The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-02-28
DR.. COOK MAKES SEVERE
CHARGES AGAINST PEARY
In His Lecture at the Lyric Monday
Night--Audiepce Was Impress
ed and the Doctor Was
Heartily Applauded.


DR.. Frederick A. Cook, the arctic
explorer, delivered his illustrated
lecture on his alleged attainment of
the North Pole last Monday evening
in the Lyric.
A select audience braved the in
clement weather to listen to the man
who claims to have been farther
north than any other explorer.
When DR.. Cook appeared he was
given a prolonged and hearty ap-
plause.
He asked that mis- audience act
as jury, stating incidently that per-
haps there was a sufficient number
present to constitute that jury. DR..
Cook, however, ought not to hag.y
felt the frost in the audience, COM
ing from the polar regions as he
did, where the mercury registered 80
degrees below zero.
DR.. Cooks delivery was hampered
by a heavy cold. His lecture was
illustrated by photos taken by him
self and portrayed the entire jour
ney to the pole from the start to the
finish. Several of the slides were
colored and were true to nature.
The speaker was not gifted with
oratory, but presented his narrative
in common English, so that child
might understand. He made railing
accusations against Commodore
Peary, which if he has not positive
proofs, would be unable to make in
public.
DR.. Cook in his lecture based his
claims as to having reached the pole
on the fact that after the long and
tedious journey to the North he and
his two companions reached a point
where by standing erect their bodies
cast the same length of shadows
morning, noon and night, and where
the sun hang as low as eighteen de-
grees. This was the only place on
that great journey that this was
found. They spent two days, or As
hours at this point, made careful OBJ
servations, and became fully con-
sun that they had reached the top OF
the world.
Arm chair geographers can put
pin on the identical spot where the
pole is located" said DR.. Cook, but
at the time of year when the pole can
be reached no living man can locate
the identical spot in that great
place of silence, with only a floor of
ollO" anu lCt lOI d upon
which to work | claim that when
we reached that point where our
shadows were the same length morn
ing, noon and night, we were as near
the exact location of the pole as it is
possible to get, and any arctic ex-
plorer or person qualified to say,
will tell you the same, and therefore
/ claim the honor of having been the
first to reach the North Pole"
DR.. cook severely arraigned Com
mander Peary, and told of his last
trip to the Polar regions, of his fine
equipment including two great ships
fitted out at public expense, even the
school children contributing toward
the fund, and for the purpose on
Peary's part of hunting fur bearing
animals and carrying on trade
which was very profitable,
Year in and year out ships went
into the polar regions and came back
again" said DR.. Cook, bringing
thousands of dollars worth of furs,
and all the while the public was do
mating for this private enterprise.
Peary would still be making trips to
| the polar regions and still reaping a
| harvest had ! not made an honest
endeavor and succeeded in reaching
the North Pole" declared DR.. Cook
He told of Pearys treatment of
Francke, who was found on the
rocks 25 miles from Dr. Cooks base
of supplies which he had been left in
/ charge Of; of Francke going aboard
Pearys ship and asking for coffee,
being refused and put off the vessel;
OF Peary learning of Francke's
guardianship of the Cook supplies,
and then taking him back on board
the vessel, giving him whiskey. and
afterwards taking Cooks supplies
and furs, the whole being valued at
$4,000. He would have been
hung for doing that in a mining