The San Francisco call., 1909-09-19
Commander Sails for Sydney
With Report of Soundings
at North Pole

BATTLE HARBOR. by Marconi Wire-
less via Cape Ray. n. f., Sept. iS.-~rhe
arctic steamer Roosevelt, with Com
mander Peary aboard, sailed from here
at s a m. today for Sydney. Captain
Bartlett received orders from Com
mander Peary 10 have the Roosevelt
ready Saturday morning for the voy-
age TO sydney and also 70 time his ar
rival at that port so that they should
reach there about IL o'clock On Tues
day morning
Acting under instructions from IL, l.
Bridgeman secretary of the PearN
GrenfeIl hospital all the remaining pro-
visions of his expedition
Peary was asked before his departure
what he would have done if hes had
fallen sick at the north pole. with no
one in the exploring party capable OF
taking an observation.
RECORDS CAREFULLY KEPT
To this he replied:
MY last moments would have been
devoted to taking observations, in or
der to leave the record: L would not
permit anything TO interfere with that
important duty, and l would have
handed the records to the Eskimos TO
take to Mrs. Peary. If | had died
within sight of the pole / would have
had TO depend on my Eskimos TO tell
how far they travelled from the last
supporting party, or on my observa-
tions.
MY records are very complete and
most carefully kept. They are sealed
in skins and parchments, so that il
thrown on the ice or in the water they
probably would drift for years with
out sinking or without being damaged
and would eventually be found. This
priceless package Will not be opened
until j arrive in New York"
MANY SOUNDINGS TAKEN
Peary said he had taken soundings
of the sea from Cape Sheridan TO the
pole which supplemented similar data
taken on the other side of Nansen and
Cagni. He argued that north polar eX-
ploration was much more difficult than
the same work in the antarctic. where
exploring parties could push forward
and hold the ground covered instead
of turning back TO winter quarters, as
was necessary in the arctic.
Peary confirms the statement that
four Eskimos were with him at the
pole. He says that he has made no
statement different from this.
The only man on the Roosevelt who
met Doctor Cook in Greenland was
the boatswain, John Murphy, who was
left at Etah when the Roosevelt went
TO her winter quarters. What Murphy
knows about the alleged taking of
Cooks supplies he has not disclosed
to any one, with the possible eXcep-
tion of Peary.
PEARY WITHHOLDS PROOFS
Peary adheres to his determine ton
not TO disclose the proofs he says he
has against Cook until the main propo-
sition. the direct claim of Cook, with
his records, is submitted. Peary was
shown a dispatch from Washington
that the Geographical society would
like to acknowledge both polar claims,
but in view of the disp--te declined to
accept either until the matter had been
investigated, and he said. That suits
me-"
Harry Whitney, who is on the
schooner JEANNE, is liable to arrive in
touch with civilization any day now for
his polar bear hunt on the coast of
Greenland. He is reported to have
Cooks records in his possession, and it
is said here that Whitney has stated
that Cook told him he had been art the
pole. 1t is said also that Whitney is
going 10 South America with Cook on
hunting expedition.