Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-20
"plp COOK REACH THE PoLEr
Continued from Page one.9

iexploration party OF Admiral Sir George
II Mares in 1S75-76; and the expeditions Of
1Commander Peary in 1896 and $780,.
Commander Peary did no fencing with
his interyiewers and prefaced the ''inqui-
lsition," as he. called it, with the state
lment that he had made his position clear
lin reference to the Cook controversy in
Iearlier dispatches which had been sent
lby wireless to The Associated Press. To
4 the bombardment of interrogations the
Icommander replied in sharp clear voice
and couched his answers In terms that
left no mistake in their meaning s,
II shall pay no attention to fake sto-
Tries or any side issues" said Commanded
IPeary, that are put out to distract from
the main question: Has Cook been at
the pole?''' pf 4.., ,,..,
DO you think it possible for any man
to fake observations to prove that he
Twas at the pole?" he was asked. "a.
I'm the opinion of Admiral Melville, u.
s. N, Admiral Sir George Mares, r. NJ,
and myself. yes" he responded quickly.
Then he continued: Il do not care to
speak of other observations in view of
what I claim and 1 won't say anything
more until the statement signed by an
other is offered, and then I will submit
my statement" -..,t
| The story Of Christmas day in the Arc
tic was delightfully."- pictured by Com
| mander Peary, and as he told of these
hours with the members of the expedi-
ton his face, usually stern and drawn,
|relaxed, and he smiled frequently. Some
athletic contests were arranged by Prof.
Mcmillan, and a running course of rs
yards on the ice and snow was laid out
beside the Roosevelt, which then lay. in
| the ice cradle at Cape Sheridan There
were races for the Americans, men and
women Esquimaux. their boys and girls.
and tug of war between the fore and
latter cabin men of the Roosevelt
| No such athletics has ever been held
in this or any other country. Christmas
day falls in the dead of the Arctic
night and to light the racing path lit
| tie whale oil lamps were set on snow
| mounds at intervals of IS feet. In the
| hickering yellow light this weird COM
pany, hooded and garbed in the heavy
| flrs of the North, gathered and APP
plauded the contests.
Tub Cuh-Mah won the race for the
married. women and Prof Mcmillan
rad offered the selection of one Of three
things as the prize-a bar of soap, a
>ox of thread and a frosted cake.
1--WE were all curious to know which
| article Ruh-Cuh-Mah would select"
| 'aid Prof. Mcmillan. Il knew 1 would
| take frosted cake if it had been my
| ;hoic2, but she quickly took the soap
| Poor Ross Marvin won the foot race
FOR the Americans, while Sigloo won
| he race for the Esquimau men. That
| Holiday was fittingly observed on the
roosevelt. and while musk OK took the
olace of turkey there We're also pud-
dngs and sweetmeats on the table.
I'VE had Washington pudding and
olum pudding" said Commander Peary,
and Capt. Bartlett opened lock can
lister of good things which his wife
luietly gave me before we left the
South and told me to give it to her
husband on Christmas day. l found
hat Mrs Peary had worked the cap
ain the same way and had given him
locked canister for me to be opened
m Christmas day. We had hot toddy
md cigars for all. All the members of
he party received a box of candy from
Mrs. Peary.
Speaking of the scientific value of
he expedition to the North pole Com
nander Peary said that the soundings
rom Cape Columbia to the pole were
valuable and supplemented the data
.iven by hansen and Cagni on the
other side of the pole.
THE reaching of the pole" added
Peary, sis the proof Of mans final
conquest of the earth. AS it stood with
the pole unfounded, it was a continual
eproach to civilization. The discovery
If the South pole may now be looked
for as an accepted fact Work in the
Antarctic Is quite different from in the
North. An expedition to the North pole
must complete it's work within the
year. No base can be left for another
year's operations, while in the Antarc-
tic one can lay base which will be
permanent for the further advance the
lext year."
That Greenland and the Arctic re-
lions will become a summer resort in
lne is Commander Peary's confident
,elicf, and DR.. Goodwill, physician of
he expedition, asserted that the dry
lii and constant sunlight of the sum-
nler was fine cure for tuberculosis.
Thus from one subject CT interest to
another Commander Peary passed.
briefly touching only the material and
human interest points which had al
ready gone forward to the world in
wireless dispatches.
The explorer spoke sadly of the loss
Of Ross G. Marvin, who was drowned
on April 10.
I'VE were in our igloos," said he, when
<ood-Look-Loo and Inuh-Glu-loo, whom
Percy, the steward, had christened 'Har-
rigan,' came into camp alone with their
heads down. They shook their heads and
we knew that poor Marvin had been lost.
They said they found the hole where he
had fallen through the thin ice and they
could see the back of his fur coat above
the surface of the water
A brass tablet inscribed with Marvin's
name and the date and place of his death
was erected on a cairn of white stones
or crystal on Cape Sheridan.
Commander Peary, do you believe that
the pole can be reached again, and to
what do you ascribe your success this
| tin1e2 'S .