The Washington herald., 1913-06-01
Paper Submitted to the Inter-
national Geographers' Con-
gress in Session in Rome,
Washington Scien-
fists Give Figures.

Herbert l. Bridgman, the explorer.
who has just returned from abroad after
attending the Tenth International Geo.
graphic Congress at Rome. brought back
with him a copy of the report he flied
with the congress concerning Admiral
Peary's trip to the North Pole That
part of the report which goes exhaust
ingly into Pearys astronomical observa-
tions is signed by Hugh c. Mitchell and
Charles r. Duvall. computers of the
United States Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey and verifies the previous calculations
made that Peary was within Is miles of
if not actually at the pole on the morn
ing of April Z. 1903
At the time of the passage of the bill
in Congress two years ago. making Peary
a rear admiral for his discovery of the
pole computations by Messrs. Mitchell
and DuvalI. who went over Peary's fig
ures. were presented to the House Ma
val Affairs Committee and formed part
of the committees report. These sub
stantiated all of Peary's statements and
conclusively proved that the explorer had
been at the top of the earth.
After the adjournment of Congress the
Peary Arctic Club asked Messrs. Mitch
ell and Duvall for a complete and revised
CODY of their discussion of Peary polar
observations. with the intention of pre-
senting il with other data to the Geo.
graphic Congress. which was to have met
in Rome in October 1911. On account OF
the cholera outbreak in Italy at the time
poned until the spring of the present
year. when Mr.. Bridgman and Admiral
Peary went abroad to attend it.
In prefacing the Mitchell-Duvall dis
cussion the Peary Arctic Clubs report
says:
The conclusions of Hugh c. Mitch
ell and Charles R. Duvall, showing that
Peary went within mile and six-tenths
of the pole. and possibly within stones
throw of that mathematical point, and
that he went beyond the pole are also
of permanent historic importance. It Is
doubtful whether the difficulties Of ex-
act observations would permit a closer
touch of the precise point, even IL
hundred expeditions could safely reach
a high latitude by travel over unob-
structed routes. The Mitchell and Du-
vail conclusions are SO convincing in
themselves and are such high tributes
to Peary's accurate work that their
methods of computation and their math
ematical processes are now given in ex-
tense to the scientific world and to the
public"
In opening their paper, which is en-
titled THE Geographic Position of Camp
Jesup, and the Reduction of the OBJ
servations of r. z. Peary in the VI
rinity of the North Pole" Messrs. Mitch
ell and Duvan say:
TN this paper It Is desired to present
in as complete form as possible the re-
suits and discussion of the astronomical
observations made by Civil Engineer R.
r. Peary, U. S. N, and members of his
party during the expedition of March
and April, 1909, which resulted in the
discovery of the north pole. In connec-
ton with this there also is presented
certain data relating to observations
made with a sextant and mercurial hori-
zon after the manner followed by Peary
which are intended to illustrate the pos
sibilities of these instruments and which
throw direct light on the question as to
whether the observations submitted by
Peary were physically possible, and what
degree of accuracy might be claimed for
them. This paper in no way modifes the
substance of the report made in Febru-
ary, 1911, to a subcommittee of the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs. United States
House of Representatives, but is merely
an amplifcation of that report with GER
tain additions thereto"
Tests Are Made.
Messrs. Mitchell and Duvan then take |
,Ip in great detail all of Peary's obser- |
yations. arriving at the result already |!
noted. when-the Peary bill was before |
Congress the point was urged by some
that the explorer could not have take /
accurate observations with merely SEX
tant and artificial horizon on account sf |
.hs nearuess uf the sun to the horizon.