The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-03-10
PEARY PUT IN
  DIR. COOK CLASS BY CONGRESSMAN
Macon of Arkansas Inti- mates Arctic Explorers Story of Having Marched 26 Miles a Day to North Pole Shows Bakery

Washington, March 10.-Commander Robert B. Peary was put into the pr. Cook class yesterday by Representa- tive Macon, Democrat, Arkansas.)
 In a critical survey of the, explorers s nara tive, presented today to the House Committee on Naval affairs, of which Macon is a member the Arkan- sas Congressman declares that the mere record of the miles travelled each day as given by Peary stamps his story as stretch of the imagination.
 Tn Pearys travels from Cape Co., lumbia to the point where Captain Bartlett left him and returned;'' said Macon, The travelled 31 days and made 2S1 miles. This was not as good as average of miles travelled by Dr. Cook in the same number of days.
 ''The astonishing part of Peary's miles he travelled after Bartlett had left him, when noswhite man was with him as witness, his only companion be- ing his valet of 20 years service and marches singularly were all north of the Bartlett camp. From that time forward going to the pole and return ing to Cape Columbia, he claims. to have made an average of 26 miles per day or to be Accurate 26-4 per day for five days, until he reached the pole the pole back to Bartlett's camp Q32 niles1 three days and PAS for 16 days from the pole back to Cape Colun1 bia, the latter being almost three times as great an average as he made with his supporting party.
 tEThe greatest increase commences, singularly. on the very day they left and practically ends on SubStan tially tE e same spot. Bartlett left Peary af- ter making zS1 miles in 31 days. After that Peary spent eight days, five go- of this point and says he travelled 264 nautical miles, not counting detours, or nearly four tfIr es the speed made when Bartlett was with him. The last three days of his travel, 132 miles from the Bartlett camp, he says, he made fl r.; utical miles day or over 50 sta tu*e miles not counting detours, and that was done at the end of fatigu- ing journey of 545 miles, Could the dogs in their fatigued condition haul the loaded sleds such a distance daily?''
 Macon commented on the fact that with the most ideal equipment possi- ble to use it would be impossible to take his party more than 10 miles day. After each days march the party would turn in as soon possible to get much needed rest
 His story on this subject" contin- ued Macon seems very convincing 2 that this was the extreme limit possi- ble: but soon as he was left alone with his Eskimos, with their own provide and their fatigued conditions, he said he averaged 26 miles per day thereafter, until he reached Cape Co., 1umbia.
 soThe editor Of the American Geo. graz .hios: Society says that four miles per day is considered a fair days. aver age over polar ice. although Cagni made seven miles. Shaclrleton said that while near the end of his journey south, with comparatively smooth sur face and with the weight of his ls1eds reduced to seventy pounds each, We could only make from 12 to 14 miles i day. ''
 Mscon cited records and statements lsof George Kennan General Greeley rub it in" quoted a statement made by Peary himself to Greeley in 1904 in which. he said that "A miles day would be a good average.
 Macon expressed himself as opposed to any Congressional recognition of Peary's alleged achievement in the tually reached the pole. Thus far Peary has declined to submit his proofs to the committee on the ground that he is under contract for their exclu- siVt use by publishing concern.
 ''Ed ward PaySOn Weston continued Maco n, "a tra ined athlete, the grea test known walker in the world, travelling over smooth. graded roads, railroad ads and paved streets in his journey from Boston to San Francisco, did not make an average forty miles a day, yet he availed himself of weather conditions.
 E'In view of this astounding. claim of speed it becomes necessary to examine e closely Peary's records in connection herewith and note the difference in the language, the style and the char acter of his narrative from the day Bartlett left him.
 "He seems to have been possessed with that potent charm that he claims was with him all around~for he soli1oquizes on the day Bartlett turned back and prophesied with a re- markable intellect that he would reach the pole in five marches, arriving there before noon and spend th9t afternoon making observations which he after wards reports was actually accom- plished to the letter and to the hour.
 ''If this speed was so. plainly clear to him, may we not justly ask why he could not have permitted Bartlett to continue within day, or within half a day. of the pole and be an actual witness, and still not with the discov- erer.
 ''Pcarv clearly intimates that he was divinely favored which he must have been as was Moses at the Red Sea and Joshua on the field of Gideon.''