Evening star., 1909-09-13
PEARY SEIZED DEPOT
"Cook Long Ago Dead; No Use
to Search"
STORY TOLD BY HANSEN
Big Boatswain in Charge Treated
Whitney Like a Dog"
COOK HAD TO USE FISTS ON HIM
Explorer Returned to Find New
foundland Guard Bartering His
Food for Furs.

COPENHAGEN, September IA re-
markable letter giving DR.. Frederick
A. Cooks version of the trouble with
Commander Peary over supplies ap-
pears in the newspaper Politiken.
The letter was written by DR.. Nor
man Hansen, a prominent Danish ply
sician, who several times visited Green
land to study eye diseases, which ne
has made specially
DR.. Cook told practically the same
story to one of his closest American
friends just a week ago, before Com
mander Peary reappeared on the scene.
but said he did not intend to make it
public because it might lead to un-
pleasantness.
DIR. Hansen was with Cook for some
time in Greenland and returned with
him on the Danish government steamer
Hans Egede.
In his letter he says
Hansen Breaks Silence.
Now that DR.. Cook has gone l am no
longer under any obligation to keep
silence and will exercise my right TO
publish the story about the house in
self had too much delicacy to relate to
the world. / write it according to my
memory, in the same manner that DR..
Cook In Egedesminde told it to me, and
l am fully convinced chat in no details
are my recollections wrong.
DIR. Cook had built his house for
stores in Annatok, north of Etah, and
it was this depot which he started to
reach in February, 1909, crossing Smith
sound. 1t was a pretty large house. the
walls being built of heavily filled pro-
vision boxes, SO that DIR. Cook knew
that when this important point was
reached everything was safe.
He had, before the start, arranged
with a young friend named Whitney
that he have the right to use the house
while hunting musk oxen for sport In
the winter of 10000.
when DR.. Cook and his two Eskimos,
exhausted and half starved, came within
a shots distance of the house in Anna
tok young Whitney came out to bid him
welcome. But inside the house was
stranger, a giant Newfoundland boat
swain, on watch.
This man had been placed in DR..
Cooks house by Peary when the latter
passed Etah with his ship bound north.
Peary had given the boatswain written
order, which commenced with the fol-
lowing words: This house belongs to DR..
Frederick A. Cook but Dr. Cook is long
ago dead. and there Is no use to search
after him. Therefore /, Commander Rob-
ert E. Peary, install my boatswain in
this deserted house.
This paper the boatswain. who could
neither read nor write, exhibited to DR..
Cook, and the latter took copy of this
wonderful document. This copy, how
ever, he does not intend to publish IL
Peary's course does not force him to do
SO.
Says Cook Had to Use Fists.
'Dr. Cook gave me a lively account of
how the young millionaire, Mr. Whitney,
during the whole winter was treated like
dog by the giant boatswain, and how
he had calmly witnessed the sailor bar
tering DR.. Cooks provisions for fox and
bear skins for himself.
"Dr. Cook also had to put a good face
on the unpleasant situation. He had to
beg to get into his own house and had
to make a compromise with the boat
swain with strong fists.
"Dr. Cook made present of the house
with all it's contents to his two faithful
Eskimos. with the proviso that Whit
ney was to have the use of the house as
was compelled to let the Newfoundland
boatswain continue his watch. The boat
swain, however. received strict orders
not to exchange any more OF the provi-
sions or guns.
Now l suppose the sailor will cele-
brate his triumphal entrance into New
York harbor aboard Peary's ship, while
Whitney is where? Aboard his own yacht
jeanne? Or perhaps he has not wanted
to wait for his own boat and has gone
aboard Peary's ship.
ITO Mr.. Whitney DR.. Cook gave his
instruments and his observations. as he
thought those precious things were safer
there than on the long sledge trip in the
spring across Melville bay, but all his
notebooks and greasy and soiled record
books. which have been SO closely writ
ten upon. he kept and carried with him.
ITO me, who understand only very
little astronomy. the records written down
so closely and in all directions were very
hard to read.
But what is the record to US? The
two men, Peary and Cook, their char
acter, their conduct, that Is what interests
US. and every little item throwing side
light upon their natures is valuable"