The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-07
COOK ACCUSED PEARY
In Letter Written Last May He Made
Serious Charges

: N(utUtNs OIl. D.--lJI. II ltutllCh N
Cook wrote a condensed account of ms
dash into the Boreal center and
plucking of the polar prize" as long
ago as May %, and included in it
charges that Commander Peary APP
propriated his provisions and base OF
supplies. This letter, which was sent
to Capt. Bernier of the Dominion Gov
emment's steamer Arctic, then in the
arctic waters, was given out here to-
day by Capt. Bernier on his return
from his expedition on which he as
serts he dennitely established the
practicability of the northwest pass
age.
DR.. Cooks letter was written after
he had made the journey from Etah
to Uuernavik, where he took the
steamer for Denmark. 1t reads:
Upernavik, May %, 1909.
My dear Capt. Bernier:
| hasten to write you the first let
ter that | am able to send after hav-
ing been detained for two years be-
hind the icy barriers.
The unexpected cruising of the Arc
tic makes a suitable climax to our
long run of hard adventures. 1t was
the supplies which you left in care of
Mr. Whitney that saved us; all MY
other property had been taken by
Peary, under the guise of establishing
a relief station for DR.. Cook. Mr..
Murphy, the man in charge of the sta
fK,gt f.A - n
engage in any relief efforts not to al
low the Eskimo to cross and search,
until the following March, when. OF
course, ali relief efforts would be use
less.
My large store of supplies and my
station was used to barter with the
natives to satisfy Peary's commercial
greed. The splendid assistance which
you have given and the generosity of
your government in sending the ship
forms a happy contrast to the hin-
drance and injustice of one of my ow.,
countrymen. |, therefore, extend 10
you and your people much gratitude
as man must offer man for assistance
rendered in dire hour of need.
Gave Details of Journey
Fortunately we were able to work
out our problem without relief except
such as YOU offered.
We have pushed into the Boreal cen
ter and plucked the pear prize, bur
the effort was dangerous beyond all
Starting from Annatok on Feb 10.
1908, we crossed EIismere Land and
pushed along its western coast to the
polar sea, feeding 10 Eskimos and 1913
dogs en- route on musk oxen and
bears. From SO degrees north start
ed with but two young Eskimos, TWEEN
ty-six dogs pulling two sledges and
supplies for eighty days. The ice WIS
found fine after traversing the eighty
fourth degree. Croker's Land w;s
sighted and a new land to the north
of it, extending to the eighty-fifth de-
gree. Beyond no land was seen.
The pole was reached April q,
1908.
The return was forced slightly wes'
ward of the northward route but
about the eighty-ffth degree we drift
ed eastward and south. Below the
we drifted strongly west
ward into open water, where we were
hopelessly carried to the west. unable
TO reach our lines of cache along Nan
sen Sound. We were pushed into
Prince Gustav Sea without food or
'uel. Still unable to press westward, |
we went with the ice toward the !
south. Food and fuel were now eX-
lausted but polar bears came along |
as life savers and with them we went |
INTO Wellington Channel, hoping to |
De able TO reach the whalers in Ian |
easter Sound but we were soon stop
bed by failing food supplies and jams |
If shoal ice.
Hard Time in the Winter
With no game this short route to |
IN early ship was no longer possible,
md to satisfy the pangs of hunger we
sought Jones Sound Here after
ong run of hard adventure by boat
,ledge. cruel necessity, forced us into
Winter camp in September at Cape
Sparbo. Without fuel, food, ammuni-
ion, or winter clothing, with no dogs
10 shelter. no guns, our outlook was
nearly helpless, but fortune came TO
he rescue.
Bows. arrows and harpoons were
made with our SIeuBSS, uuoh OAch
md bears were taken with the lines,
md small game was secured with the
lows and arrows and slingshots. Fox
IS were trapped in stine trap and wal
us and seals were attacked and Sc
.ured in our little folding canvas
BOAT
An underground den was then built
md the winter of 190S-09 was spent
With taste of savage life for we had
lot a morsel of civilized food, not
wen salt. A new equipment was de-
Used and as the sun of 1903 rose over
he hills of North Devon, we started
or Annatok, dragging dried musk OK
neat as food and melted tallow for
uel for thirty days in our sleighs.
Deep snow, hard ice, and open wat.
II made the return journey slow and
lrduous, and after run of hard luck
We reached Annatok on April 8, 1909.
Iere we were met by Mr.. Whitney,
,nly to find that Peary's men had mis-
lsed our station, with it's equipments
lnder protest of Mr., Whitney. We
enjoyed excellent health at all times.
Mr.. Whitney and Peary's men are all
n good health.
There is no news from the steamer
Roosevelt or from the civilized world