The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-09-17
nATTLE HARBORf Labrador, Sept.
A 16.=lVia Marconi Wireless to

nATTLE HARBORf Labrador, Sept.
16.-(Via Marconi Wireless to
Cape Ray, N. F)-Commander
Robert E. Peary today talked further
concerning his dash to the north pole.
He dwelt particularly upon the OBJ
of Harry Whitney, the soptrsman of
New Haven, Conn, who has been de-
scribed as the bearer of records sub
stantiating DR.. Frederick A. Cooks
claims to having reached. the pole
April 81, 1908.
I'VE took five observations prior to
reaching the pole," Commander Peary
said. 1.-TWO of them were made and
worked out by the late Professor Ross
Marvin, who prepared duplicate re-
cords in each case and duly signed
the duplicate certificates. To guard
against accident 1 took one set of
these papers and Professor Marvin
took the other.
when within a distance Of 125
miles from the pole, the third obser-
vation was made by Captain Bartlett,
who also signs the records in dupli-
cate, he retaining one set and l 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"
he replied. "And / took them all my
self. They all agreed. You must un-
derstand that the pole is theoreti-
cal point, without length, breadth or
thickness. It's actual location depends
upon the accuracy of the instruments
employed and the conditions under
which the observations are taken"
"You have said, Commander Peary,
that a copy of your records and polar
observations was wrapped in case OF
silk American flags 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.
Continuing, Peary said that DR..
Cook was expected by the world to
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 matter being sub
mitted for consideration$at an early
date. 1t should be done inside of
couple of weeks and when it is done,
the commander declared he was pre-
pared to turn over to the board of ar
bitration, to the public and to scien-
tific bodies an array of testimony
which would disprove DR.. Cooks
claims for all time.
Asked how Whitney happened to re-
main in the north, Commander Peary
said Whitney was of a party of sports
men who went as passengers on board
the steamer Erik.
At Etah, where it was determined
to land a party and supplies for the
relief of DIR. Cook, particularly In view
of the fact that Rudolph Francke was
being invalided home, Whitney asked
if he might remain at the station TO
hunt walrus and polar bear IN the
spring. This was decided on. In or
der to provide against the contingency
of the Roosevelt not coming down
from the north in the summer OF 1919,
in which event he would be obliged TO
remain in the Arctic for two years,
Mr.. Whitney made arrangements TOT
a ship to come up for him this sum
mer. -
Asked how DR.. Cook had made his
way from Etah to South Greenland,
Peary replied that he probably trav-
eled by dogs and sledges south and
across Melville bay.