Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-01-07

Copenhagen, Dec. 21.-The Uni
versity of Copenhagen, the first
institution of learning to recog-
nize DR.. Frederick A. Cook as the
d%iseoverer of the north pole, to-
day solemnly declared that the ex-
plorer had failed to establish the
claim upon which his high honors
had been based.
The committee appointed by the
university to examine Cooks rec
ords recently presented its report
to the consistory of the university,
which reviewed the deductions of
the experts with the greatest care
and discussed the findings from
every standpoint. That both the
committee and the consistory were
disappointed was soon known.
The consistory met today and
adopted a written report to the
effect that the alleged records
submitted for examination by DR..
Cook failed to prove his claim.
The report of the committee, of
which Professor Stromgren was
chairman, as presented to the con-
sistory, states that Cooks papers
arc without any value and that
his report to the university is
practically the same as that pub
lished in the New York Herald
on his return from his arctic ex-
petition.
The copies Of his notebooks sub
mitted, says the committee, con-
tain no original calculations Of
observations, but only results
thereof. Accordingly the commit
tee concludes that he affords no
proof of having reached the pole.
Documents of Cook.
The documents handed the commits
sion of the University of Copenhagen
for examination are:
First, a typewriter report prepared
by Cooks secretary. Walter Bonsdate,
and covering 81 pages of foolscap.
Second, d typewriter copy made by
Lonsdale from Cooks note book. This
occupies 16 pages of foolscap and in
cludes a description of the expedition
during the period from March Is, 1908,
to June 13, 1908, during which, accord
ing to the statement, Cook journeyed
from Svartevog to the north pole and
returned to a point on the polar ice
not specifically indicated, but west of
AXel Heiberg land.
The papers were not accompanied by
a private letter from Cook, but Secrc-
tary Lonsdale stated verbally TO the
commission that the original notes and
books of the explorer. from which his
copies We're made, had been sent to Eu-
rope by another route as a ~precaution-
airy measure, and would be delivered
to the university in the ourse OF a
few days. ~
In presenting the data Lonsdale
stated explicitly and repeatedly that
the cor numbered two was a com
plete and accurate duplication Of the
information contained in all of Cooks
note books that could be of any import
ance to the university for the purposes
of the examination.
Promise Not Kept.
IN spite of the explorers promise and
his secretary's assurance that they
would be Forthcoming, the commission
is not yet in possession of the original
note books and diaries.
Up 70 this time " q been impossible
for the university authorities TO re-es-
tablish communication with Or. Cook,
which was suspended some time ago.
The explorers address is not known
here ever to Secretary LonsGale.
After the members of the examining
committee had made themselves ac-
quainted individually with the material
delivered and so convinced themselves
of its utter worthlessness as a means of
determining whether Cook reached the
pole, the president OF the committee.
Professor Stromgren, called a general
meeting OF the committee for last Fri
day. when the report TO the univer-
sity and which is now made public was
drawn up.
Cooks Mysterious coi5ss.
Lonsdale, who has been invited to
this meeting TO answer sc:ne questions,
brought with him a letter which he
had received from Cook. which bore
neither the place nor date of it's writ
'7g. The opened eavelone. however,
bore the postmark Marseilles, Deem
Der IA, 1909.
The same envelope contained q let
ter addressed by Cook to the former
rector of the University OF Copenhagen,