The San Francisco call., 1909-09-03

with the progress of expeditions thi
Il do not mean to say that Docto
personally. But from my experience
would say that there is nothing to con-
firm the original dispatches. Some Of
the best equipped expeditions have cost
from $4,000 to 100000. 1 know that
DR. Cook had no such outfit.
There is nothing in the story thus
far told to indicate that DR.. Cook has
found anything new.
COULD INVENT OBSERVATIONS
Indeed, ] can not see why the re-
ported story of his expedition could not
have been written by any one who had
reached within leo miles of the pole
could sit in my ofice and invent OBJ
servations of all sorts.
Yet, no one can positively deny the
truthfulness of DR.. Cooks story. have
heard that the Royal Geographical So
ciety is reported to have discredited it.
If this is so, I will reiterate more
strongly than ever that DR.. Cooks al
legged discovery of the north pole is
highly improbable.
According TO Dr. Cooks story. no
mention is made of the travel from
April Il to April 81, 1908. His bear
ings on the former date were, 1t is
reported, IS degrees 81 minutes north
latitude. and, roughly speaking, a dis
tance of about 10e miles remained be-
fore him after April IA. An average
of about II miles day thereafter must
have been maintained.
cit was my experience in the Jeanette
expedition retreat (1S7SS1) that after
marching 80 miles one day we found
we had actually gone only two and a
half miles.
NORTHERN DRIFT IMPROBABLE
THAT the icedrift was northward in
Dr. Cooks expedition is not at all i'm
possible, but it is very improbable.
The talk of having killed musk oxen
is not new. These animals were killed
years ago. The apparent ease of Dr.
Cooks travel near the pole is what in
clines me strongly TO discredit the
story. With a pack of good dogs and
sleds in Siberia, over smooth snow, the
best distances I ever made was so
miles a day. Ice travel is much more
dificult."
Admiral Melville is IS years old He
has been on three arctic expeditions
the Hall relief expedition in 1873. the
jeanette expedition in 1881, and the
Greedy relief expedition in 1882.
Criticizes Route Taken
PORTLAND, Ore. Sept 2=Dr L. o.
Wolf, surgeon with Lieutenant Robert
Pesry's- expedition of 1s05-e. and at
present resident of this city, while
in no way disparsging Doctor Cooks
accomplishment in reaching the north
pole, is inclined to criticise the discov-
erer of the pole for his alleged follow
ing of a portion of the route which
Peary has been working out for the
last 90 years
Doctor Wolf says that Doctor Cook,
in thus using Peary's route, violated
the ethics Of polar expeditions, and as
serts that the discoverer OF the pole
should have followed a route of his
own.
Doctor Wolf says that scientific in
vestigation of the proofs furnished by
Doctor Cook very soon will determine
whether or not the latter actually stood
at the pole. 1t would. according to
Doctor Wolf, be impossible for an ex-
plorer TO manufacture proofs which
would Withstand the microscopic scru-
tiny of scientific men,
Avoided Peary's Mistake
POUGHKEEPSIE, N Y. Sept q
Dillon Wallace. author and explorer,
whose companion, Leonidas Hubbard,
starved to death while exploring Lab
rador, today said that he had implicit
faith in Doctor Cooks wonderful feat
Wallace had almost completed plans
for an expedition for the relief of
DCCNOT AOOk.
IT have no doubt that Doctor Cook
reached the north pole said Wallace.
He is a man OF extreme reliability.
fairly scientific and versed in the arctic
geographical conditions. He has al
ways manifested truthfulness in every
report, and concerning explorations in
the north he had been exact
Another point that would tend to
help discourage disparaging statements
&
Cracked Land. ending with a swift dash
TO the pole. Thus he would avoid the
awful eastern drift of the terrible cur
rent in the polar seas north of Green
land.
"Peary undoubtedly would have ac-
complished what Doctor Cook has done
IL he had been better acquainted with
the dangerous conditions confronting
him in the frozen sea. Peary tried to
avoid this condition by going west