Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-21

ETY., American Alpine club, National
Geographic society, American Mu.
scum of National history, New
York Chamber of Commerce and
all the principal American and for
eign topographic societies.
AT the admirars bedside when he
died were his wife, Mrs. Josephine
Diebitsch Peary, his daughter, Mrs.
Marie A. Stafford, and her hus-
band, Edward Stafford, and a niece,
Miss Madge Diebitsch.
1t was on the afternoon of Sep
TEMPER G, 1909, that the following
few words reported to the civilized
world for the first time this crown
ing achievement of three centuries
of effort:
Indian Harbor, via Cape Ray,
N. F., September 6.--To the Asso-
ciated Press, New York.
Stars and Stripes nailed to
north pole.-PEARY.
Pearys actual attainment of the
pole had been just five months be-
fore, on April 6, 1909.
When this despatch came, the
world was, quite unknown TO
Peary, already praising DR.. Fred
erick A. Cook as the discoverer.
Only four days previous to the
Peary announcement, Cook, who
was on his way back to Copenha-
gen on board a Danish steamer,
had telegraphed the claim that he
reached the pole on April 81, 1908
nearly a year ahead of Peary.
While DIR. Cooks claim did not
go unquestioned from the first, he
had for four days at least been
widely acclaimed as the discoverer
of the pole. With Peary's mes
sage there arose one of the great
est controversies of all ages over
the honor of actual first discovery
There can be no one who has for
gotten the dispute. Peary's asser-
tons were not seriously questioned
but among newspaper readers there
came to be two great camps, for
and against Cook.
Peary with his records of seven
successful trips to the arctic, his
official standing in the United
States navy and in scientific cir
Giles, easily held the commanding
position in the controversy. But It
was only after the scientific bodies
one by one had sifted the evidence
and pronounced Cooks claims UNI
founded that Peary's title as dis
coverer of the pole was really won.
The explorer was SO years old
when in July, 1908, he set out on
his eighth and successful invasion
of the polar region.
Captain Bartlett. the veteran
navigator for Peary, shouted to
Col. Roosevelt as the ship was leav-
ing it's wharf at New York: IT'S
the pole or bust this time, Mr.. Pres
ident."
The method of attacking the pole
was in five attachments, pushing
north in the manner of telescope
At the eighty eighth parallel Peary
party with Captain Bartlett, in
charge of the fourth detachment,
and he with one member of his
crew and four eskimos made the
final dash. They covered the 1876
miles in five days.
Thirty hours from April to 7
were spent at and around the pole
"a great tract Of frozen sea
none of the land which DR.. Cook
reported. The weather was cloud
less and flawless. The temperature
ranged from 33 below to II below.
Where open places permitted
soundings, 5000 feet Of wire, which
was all that Peary had, failed to
touch the bottom.
When he got back to civilization
Peary was surprised to find such q
fierce controversy raging over him
and his rival, DIR. Cook, but he
easily established his claim before
scientific bodies throughout the
world. He was raised to the rank
of real admiral of the United States
navy and retired on pay; congress
voted him its thanks in a special
act, and gold medals, declarations
and honors of many kinds were
showered upon him.
Peary's closing years were spent
in well-earned rest, living for q
large part of the time with his
| family of three-wife, daughter
| and son-on Eagle Island, off tn;
coast from Portland, Me. Mrs
Peary was formerly Josephine Die
bitsch, of Washington, D. c., mar
rying the explorer in 1888. She
frequently accompanied her hus'
band on his northward journeys
and on one of these trips Marie
Ahnighito Peary was born and
bears the distinction of having beer
born farther north than any other
white child in the world. She Is
| popularity known as 1.-The Snow
| Raby."