Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-22
Complete Collapse Of His Claims Of Having Reached
North Poe--Denmak Filled With Chagrin--
Cooks Backer, Bradley, Admits Being De-
ceived-- PeayS Claims Unquestioned.

, of the University of Copenhagen are:
| First typewriter report prepared
| by Cooks secretary, Walter Lonsdale,
and covering 81 pages OF foolscap.
Second Il typewriter copy made by
Lonsdale from Cooks notebooks. This
, occupies 16 pages OF foolscap and in
I cludes a description Of the expedition,
! during the period from March IS, 1908,
to June 10, 1908, during which, accorc-
ing to the statement, Cook journeyed
, from Svartevog to the North Pole and
returned to point on the Polar ice NOT
specifically indicated, but west of tie
Axel Heiberg land.
The papers were not accompanied
by a private letter from Cook, but
| Secretary Lonsdale stated verbally to
the committee that the original notes
and books of the explorer. from which
| his copies were made, had been sent to
Europe by another route, as a precau-
tionary measure and would be deliv-
cred to the university in the course of
a few days.
| In presenting the data Lonsdale stat
cd explicitly that copy numbered two
was a complete and accurate duplica-
! ton of the information contained in
| all of Cooks notebooks that could be
Of any Importance to the university
for the purpose of this examination. In
spite of the explorers promise and his
secretary's assurance that they would
be forthcoming, the commission is not
yet in the possession of the original
notebooks and diaries.
Up to this time it has been impoS
| sible for the university authorities to
| re- establish communication with DR..
Cook, which was suspended sometime
ago. The explorers address is not
known here, even to Secretary Ions
dale.
| After the members of the examining
committee had made themselves ac-
quanted individually with the material
delivered and so convinced themselves
! of its utter worthlessness as a means
of determining whether Cook reached
the Pole, the president OF the commit
tee. Professor Stromgren called a gen
eral meeting OF the committee for last
Friday when the report to the uni
versity and which is now made public
was drawn up.
Lonsdale, who had been invited to
this meeting to answer some questions
brought with him a letter which he
had received from Cook, which bore
neither the place nor date of its writ
ing. The opened envelope, however
bore the postmark Marseilles, Dec. IA
1903. The same envelope contained a
letter addressed by Cook to the former
rector of the University of Copenha-
gen. Professor Torp. The letter to
Torp was dated New York, Sept. q
1909.
In his letter Cook states that not only
were his instruments left at Etah as in
d1cated In his cable to the university of
Oct Is, but most of his astronomical OBJ
sevations We're also left at that northern
point, and he adds that without these it
seems unwise and impossible to pass a
mai judgment upon his expedition. After
obtaining all available information the
committee finds as follows:
! First. The report Of the expedition sent
to the university by Dr. Cook is the same
as that printed in the New York Herald
during the months of September and Oc-
tober last.
Second. The copy of Cooks notebooks
does not contain any original astronomi-
cal observations whatsoever, but only re-
suits.
Third. The documents thus presented
are ineXcusably lacking in information
which would prove that the astronomical
observations therein referred to were
really made, and also contain no details
regarding the practical work of the ex-
petition and the sledge journey which
would enable the committee to determine
their reliability.
The committee, therefore. is Of the
opinion that the material transmitted for
examination contains no proof that DR..
Cook reached the pole.
The report is signed by all six members
of the committee, who were assisted in
their inquiry by Knud Rasmussen, the ex-
plorer. The university council issued this
statement:
1.-THE documents handed the university
for examination do not contain observa-
tons and information which can be re-
garded as proof that DR.. Cook reached
the North pole on his recent expedition"