The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-11
Explorer Will Reach North Syd-
 ney Next Tuesday
CONTROVERSY OF INTEREST
One of Peary's Men Says That Peary Did Not Take Cooks Provisions But Some Other Men
 Took Them.

St. Johns, Newfoundland, September 10. Commander Robert E. Peary is expected to sail from Battle Harbor, Labrador. where he put in last Wednesday, for North Sydney, c. B., tomorrow The Roosevelt was at Battle Harbor late to- day. It is not known here when Com mander Peary expects to reach North Sydney, but mariners acquainted with the Roosevelt do not look for her appearance at the Cape Breton port before next Mon day or Tuesday. Unless 1t Is necessary to put into Blanc Sablon for coal, Peary will probably not stop until he reaches North Sydney.
 The Peary-Cook controversy is of in- tense interest throughout Newfoundland. Today Capt. Moses Bartlett of Brigues. who commander Dr. Cooks schooner, John R. Bradley, which was fitted out at Gloucester, Mass, in 1907, issued a pub lie statement, as follows:
 'Dr. Cook is correct in stating that Peary took his provisions after the steam CT Eric returned to Brigues last fall. Three of her crew who belonged to Brigues told me that when Peary ar rived at Etah that summer he took pos session of all the stores I had left there the previous fall for Cook, against his return from the north. The men say they helped to move the stuff from where I left 1t. The men now on the Lab- rador coast. This supply consisted of two dory loads of stores, food and kero- sensf whicfs orr cew piled on the ir>ach and then paced ti.e dories over. bottom up, bling stones around and above them to make a cache. At Annatook 30 miles north, where Cook landed, I had pre- viously put ashore two years supplies for Cook and five tons of hard coal. Our ves- sel, the John R. Bradley, was laden with stores and ten tons of hard coal When Cook landed we gave him half the coal and stores, except what we required to bring us home. Cook could not steal Pearys provisions. because Peary had none on any part of the coast, having used up all the provisions left there by previous expeditions in his 1so5-6 trip
 When seen tonight Richard Pike, chief engineer of the steamer Erik, which served as an auxiliary vessel for Com mander Peary last year by conveying
 
 those on the Roosevelt, said that Peary himself did not take Cooks provisions, nor were they put on board of Peary's s ship. Pike said:
 "Peary left two men of the Roosevelt, the boatswan and one of the f1remen, with the immense accumulation of sup plies which he left at Etah when the Roosevelt went north and the Erik came south. These men apparently in mistake took some of Cooks stores that were also cached there"
 Another member of the Erik's crew. who refused to have his name published, said tonight that the stores were taken by an understanding with Francke, Dr. Cooks assistant, In part payment for his passage from Etah to the United States. The stock of ivory. furs skins and curios which F'rancke and Cook had accumulated were accepted as the equiva- lent of passage money, he said. The sea- man stated that at that time Cook was regarded as dead, as he had been miss Ing and his stores and belongings were regarded as legitimately availnable for this purpose.
 Francke, he added, was given to un- derstand that in return for those gifts, a relief expedition would be organized as a sort of side line by the Roosevelt's crew to search for Cook and bring him back should be have been found alive.