New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-28
PEARY TALKS AGAIN
NEW ATTACK ON DIR. COOK.
Commander Points Out alleged
FLascs en- Statements.

| Bar Harbor. Me- Sept. 27.-Commander
| Robert E. Peary. accompanied by his wife
| reached here tonight from Portland and within
| half an hour of his arrival was in conference
with General thomas H. Hubbard president OF
the Paary Arctic Club. concerning the state
| ment which will shortly be made public by Com
mander Peary to support his contention that DR..
| Cook did not reach the pole. The two were still
| in conference late tonight at General Hub
| bard's summer home. where the explorer was d
guest.
There is nothing to say just now" said Gen
eral Hubbard tonight. Commander Peary Is
here and we are looking over the data he has
on the Cook controversy, but there is no state
ment to be made at this time. No date has been
set for the meeting of the officers of the Peary
Arctic Club, and shall not determine that until
my return to New York next week.
The conference will be continued tomorrow
and late in the day Commander Peary will prob
ably return to his home at Eagle Island 1t is
generally believed that he and General Hubbard
will go to New York together
From what be learned of the conference
tonight Peary went over every phase of his all
| legged evidence against DIR. Cook from the time
the Brooklyn explorer began his preparations to
go north. more than two years ago, until after
| his interviews with Or. Cooks Esquimaus at
Etah. General Hubbard has been putting this
There was a large crowd at the steamboat
landing notwithstanding the Indictment weather,
10 give Commander Peary and his wife hearty
welcome to-day General Hubbard greeted the
explorer and his wife they left the steamer.
The party was then driven to Hilcrest. the gen.
| erals home.
During the trip TO Bar Harbor Peary spoke
frequently OF Harry Whitney. There might
have been some strange reasons why Whitney
did not go back to Etah in the Jeanne for DR..
| Cooks stuff" he said 81 cannot understand
how any one could let such records get out of
his hands. 1 would not give my records to my
dearest relative. l say again. l don't see how
| Cook could have turned his stuff over TO Whit
ney anybody else. l secured my instruments
| in bag. and the flag which took to the pole
l sewed in my clothes and / wore il until 1
| reached Battle HarbOr
Il kept my records under watch day and night
and was prepared in the Roosevelt was
crushed In the ice 20 throw them overheard so
| that they could float in their cases Can you
| imagine ms giving up those records to perfect
| stranger?
Harry Whitney did not tell me what was in
DR. Cooks stuff except six fox skins. narwhal
horn and Other trophies I could not see
why l should have carried the stuff when Cook
could have taken IL. II DIR. Cooks stuff was Of
| such Importance. why did not Whitney go back
| in the Jeanne and get IL?
Il Mr.. Cooks sledge at Etah and looked
| II over carefully while Professor Mcmillan held
up Cooks snowshoss and showed them to me.
But l didn't examine the snowshoes carefully
Reverting TO DR. Cooks things he continued:
Il imagine DR., Cooks stuff made up or
supernuous instruments. After Whitney had
put the stuff ashore I told the EsquImaus to
| leave It alone.
ION my return from the pole 1 saw all the
Esquimaus and talked with them. After what
| I heard would not credit Cooks claims The
letter that informed that Or. Cook had
claimed the pole was from a whaler named
| Captain Adams, and not Walker. as has been
stated. The letter was dated June Il. and re-
! ceived II at Cape York"
What proof would you require OF an ex-
plorer that he had been far north" Commander
Peary was asked
That II a man went TO the highest point that
had been reached before he should bring bncl,
the records he found there" said Commander
/ Peary.
| You will note that Cooks route 10 the pole
was 1O7 miles longer each way than mine Tho
people make their own deductions whether
| Or. Cook. with his equipment could have made
such journey.
DR. Cook claims he went from latitude 1874
to 90 degrees and back to 76 degrees. altogether
| just 25lz Then think that the best previous
record made by any explorer was total OF 4
| degrees
Il cannot say whether the extra lO7 miles
each way that Cook says he travelled would
have kept me away from the pole or not II
/ might and IT might not have; the difficulty I'm
| Arctic travel as you proceed north increases not
in arithmetcal but in geometrlcaI progression
Portland, Me. Sept. PIT wish to emphasize
that the relations between Mr. whitney and
myself We're NJ all times while he was aboard
the Roosevelt and when he left TO go aboard tn.
Jeanne the relations as between gentlemen -
said Commander Peary at the Union station to-
day as he was about to board his train for Ban
Harbor. Mr. Whitney occupied Captain Bart
let's cabin on the Roosevelt ate at our mess
and every courtesy extended 10 him Most
Of Mr.. Whitney's personal belongings are now
| on the Roosevelt including musk OK bear skins
etc"
Commander Peary said that Whitney had been
| his guest at Etah for a year that the Young
sportsman had subsisted OH Pearys supplies
and that their relations were those of two gen
| tlemen. Up to the moment he last saw him the
commander said, he did not consider it conceiv-
able that Whitney could have had any valuable
| instruments or documents OF DR. Cook Mr.
Whitney had not advised him that he had In
fact Mr.. Whitney had stated that he merely had
some of Cooks belongings and asked to put
them aboard the Roosevelt
This l refused to permit for obvious rea-
| sons" said Peary Il knew what Cook WAS I'm
| to and that he had been trying 10 take every
advantage Of my life's work and supplies
| Therefore did not care to make the Roosevelt
| an express for DR.. Cook. AS for whitney living
year on my supplies. he was perfectly well
come to them, and he should have considered