The San Francisco call., 1909-12-25
EXPLORERS CLUB
EXPELS DR.. COOK
Committee Says That Claim lie
Ascended Mount Mckinley Is
mot Worthy OF Credence'

NEW YORK, Dec. 24.-The board Of
governors of the Explorers club met
today in legislative session, and, stand
ing in silence. voted with bowed heads
that Dr.. Frederick A. Cook be dropped
from the rolls of the club for frauds
practiced on its members and on the
public.
Coming upon the heels of the crush
ing verdict lately rendered by the Uni
versity of Copenha gen, the action of
the Explorers club t0Say- is the result
of independent Investigations which IN
no way touch upon the polar contr0-
versy. and the weight of it's disap-
provaI thus becomes cumulative
Before its vote of expulsion the
board met to pass upon the report of
its committee which has been inves-
tigating the validity of Doctor Cooks
report that he reached the top of Mount
Mckinley. This committee, in ending
an exhaustive report, recommended
that Doctor Cooks claims that he as
cended to the summit of Mount Nc
KinIey in 1906 be rejected by the Ex-
plorers' club as not worthy of Gre
dence.''
The committees recommendation was
based on its findings that Doctor Cook
had repeatedly made statements that
he had entered into agreements which
he failed TO keep, and that the mis-
statements and broken agreements
deal not only with matters appertain-
ing to discovery, but to ordinary tran
sactions, so that no credence could be
given to statements made by him.
DIsREGARDS GUIDES TESTIMONY
The committee regarded entirely the
testimony of Edward Barron, Doctor
Cooks guide. and of Frederick Printz.
his, packer-although such testimony
was before tllem-because it wished no
cloud of partisan contention or ques-
ton of financial interest to dim the
integrity of it's verdict.
In addition to the findings of the
committee as a whole-which are
signed by Anthony Fiala, a polar ex-
plorer of note; Frederick s. Dellen-
baugh of the American geographic So
ciety; Prof. Marshal E. Savime of the
chair of archaeology in Columbia uni
versity; Walter s Clark; Charles H
Townsend director of the New York
aquarium; Henry 6. Walsh, secretary of
the Explorers club. and Caspar Whit
ney-individuaI signed reports were
submitted by HerscheI c. Parker, pro-
fessor of physics of Columbia, and Bel
more Brown, both of whom were mem
bers of the Cook Mckinley expedition;
and by Charles Sheldon, who has re-
GENTLY returned from a years residence
on the slope of Mount Mckinley. where
he went with the express purpose of
studying the configuration of the noun
tain. with a view to determining the
possibility of its ascent.
COOKS PLAN UNFEASIBLE
Professor Parker reports that he was
a mariner with Doctor Cook in the Nc
Kinley expedition, both physically and
financially.
Doctor Cook assumed the lead with
a plan that proved unfeasible and the
party escaped with their lives. thanks
to the local knowledge of Belmore
Brown.
1T was perfectly understood" said
Professor Parker. that after the mis-
adventure all further attempts were
abandoned for the season.. Otherwise
| would not have left the expedition
Instead of this. Doctor Cook, it is
charged, sidetracked all members of
the expedition until there remained
only Cook. his guide Barri1l. and one
packer, who subsequently was got rid
of also These defections left Doctor
struments capable of measuring the
latitude he says he attained Moreover,
he adds the summers experience had
shown that of all the party, Doctor
Cook and Barrill were the least fitted
physically for arduous mountain climb
ing. Belmore Brown, in the main, con-
firms Professor Parker. Confirming a
charge that previously has been made.
he SAYS that Doctor Cook was known
to be in serious financial straits and
would have great difficulty in gettin 2
out of Alaska if he had not reported
that he attained the summit of Mount
Mckinley.