The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-01-18
JUST AS MUCH
LOST AS EVER
Is North Pole, According
to Peary.
VERY FEW FACTS OBTAINED
BY Congressional Committee
Peary Wanted All
Glory to Himself.
A CHARACTERISTIC INTERVIEW

Washington, Jan. admitting
that the north pole is just as much
lost as ever, and that all future at
tempts to find it must be independ-
ent enterprises, unaided by his own
work, Captain Robert f. Peary, the
Arctic explorer, answered a cross fire
of questions at hearing before the
House Committee on Naval Affairs.
to-day.
He told how he wanted the glory
of the Polar achievement for him
self, declining to let any member of
his expedition; UtheT than the negro
Henson, go on the last dash with
him, how his publishing contracts
had precluded him from testifying
before the committee last sprins and
how members of his expedition had
been prohibited from writing about
the trip.
Captain Peary was asked to throw
light on why, as naval officer, he
made no report to the Navy Depart
ment. Mr.. Roberts asked him If 1t
was not customary for an officer to
report on matters for which he was
detailed.
Captain Peary said he had made
some report to the Coast and Geodet-
ic Survey and had advised the Navy
Department of that fact. 1t was his
impression that the uperintendent
of the survey had made a report to
the navy.
Pressed by Mr.. Roberts, Captain
Peary said there was a letter of his
on file somewhere asking secrecy for
his written report to the surveyNas to
soundings.
why, being detailed to get GER
tain information for the Govern
ment, did you ask the Government
not to use this information?" asked
Mr.. Roberts.
81 would rather not give the in
formation except to the committee"
replied Captain Peary, who objected
to tcstifying in the presence of news
paper Representatives. He was CIV
en- permission to file his reason in
writing.
why did you not take white !
members of your party with you on
the final stage of your trip north
ward, so there might be credtable
corroborative evidence?" asked Rep !
resentative Roberts, of Massachu-
sets.
I'm the first place" replied Cap
tain Peary. 81 have always made the |
final squirt, with one exception, when
Lee was with me, with one man and |
the Eskimos, because the man l took
with me (Henson) was more effec-
tive for combined demands of eX-
tended work than any white man.
THE pole was something to which
| have devoted my life, for which l
had zone through such hell as hope
no man in this room will ever eXpe-
rlence, and l did not feel that |
should divide it with young man
who had not the right to it that I
had
Captain Peary was asked by Mr..
If any injunction of secrecy
had been made as to what members
Of the expedition might say. He
replied that members of his party
were not free to write and lecture
after their return, except with his
written permission, explaining that
they were paid for their services.
Mr.. Macon, of Arkansas, inter-
jected that Captain Peary was also
paid for his services through the
salary paid him as a naval officer.
Captain Peary, replying to repeat
ed question as to the results of his
Arctic trip, said that he had not vet
prepared such chart that would en-
able any one to follow in his foot
steps to the pole, but he imagined
that he had data by which he could
prepare such a chart.
He said the position of the north
pole could be determined Just the
same as the equator, but the trouble
was the comparative low altitude of
the sun, which never gets higher
han 22 " degrees above the horizon.
For that reason ordinary observa-