The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-28
MERRY POLE WAR
Controversy Between Cook and
Peary Goes On.
Brooklyn Explorer Replies to
His Rivals Charges
In A FORMAL MANNER.
He Promises to Answer Every
thing in Minute Detail
When tho Commander Issues a
Signed Statement.
IN A FORMAL MANNER.

New York, Sept. 2S.-Dr. Frede-
rick A. Cook has consented to give
the Associated Press formal reply
to some of the material charges
brought against him by Commander
Peary. A more complete declaration
will be issued by the explorer when
Peary makes his accusations over his
own signature. The statement is as
follows:
Commander Peary says that my
sledgeS were not fitted to Arctic trav-
ell and that he would not care to vey-
age in the Arctic with them. The only
sledge Commander Peary saw was
half a one which 1 had given to Mr..
Whitney as a souvenir.
THE remainder of it had been used
to make bows and arrows. As to my
reasons for leaving my instruments
with Mr.. Whitney, ne mad told me
that the Eric was coming to Etah and
would take him over to the American
side to hunt big game and would
come back later to Annatok. The dis
lance from Annatok to Upernavik by
the route I was compelled to follow
was nearly 700 miles. In that Quincy
I had to travel over high land in two
places, with glaciers and difficult
places to negotiate. The ice was ex-
tremely rough and there was a good
deal of water to be expected that
would have subjected the instruments
to q risk which was entirely unnec-
essary when Mr.. Whitney awaited q
ship to go to Etah for him, upon
which he expected to return direct to
America
by going to Upernavik, I hoped to
get back by the end of July or the
middle of August, as I wanted to see
my family as soon as possible, as 1 had
been separated from them for over
two years, while Mr.. whitney did not
expect to get back before October.
LAS to the charge that I had not
found traces of Commander Peary'S
records at Cape Thomas Hubbard; the
point which Commander Peary would
call Cape Thomas Hubbard is a round
promontory, and it would be difficult
to find any distinct point which could
be positively recognized as Cape
Thomas Hubbard.
Did Not Look for Records.
From Peary's map am absolutely
unable to locate Cape Thomas Hub
bard. We did not search for an cairn
where records might be deposited In
fact, 1 did not know that Peary had
left any records there. Considerably
to the west I did see a rock which
might have been a cache, but it might
have been merely clump of rocks.
was at a very great distance from
1t, and there was no reason why
should have searched. left a cache
of provisions close to the beginning
of the cliffs of what Sverdrup puts !
oONh do oNdA ISNOSS. 1n0T0 was no
indication near where we left our pro-
visions.
THE other points of the so-calIed
charges have been replied to in de-
tall on several occasions. I will |
answer everything in the most formal
way when Commander Peary prints
or makes public his other points My
reply will then be given out as a |
written statement"
DR. Cook in a lecture under the |
qnSniCeS C1I1b Of
lea. at Carnegie hall, added no |
essential facts to his narrative of the |
discovery of the North Pole but sup
piled added circumstances to those |