New-York tribune., 1909-09-07
POLAR DTVISTON
Albert j. l.. II. Opcrti FaUorS Pemry
FRANCIS Long Doubts Success.


Albert J. l. r. operti. Arctic painter who was q
guest Of Commander Peary on his 1895 and 1897 e-
petitions 10 the polar regions said yesterday at his
home, No. s. West Both street. that If Peary had
sent the messages accredited TO him there could be
no doubt whatever 10 the truth OF Pearys dis
covery of the North Pole
Il know Commander Pearv very we'll said Atr
operti. Il have known him for years and 7 be-
ieve him If he says he has found the pole. Both
lie and DR.. Cook are brother MasOns. and I have
absolute confidence in their yeracity. / am not yet
able 10 convince myself, however. that Dr. Cook
really found the pole for there are too many dis
crepancies in the reports accredited 20 him If II
comes 20 question of accepting thesstatements Of
The one or the other of the two explorers would
rather believe Commander Peary.
DIR Cooks expedition was shFouded in Tnvs-
terry. He departed a time when Peary was pre-
pairing TO get away. He says, according to the
dispatches, that he did not intend 10 make a dash
for the pole until he arrived the north and found
conditions favorable. But John +. Bradley who
financed the expedition, says everything vas
planned before they left this country.
There is another thing that 7 cannot under
stand-why Cook retired to cave to write his
notes ana took sixteen months 20 make his discoy-
cry known 10 the world, when he could have gone
20 the pole and returned IN or six months from
the time he left the John r Bradley Then too
IT looks as II lie avoided meeting Peary in the
north Why did he circle way around Peary's trait
In his return? He must have known that Pearv
was in that section, and that Peary had left his
caches and other unmistakable signs along the
trail.
WILL REQUIRE MORE PROOF
OF course, it is possible for two men to he IN
that region only five six miles apart and Vet
not sec each other The coincidence OF both dis
covering the pole within a period of comparatively
few months is perfectly possible but I shall have
TO have moro proofs than we have vet received
before believe that both men actually accom-
pished the feat"
Mr.. Oputi had before hin, -n1ynrnnoer, NM, -
the polar regions. filled in 10 date with all the ex-
petitions made to that section He had at his
tongues end all the data pertaining 10 each expe-
dition. Mr. Oputi has found it necessary To make
himself familiar with the Arctic life and conditions
and the personality Of the explorers OF all nations
10 fit himself for his work
Among the most famous his pictures are
"Farthest North and Rescue of the Greeley
Party" which have hung in the Navy Department
Blllding Al Washington for fifteen years and for
which he has never yet received compensation from
the government Other paintings by him are The
Schwatka Search and Finding De Long in the
Lena Delta" He was selected by the United States
government its representative artist at the
Worlds Columbian exposition
DOUBTS PEARY's SUCCESS,
Francis Long, OF the Weather Bureau, who spent
seven years i'm the arctic regions a member OF
Peary's and other exploring parties, said yes
terday that he did not believe Peary had dis
covered the North Pole
SiiSl4i DE gao il lt Is proved that both Amer
leans have discovered the pole said Mi Long
Probably DR.. Cook reached It first. Peary did not
start until July Of last year no messages have
been received from him in far northern latitudes
that II is difficult TO make any conjectures concern
ing his trip. Peary always returns by way oS
Labrador, and if he is returning he may be act
uay at Indian HaTbor.'
DR.. Cook had undoubtedly been prepared for this
emergency for some time previous his departure.
This is especially clear to my mind since he was
CbTOD0Ypcferg audc IJad
he been Indifferent 80 TO his observations he would
lot have supplied himself thoroughly.
We have no Information vet from Pcary's latest
expedition 10 the exact meridian upon which he
MADE the Journey TO the pole, but il is known
that he planned proceed northvyard on a meridian
west Of his journey in 1910, when he attained the
iurthest point north until then achiaved-that Of
'atiude H degrees and minutes. THIS was in or
der To avoid the easterIy of the pack ice which
ne encountered in 1906. This would also take him
"orth"ard in the vicinity of thc Crocber Islands
winch ne discovered In 1896 Doubtless these islands
checked recently the movement of pack ice al as
Ish iSttude as % degrees ana enabled both Cook
ana Peary 10 make rapid progress poIeward
As II Ws6 Peary's intention TO proceed poIeVard
on meridian of these islands early last spring.
IL Is not az all improbable that he eav tbe same
Islands located by Dr. Cook, in which event The
observations of both can be cornDared ana usad
as basis Of calculation relating to their advance
furthef northward hence the relative accuracy of
their determinations of the pole
H. T. Rood n personal friend Of Commander |
feaTy' SAID yesterday at PIeasantville " y that
ne ilad sent a message or c0ngFatulatIon to Mrs
Peary. He added:
There can be no doubt about the discovery il |
Mr. Peary saws he has reached the pole"
captain b. s. Osbon secretary of the Arctic club |
"I america when asked yesterday what he thought |
of Pearys dispatch saying that he had rescteJ
ihe pole. said:
won't believe word oi it until / get further
GaP'1in m os6on went into considerable dctau about
Commander PeaTy's character. and said. 80
The scleHtlilc gentlemen who ARE loud in th.ir
Dfoiestations or the falsty Dr Cooks arbieva-
inent had better hunt hole I will venture ~ |
assert Nial ihese chaps have practical kno,vI-
sdgs of the use of tie sextant and thar n ,hc,,,
were pui adrift IN "a boat two hundred miles from
lana ana FURNISHED with seXtant a chronon,rter
'pnp1ss ana = copy Of Bowdifch's Navigator
sceHtfsfs saws. II Pear" had aid he fonna the |
p poe ne world would have believed it But DR.
,-s ~os- lnefe word 20 the minds OF those Who
a-eaYltE sworn 70 b reary.'