THE NORTH POLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22498, 16 February 1935, Page 16

THE NORTH POLE

PEARLS CLAIM DISCOUNTED The north pole has never been reached on foot, according to Mr J. Gordon Hayes in his book, “The Conquest of the North Pole.” Mr Hayes deals with Peary’s claims as follows: “ There have been many- critics of Peary’s claims, on both sides of, the Atlantic, and all disinterested inquirers have come to the same conclusion—that he did not reach the pole; by this it may , be understood that he , wag never within 50 or more miles- of its position. Peary said that he returned'from-'his camp at the "-de to latitude 87deg 47min N. in not more, than 56 hours. This i% a. distance of 150 miles, apart from deviations over the pack ice and the drifting of the floes. Hence a man 53 years old "either walked considerably more than 75 miles pff, day for two days over a rough surface, or he never-came near the pole. He walked 401 miles to travel from where he left Bartlett, to the pole and back to the same latitude, and he claimed to have covered this distance at an average Of 50 miles per day. He. . tried to . conceal these excessive speeds’ . and distances, but he gave the data for them. His total unwitnessed * distance was 799 miles, covered in 23 matches that average 34 miles a march. . “University students are now being taught the truth, and some of the learned *

societies that accepted' Peary’s claim, before his record wag examined, have now revised their verdict in ; accordance with the facts brought to light, and it is high time that other societies found the moral courage to do the same. Thus the north pole may be said to Have been besieged for several years, but emerged from the; infantry attack like a virgin fortress."