Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-06
Printz Mixed on His Dates.


According to the newspaper records of
the alleged ascent of Mount Mckinley
by Dr. Cook, the exploit took place in
1906 says the New York World, and not
1904 as stated by Printz. The mountain
climbing season had finished and the
party had set out in May to reach the
summit. gave up the attempt in August
and disbanded, all agreeing that it was
then too late to accomplish anything
that year. About three weeks after that
resolution Dr. Cook and two guides, Ed
ward Barrille and John Dokkin. with
picks and ropes clawed a path up the
northwest face of the mountain They
dug and hauled themselves up the ice
crusted surface for eight days. When
close to the top Dokkin was willing to
rifle made the final dash. That went on
record as of September 16. 1905. The
descent occupied four days. Sep
TENDER 81 DIR. Cook reported the feat to
Herbert l.. Bridgeman of Brooklyn in
telegram from Tyonek, Alaska.
Prof. Parker's Doubts.
Prof Herschel C. Parker of Columbia
University had been one of the summer
party. He came home from Tyonek in
August. after 1t had been decided that
further effort that year would be useless.
When he read the message from DR..
Cook he said frankly that he doubted its
accuracy. as he could not see how 1t
would be physically possible for DIR. Cook
to reach the place from which he was
said to have started the climb. or how
he could scale the northwest face. having
explored it thoroughly and found it i'm
possible in 1908, or in any case how he
could make the ascent as late as Septem-
Der. Prof. Parker explained his doubts
to the Genealogical and Biographical So
cety on November 8, after having had
six weeks in which to mature them.
DIR. Cook returned to New York city No
49, ID hnI Ho1ly nd af thn ryfv vHh
to the newspapers at Seattle and had
written a magazine article about it. and
he told the story in New York afresh.
He worked up to LOCO feet. he said. by
perpendicular cliffs. Then he and the
guides decided that it would be better to
so up than down.
DR.. Cooks Experience.
ZIP to $1,000 feet he said. I'VE had
not suffered from altitudinal effects.
though it was extremely cold. the tenn
perature being at least from fifteen to
sixteen degrees below zero. Next morn
ing we left Dokkin, and Barrille and /
made an early start. 1t was not difficult
from that point to the summit, as we did
not have to cut way in the ice. BY
10 am. we reached the tip. An accurate
calculation could not be made, but we
estimated the elevation at 10000 feet.
1--WE had planned to spend three hours
on the peak. but this was impossible.
We made some photographs and obser-
vations, but the rarefied air caused us to
bleed at the nose and ears. and after
twenty minutes our physical condition
was such that we were forced to begin
the descent There are two peaks on the
mountain about twelve miles apart We
were on the higher"
Defense of DR.. Cook.
Capt. Joseph H. Heron of the United
States Army. adjutant of the West
Point Academy. has come to he de-
Tense of DR.. Cooks assertion that he
scaled Mount Mckinley. which aroused
controversy at the time DIR. Cook
announced his feat. Capt. Heron was
the discoverer of Mount Foraker, high
est of the Mckinley range, except
Mount Mckinley, and being an ac-
knowledged authority on that region.
his advice was sought by DIR. Cook
when preparing for the Mckinley ex-
petition. DR.. Cook and Capt. Heron
went over the maps together and dis
cussed every question connected with
the attempt.
After his return, when his word was
in question, DIR. Cook came again to
Capt. Heron, and, as the captain said
yesterday. gave him descriptions Of
what he saw and what he encountered
and furnished data which thoroughly
convinced him that he spoke the truth
when he said he had reached the sum-
NIT.