The Detroit times., 1909-12-21
COOK IS FORMALLY
TURNED DOWN BY ]
SCIENTISTS I.
His Claims That He Discovered the
North Pole Are Flatly Re
jected By Committee In
Copenhagen.
1t Takes Investigators Only Few
Minutes to See Observations and
So-Called Records Are Worthless.

COPENHAGEN, Dec. 21-The north
pole discovery claims of DIR. Frederick
A. Cook we're today fiatly rejected by
| the University OF Copenhagen. In .
report adopted oy the university con-
sistory, based on the findings Of the
special investigating committee, II u
declared that the data presented bv
| DR.. Cook furnishes absolutely no evil
dence to substantiate his claims.
The records and observations, It
says, are no more convincing from
scientific standpoint. than were his
newspaper accounts OF his explorar
tion.
The committee which examined and
rejected the Cook records consisted or
Prof. Ellis Stroemgren, president OF
the committee; Commander Gustav
Holm, director OF the photographic
bureau; Commander Jensen. director
OF navigation: Astronomer Pechyle.
OF the Copenhagen observatory; Capt.
Ryder director of the meteorological
institute. and Prof. Engstroem. OF
Lund university. Sweden Each Of
these men is world-renewned scien-
tist.
Walter Lonsdale. Cooks private sec
retary, who brought the data to Copen-
hagen. is greatly disappointed at the
consistory's report and Is making an
effort TO have II withhold final Judg-
ment until all of the doctors data 10
placed before It, He told the com
mittee that the missing data. which 10
part of Cooks original documents
sent from America by different
route than that which the COMMITTEES
examined, would arrive here In few
days.
He explained that this data was sent
by different route for prudential rea-
sons and insisted that II WAS Of the
utmost importance that 1t be consid-
cred.
The consistory, however. will pay
no attention TO this latest appeal and
its finding today is the final chapter.
so far as It Is concerned.
| One OF the members Of the invest
tigating committee said, after the find
ings had been approved by the con-
sistory:
1T took the committee but few
minutes TO see that Cooks observe
tions and so-called records were
worthless. We could have made a re-
port at once, but our surprise was so
great that II took us several days to
recover from II. The so-called note
books submitted by the doctor. on
which he relied in a great measure
for vindlcation. had only the results
OF his observations. rather than the
observations themselves, and wero
thrown aside without a moments con-
sideration. | cannot understand how
man OF Or. Cooks reputed scientific
achievements could have attempted to
bolster up his claim with such fiimsy
evidence"
Danish pride has suffered a severe
shock I'm the report OF the consistory.
In September Cook arrived here from
the Arctic and was acclaimed as tho
discovered of the north pole. II Is
admitted now that he submitted no
satisfactory proofs OF his discovery
but the Danish people from King
Frederick down TO the humblest' citi-
zen, accepted his story OF the great
est achievement In the annals of ex-
ploration without question and pro-
ceeded to shower honors upon him In
Guiding university degrees and ma
tonal decorations.
Many Danish Arctic explorers, who
are supposed 10 stand in the front
rank of scientists, listened to Cooks
story and Immediately went on record
as declaring their absolute faith In
him.
No more unpleasant outcome than
the report OF today could have been
possible and could the university by
any possible means avoided repudia-
ton OF the explorer II would have done
so.
The public now feels that It has
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