Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-09-16
Denies Cook Reached Pole.


Battle He-bor, Labrador (via Marconi
wireless, Cape Ray, N. FL, Sept. 1O.-Do
not trouble about Cooks story, or at
tempt to explain any discrepancies in his
statements. The affair will settle itself.
He has not been at the pole on April
a. 1908, or at any other time. He has
simply handed the public gold brick.
These statements are made advtsedly,
and / have proof of them. When he
makes a full statement of his journey
over his signature to some geographical
society, or other reputable body, If that
statement contains the claim that he has
reached the pole, l shall be in posi-
ton to furnish material that may prove
distinctly interesting reading for the pub
lie. ROBERT e. PEARY.
Battle Harbor Labrador (via Marco
nj wireless Cape Ray, N. FL, Sept. g.
The steamer Roosevelt, bearing the
north polar expedition of the Peary
Arctic club. parted company with the
Erik and steamed out of Etah ford late
in the afternoon of August IS, 1908,
setting the usual course for Cape Sa-
bine The weather was dirty. with
fresh southerly winds. We had on
board % Eskimo men, II women, and
10 children, 226 dogs. and some forty
odd walrus.
We encountered the ice short dis
lance the HOulH VI IAS WI,
but it was not closely packed. and was
negotiated by the Roosevelt without
serious difficulty.
Find Much Water.
AS we neared Cape Sabine the wealth
err cleared somewhat and we passed by
Three WORT island and Cape Sabine,
easily making out with the naked eye
the house at Hayes harbor occupied by
me in the winter of 1901-O2.
From Cape Sabine north there was
so much water that we thought of set
ting the lug sail before the southerly
wind, but little later appearance of
ice to the northward stopped this.
There was clean open water to Cape
Albert and from there scattered ice
to point about abreast of Victoria
Head, thick weather and dense ice
bringing us some ten or fifteen miles
away
From here we drifted south somewhat
and then got aslant to the northward
out of the current. We worked little
further north and stopped again for
some hours. Then we again worked
westward and northward till we
reached a series of lakes. coming to
stop a few miles south of the Wind
wards winter quarters at Cape Dur
willie.
From here, after some delay. we
slowly worked a way northeastward
through fog and broken ice of medium
thickness through one night and the
forenoon of the next day, only emerg-
ing into open water and clear weather
off Cape Fraser.
strike Ice and Fog.
From this point we had clear run
through the middle of Robson channel
uninterrupted by either ice or fog, to
Lady Franklin bay. Here we encoun-
tered both ice and fog, and while
alto oil tn, COZ rob IF q ntf
cable opening were forced across to
the Greenland coast at Thank God
Harbor.
The fog lifted there and enabled us
TO make out our whereabouts and we
steamed north through series OF leads
past Cape Lupton, and thence south
ward toward Cape Union. A few miles
off that cape we were stopped by i'm
practicable ice. and we drifted back
south to Cape Union, where we stopped
again.
Ship Forced Aground.
we lay for some time In a lake of
water. and then. to prevent being drift
ed south again, took refuge under the
north shore of Lincoln bay. in nearly
the Identical place where we had our
unpleasant experiences three years be-
fore. Here we remained for several
days during a period of constant and
at times violent northeasterly winds.
Twice we were forced aground by
the heavy ice; we had our port quar-
ter rail broken and hole stove in the
bulwarks, and twice we pushed out In
an attempt to get north, but were
forced back each time to our precari-
Gus shelter.
Heavy Running Ice.
Finally on September we squeezed
around Cape Union and made fast in a
shallow niche in the ice, but after some
hours we made another short run to
Black cape and hung on to a grounded
bit of ice At last, a little after mid
night of September 5. we passed through
extremely heavy running ice into a
stream of open water, rounded Cape
Rawson and passed Cape Sheridan
Within a quarter of an hour of the
same time we arrived three years before
seven a. M. September 5-we reached
the open water extending beyond Cape
Sheridan.
we steamed up to the end Of 1t and It
appeared practicable at first to reach
Porter bay, near Cape Joseph Henly,
which had for my winter quarters, but
the outlook being unsatisfactory, / went
back and put the Roosevelt into the
only opening in the fioe being barred
close to the mouth of the Sheridan riv-
er a little north of our position three
years prior.
Put Up for Winter.
The season was further advanced than
In 1906; there was more snow on the
ground and the new ice inside the foe
bergs was much thicker.
The work of dscharging the ship was
commenced at once and rushed to COM
pletion. The supplies and equipment we
sledged across ice and sea and deposited
on shore A house and workshop were