descriptions, everything.
Those of US who have had share
in Arctic work." says Wellman, in
conclusion of his analysis, "and who
have felt anxiety that no blot of fraud
should stain the proud record of eff
fort and sacrifice. had first hope
that DR.. Cook would be able to demon
strate his good faith. This has dis
solved in an analysis of his own story.
A second hope that he was the vic
tim of some hallucination or mental
illness, and himself believed he had
been to the pole though of course he
has not, vanishes In the light of earlier
and subsequent events. There re-
mains. though one says it with keen
est regret. only the wretched alter
native that the journey which he did
make, and the report which he gave of
it, were deliberately planned from the
outset"
The gist of Mr.. Wellman's finding
is that his meagre party and equip
ment ~ Cook could not possibly
he claims credit, that his astronomi-
cal data are too minutely precise to
have been made, under the claimed
conditions in the field. and that the
explorers dash for the lecture plat
form and his acceptance of crowns
of flowers placed upon his head by in
nocent women and children" before
submitting his field records to scien-
tifc examination, all conspire to his
discredit.
Old Plans.
Mr.. Wellman attacks first Cooks
story of his journey. He points out
that Arctic sledging is not a new ven-
ture nor an experiment. but has been
reduced tolmost to science. He pro-
ceeds to the proposition that the first
things to be done in advancing over
the ice fields is the reduction to the
minimum of the food and fuel to be
carried, and secondarily. the organi-
zation of supporting parties that can
be sent back from the dwindling main
body, until the few who are hardest
enter on the final struggle to the goal.
The longer the route. he sets forth.
necessarily the greater the weight of
food and fuel, and in consequence a
much slower pace.
Basing his argument mainly on
these principles. Mr.. Wellman takes
UP a comparison of the supposed
achievements of Peary and Cook. He
quotes from the records to show that
the former took his ship to within
46O miles of the pole. advancing sup
plies and his party forty-seven miles
closer during the autumn and spring.
Cook, he points out. started from
Annatook. 700 geographical miles
from the pole and went 10 geographi.
cal miles westward before turning
northward, according to his own
story.
Peary, Wellman continues, mapped
out his, plans carefully for the ad-
vance and started with fifty or sixty
men, 140 dogs and twenty-o one sledges.
He divided his party so that he had
four supporting parties that kept open
the back trail, and in leaving the
main body lightened the loads that
men and dogs were compelled to
draw.
DR.. Cook had no supporting party,
says Wellman. except for the first
three days. His party consisted of
three men. twenty-six dogs and two
sledges In the long dash he made.
THAT what he claims to have done,"
declares Mr.. Wellman. referring to
Cook, with his equipment and or
ganization, was physically impossible.
in his statement he adds:
''The laws of physics and of me-
chanical forces can no more be defied
and ignored in the Arctic regions than
elsewhere, save in the Imagination"
Travelled Too Fast.
Taking up in order DIR. Cooks rec
ord of his trip northward, Mr.. Well
man points to the statement that the
Cook party made sixty-eight miles in
three days, despite bad weather, rough
ice and the necessity of going twice
over big lead two miles wide and
this, he adds at time when the sledge
loads were heaviest Cook, he says,
thus travelled over distance twenty
seven per cent greater at q speed
3f0rfN3 diAr cent faafAf than Parry with