New-York tribune., 1910-04-13
COOKS CLAIM STILL GOOD
Alaska Party Has Proved Moth
inu, Prof. Parker Contends.
GOING UP MT. MKlNlEY
To Start from South Side in
Hope of Clearing Up Doubts,
He Tells Explorers Club.

BY strange coincidence small party
of explorers. all members Of the Explorers
Club. met last night at Angeles restaurant
No Is5 Pearl street, to give a farewell din
ner for Professor Merschel L. Parker. of
Columbia University. and Belmore Browne
and Professor John Henry Cuntz, Of
Sevens Institute. who will leave the city on
April % TO climb Mount Mckinley from its
southern tide Professor Parker and Mr.
Browne were members of DIT. Cooks ex-
pedition, and IL Is one Of their main OBJ
| jects TO prove or disprove DR.. Cooks claim
TO having reached the mountains summit
after he had left them many miles from its
base
Neither hesitated to say that he believed
the Alaskan party had reached the sum
NIT. since its report was so definite aS TO
remove the claim from the realm Of con-
troversy. Either they would find the cairn
the Aaskans say they built at the peak
and prove their claim, they declared, or
they would not ind Il and disprove it
that is, II they reached the top themselves
Professor Parker contended. however
that the success Of the AIaskans had
neither proved nor disproved Dr. Cook :
claim. since the latters data was so vague
and indefinite as to make a complete topo-
graphical report and a full set OF photo
graphs necessary. either i'm substantiation
or disproof Furthermoe. the scientist said.
Or. Cook essayed the mountain from the
southern side. and the Alaskans scaled it
from the north. The southern side. he
added. presented much greater difficulties
no white man ever having gone within
fifteen miles of the mountains base from
that quarter. unless DR.. Cook actually ac-
cOmplished what he says he did.
We would have liked 10 make the first
ascent" he told the explores. But as far
as VI. Browne and I can judge. the report
Of its achievement seems authentic and
accurate. The southern side. however, re-
mains unexplored, and our plans remain
unchanged. I hope the Alaskans have
cleared up the northern side. as they had
a surveyor with them. We are to reach the
summit. if possible. from the southern side
and explore scientifically the southern and
sOUJheas; ern approaches TO the mountain.
II as much has been done for the northern
side then We won't have to return another
year 10 complete the circuit"
Professor Parker is inclined 10 doubt
that Mount Mckinley is the top Of the
continent" That is another main object
Of the expedition. to measure accuratsly
Ly triangulation, he said, was inclined TO
be faulty because Of atmospheric refrac-
ton Absolute accuracy could only he OBJ
tanned. he explained. by barometric obser-
vations taken at different attitudes If
Mount Mckinley il found 10 he 10000 or
more feet high il is the top" IT, how
ever. II falls short Of 20.e0O feet, then
several peaks over the Canadian border
are higher. Its altitude is given at pres
ent IS 20.50O feet Government surveyors
reached this figure by triangulation.
The Parker party is 60 consist Of six
members. Besides the three named. Wal
demar GrasSi. Of Columbia University. and
II. L. Tucker. OF the Appalachian club
who is now in the Forest Service i'm Mon
tana. will be included. When Seattle is
reached they hope 10 get an engineer 70
run the motor boat in which they will
proceed from COOK Inlet TO as near the
base Of the mountain as conditions viii
allow
The easiest and most reasonable method
Of approaching the mountain. Dr Parker
said. was in winter. from the northern
side by dog sledges as the AIaskans had
done Conditions for the climb. too he
considered were much more favorable IN
winter But TO adopt such a course. ne
pointed out would make necessary spend
ing the entire winter in Alaska.