COOK'S POLAR RECORDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 5

COOK'S POLAR RECORDS.

WERE THEY "FAKED?"' •AFFIDAVITS BY ALLEGED "FAKERS." (By Telegraph.—Press Asaoclatlon.-Copyrieht.l ... i ;'.•:. ': . ■'::': New York, December!).: ; Tho "New York Times" publishes affidavits by Captain Loose, a retired navigator, and George Dunkle, an insurance agent, describing, in detail, how, under the; direction of Dr. Cook, the oxplorer, they fabricated a full set of nautical and astronomical observations such as would be taken on;a polar journey. ■ Suspecting that Dr. Cook needed help, Dunklo and Looso offered their aid, and Cook, while not admitting that he had no observations of his own, ended, by ordering .a full set. The men allege that Cook promised them J!800, but disappeared after • paying a small part of that amount.. 'The "New York' Times" states it has ascertained, that the men stayed in the same country inn as Dr.- Cook, and offers to 'submit. Loose's observations to the Danish scientists, who will examine Dr.' Cook's records. ■;■Mr. Losdale, Dr. Cook's > secretary, has arrived 1 at. Copenhagen.

'THE MOUNT M'KINLEY NARRATIVE.; v - ."ENTIRELY FALSE." '< .' v The following New York messages appeared in the "Daily Mail" of October 15: Dr. Cook's "beautiful .composure" receives: the severest shock ithas'yot sustained by the publication in.the New York "Globe" to-night of an amazing affidavit by Mr. E. M.' Barrillo, Dr. Cook's companion in his alleged ascent of Mount' M'Kinley, in Alaska, the highest peak in North America. . Fourteen Miles from the Top, Mr. Barrille' affirms that at no time did he, and, Dr. Cook-get nearer than a point fourteen miles away in an air line from the top;of Mount M'Kinley..... He states that. Dr. Cook's book on the conquest of Mount M'Kinley contains fraudulent photographs,, and-that Dr. Cook ordered him to "doctor" his diary ■ and .so make it appear that they aotually did reach'.'tho summit. '. •■- Mr. Barrille made the affidavit before tho Notary Public of Tacoma, Washington, on October 4. It says :—"Dr. Cook; authorised mo to stop'ftho diary'on September 12, .1906, the day ,when_ he was supposed,to. have reached the summit.,: He had not then ascended moro than;'9ooo feet, .and. did not attempt any further climbing. On September 15 we turned back and reached the foot of tho glacier tho. next day. '•■.:' ■■..;■■',■'-'• ';:• /;■■■■,■.,.■...;■■ ~''-'-, .Falsp.-Dlary and ;"Faked",.Photographs. "■ '■■■■:., ' "Cook .-then directed me. to '] change .the .entries in., tlie diary from September; 9: to September' 12 .inclusive..,. The entries from.Sep; tember 12, to'! 10: were written .at the .first camp,, on tho way back, on tho night of SeptbinberJG, and those from September.'l 6 ;to'lß' at.the last camp. "The entries from September 19. down to; tho end v (November 9) were mine,; The iplacb where Dr. Cook directed me.to stop, the diary .was at or near the point where, he claims to have reached the summit. He said that' the. samo conditions . existed ~ there; as on^thetop-.of.the,.mountain. .: "To the best' of my. recollection Dr. Cook said, ' We will: back down and" get. a, picture of, this.'.: Wo; both went:back to where the bags.had been,'left,, and : Dr. Cook took, an American, flag out of one :of the; bags and, : handing it to: mo, sent mo', back: tohold tho flag on. tho eiid'of'anice : axe..,He-then,', took a:photograph of tho scene, and the picture is shown facing Pago, 227 of: his book 'The Top of the Continent,' under the .title, 'The Summit of .Mo'unt.M'Kjnley.' > ~: : "I.was: with' him continuously/and, the, nearest i point-TeacWd was , at. least fourteen miles from the top. Dr. Cook told.,inoWhen the picture was: taken•' wo .were not' moro than 8000 feet high;' -'..'' '•'.' ■' - : -.' ':■<. .•;..' '-: ' . "The drawings "'on > Page' 204 ; are: entirely false;- We did not build ■ any. snow-house on :the : :-trip, although the diary ; says ,;sb, nor, did :we ;shake ' hands , or ;-. go - through other similar, ceremonies : as stated.: ,' "' '■'Tho, picture on.. Page 220, -In the .'.silentglory of snowy wonder, .etc.' was, takeh'from two' to three hours before; tlie Hag picture,, ono mile.to the north-east., .fyy* ',:.;- : ; PromUed'i£4i)'''Extra,;" ao -^:;./.''^^[■,:-' : :' :: V.'On. Septomber. 9 Dr. Cobk : ;askedi.m:e if I: was L Trilling to stay with' him. I ans'worod; ' Yes,' and■'.'ho roplied, ■■■;'!'. will sc6 you got'. Mi extra.'"'>., .' --'-'/';'':■;,:.,; .H .A'telegram from' Seattle states that, 1 Mr. Walter P. : >Millor,'who acted as photographer to Dr. Cook.on ; his Mount M'Kinley expedition; has-also taken an, affidavit corroborating Mr. Barrille's.;statements.;■.He says: he,,has photographs and maps'- fully confirming the fatter's account of; what was actually: done.: In reply, Dr. 'Cook proposed an, expedition to'recover the records which he claims to:have left on tho summit of -Mount- M'Kinley, and asked-Mr,. Anthony 'Fiala to lead it. ; •'■;,-