The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-09-18
Peary Reiterates that
Cook Is Prevaricator
MANY Observations
Taken Says Explorer
"GOLD BRICK MESSAGE WAS
MADE IN PRIVATE BUT IS
EMPHATIC AND WILL LET IT
STAND.

BATTLE HARBOR Labrador, Sept
IT. (via Marconi Wireless to Cape
Ray, N. F., F.,)-Commander Robert q.
Peary today talked further concern
ing his dash to the North pole. He
dwelt particularly upon the observa-
tions taken and the movements of
Harry Whitney, the sportsman of
New Haven, Conn, who has been de-
scribed as the bearer of records
substantiating DR.. Frederick A..
Cooks claim to have reached the
pole April 21, 1908.
I'VE took five observations prior
to reaching the pole Commander
Peary said. Two of them were made
and worked out by the late Professor
Ross Marvin, who prepared duplicate
certificates. To guard against ac-
cident l took one set of these papers
and Professor Marvin took the other.
when within a distance of 1875
miles from the pole the third obser-
walton was made by Captain Bartlett,
who also signed the records and GER
tificates in duplicate, he retaining
one set and the other. The fourth
and fifth of these observations were
made by myself, the last being taken
FIVE miles from the pole proper
Were there more than one obser-
walton taken at the pole and by
whom" the explorer was asked
There were several observations, y
he replied, ''and ! took them all my
self. They all agreed. You must un-
derstand that the pole is a theoretical
point, without length, breadth or
thickness. Its actual location depends
on the accuracy of the instruments
employed and the conditions under
which the observations are taken.'
You have stated, Commander
Peary, that copy of your records
and polar observations was wrapped
in piece of silk American flag and
deposited in an ice cavity at the
pole, did any person witness this
act.''
To this question Commander Peary
declined to make any answer at
present.
Continuing, Peary said that DR..
submit to an impartial tribunal or
board of arbitration a revised and
authentic signed statement of his al
legged discovery of the pole. DR..
Cook soon will reach the United
States and he was glad of the mat
ter being submitted for consideration
at an early date. 1t should be done
inside Of a couple of weeks and when
it was done the Commander de-
clared, he was prepared to turn over
to the board of arbitration to the
public and to scientific bodies an
array of testimony which would dis
prove DR.. Cooks claim for all time.
Continuing the explorer said that
he had stated in a private message
to friend that DR.. Cook had given
the world 'gold brick" This mes
sage had been allowed to leak out,
and while he would have preferred a
more elegant expression, he was
willing now to let these words stand.
because they were at least en-
phatic
1t is rumored here that Command
er Peary's beliefs will make sensa-
tional statements and that a portion
of this document was prepared as
long ago as the early months of
1908, when letters were received
from DR.. Cook in Greenland, giving
notice that he intended to make a
dash for the pole.
Asked how Harry Whitney hap
pened to remain in the north, Peary
said Whitney was one of party of
sportsmen who went as passengers
on board the steamer Erik. The
party included Whitney, w. Norton
of New York, a man named Harmed,
and G. j. Crafts Of Washington, who
came for the purpose of taking
observations for Dr. Bauer
head of the department of territorial
magnetism of the Carnegie institute
at Washington.