The Washington times., 1909-11-29
Criticism of DIR. Cooks
Claims Given Close
Study.
SAYS EQUIPMENT
WAS TOO SMALL
Intimates Brooklyn Man Prepared
Data Before Leaving
For North.

BY declaring DIR. Frederick A. Cook
the explorer. has never reached the North
Pole; that his story nowhere rings true
and Il even savors OF a deliberate i'm
posture. Walter Wellman, who aban-
doned his plans for reaching the Pole
when he first heard OF Cooks claims,
has the scientific world agog today by
his observations on the Cook-Peary con-
troversy.
Mr. Wenman's deductions are con-
tained in a lengthy and carefully worded
statement. He takes up the contentious
Of the two explorers. Cook and Peary'
step by step and then makes bold 70 say
that Peary's story is true and that
Cooks story ''is suspicious, both. in what
It does tell and what it does not tell"
In his statement. Mr. wellman drives
home especially his belief It was a
physical impossibility, considering Or.
Cooks reputed equipment, for him to
have reached the goal. His astrOnomi-
cal data. says Wellman, is too minutely
precise % have been made under the
claimed conditions in the field Again,
he charges that DR.. Cooks dash fOI the
lecture platform. and acceptance OF
crowns Of flowers placed upol his head
by innocent women and children, be
fore submitting his field records to
scientific investigation. all tend to the
iGea OF imposture.
Has Own Theory.
Mr.. weIiman, whose idea has been
that the Pole might be reached in a bal
loon. and who has made an attempt to
demonstrate his theory, speaking from
the standpoint Of a fellow-explorer,
says:
Those of us who have had a share
in Arctic work, and who have felt
anxiety that no blot Of fraud should
stain the proud record Of effort and
sacrifice. had a first hope that DR..
Cook would be able to demonstrate his
good faith. This has dissolved in
analysis Of his own story.
"A second hOpe-that he was the VIC
tim of some hallucination or mental
illnees. and himself believed that he
had been TO the Pole, though, OF course,
he has not-vanishes IN the light OF
earlier and subsequent events.
There remains, though one says u
with keenest regret. only the wretched
alternative that the journey which he
did make, and the report which he gave
Of IL, were deliberately planned from
the outset
Natural Preparations.
Much OF Mr. Wellman's observations
comprise detailed explanations OF the
natural steps an explorer would take
on the maj daSn Tor lIie uOItlltlh lAlS.
He goes fully into the subject Of needed
equipment. supporting parties. and
necessary food provisions. Arctic sled
ding, he says, has now been reduced 10
a practical science: 70 IS not an expert
ment. Taking all these things into &C
count. Wellman reasons:
Cooks journey from the land out
was q per cent longer in distance tnan
Peary's and 80 per cent more difficult
when the greater weight and the neces-
sary slower rate Of travel are taken
consideration. Cooks men and
had just finished $50 miles OF
Ie el: Peary's men and dogs started
look had no support, save FOR the
first three days. Peary had ample sup
port 20 a place $50 miles north Of where
Cooks support left him. Cook had
three men. tWenty-siX dogs, and two
sledges. PeaTy twenty men. 133 dogs
and nineteen sledEes.
Every experienced arctic man Will at
once conclude from these facts that
Peary could travel 90 the Pole about
twice as fast as Cook could travel. The
Judgment Of experience is that Peary
was equipped and organized 10 trave
as fast as he did travel, and no faster
that IL he had claimed twice as muCf
he would not have been believed. that
he was prepared TO travel twice as fas
as Cook. Yet Cook claims 10 hav,