Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-28
PREPARING HIS CASE
CONTINUED from First Page.)


Roosevelt was crashed in the Ice, to throw
them overheard so that they could float
in their cases. Can you imagine me giving
up those records to a perfect stranger?
Harry Whitney ala not tell me what
was in DR.. Cooks box except six fox
skins, a narwhal horn and some other
trophies. l could not see why I should
have carried the stuff when Cook could
have taken it. II DR.. Cooks stuff was OF
such Importance why did not whitney go
back In the Jeanle and get It?
Il saw DR.. Cooks sledge at EtsE and
looked 1t over carefully, while Prof. Nc
MILAN held up Cooks snow shoes and
showed them to me. But l did not ex-
anime the snow shoes carefully"
Reverting 10 Or. Cooks things. he con-
tinued: II imagine DR.. Cooks stuff was
made up Of superfluous instruments. After
Whitney had put the stuff ashore 1 old
the eskimos to leave it alone.
Talks with Eskimos.
on my return from the pole saw all
the Eskimos and talked with them. After
what l heard l would not credit Cooks
claims. The letter that informed me that
Or. Cook had claimed the pole was from
a whaler named Captain Adams and not
Walker as had been stated. The letter was
dated June II and l received il at Cape
York.
what proof would you require of an
explorer that he had been far north ?"
Peary was asked.
That if a man went to the highest point
that had been reached before he should
bring back the records he found there"
said Commander Peary.
You will note that Cooks route to the
pole was 1G miles longer each way than
mine. The people can make their own
deduction whether Or. Cook with his equip
ment could have made such a journey.
"Dr. Cook claims he went from latitude
1874 to 80 degrees and back to rs degrees,
altogether, just 251A degrees. Then think
that the best previous record made by any
explorer was a total of eleven degrees.
II cannot say whether the extra 17 miles
each way that Cook says he Travelled would
have kept me away from the pole or not.
1t might and it might not have; the diff
Guilty in Arctic travel as you proceed north
increases not in thin but in geo
metrical progression
Answer from DIR. Cook.
NEW YORK, Sept. 27.-Dr. Cook con-
scented tonight to give the Associated Press
a formal reply to some Of the most
material charges brought against him by
Commander Peary. A more complete
declaration will be issued by the explorer
when Peary makes his accusations over
his own signature.
The statement is as follows:
Commander Peary says that my sledges
were not fitted to Arctic travel and that he
would not care to voyage in the Arctic
with them. The only sledge Commander
Fgary saw, was half a one which l had
given TO Mr.. Whitney as a souvenir. The
remainder Of it had been used to make
bows and arrows.
AS to my reasons for leaving my instTu-
ments with Mr.. Whitney, he had told me
that the Eric was coming to Etah and
would take him over to the American side
to hunt big game and would come back
later to Annatok. The distance from An
natOk to Upernavik, by the route which
was compelled to follow was nearly 70
miles. In that journey l had to trave
over high land In two places, with glaciers
and difficult places to negotiate. The ice
was extremely rough and these was a good
deal of water to be expected that would
have subjected the instruments to a risk
which was entirely unnecessary when Mr.
Whitney awaited a ship to go to Etah fol
him upon which he expected to return
direct to America.
b going to Upernavik, l hoped TO ge
back by the end Of July or the middle d
August. | wanted to see my family a
soon as possible, as l had been separated
: Whitney did not expect TO get back befor,
October. $50.
The other points OF the so-called charge
have been replied to in detail on severa
occasions. / will answer everything II
the most formal way when Commando
p, Peary prints or makes public his othe
points. MY reply will then be given GU
as a written statement.