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Page 12 THE HERALD Wednnday January 1990 Controversy rages over who found the North Pole The National Geographic Society didn t sav so explicitly but It would be happy if Pierre Berton changes the last dozen pages of his latest bestseller The Arctic Grail The findings announced by the highly regarded research organization at a recent Washington news conference bluntly contradict the conclusion reached by Berton in his fiction book that Robert Peary lied about reaching the North Pole The society says that the most exhaustive examination ever undertaken of the Peary polar expedition has proven that the American explorer was within five miles of the pole which in prat terms makes him the first man to ever stand at the top of the world We conclude that Peary did nail the Stars and Stripes to the pole said Thomas a retired S admiral and leader of the eight member team that examined Peary s claims isn buying it The book stands it out and printed he said In his book the Canadian popular historian calls Peary at best high handed and evasive at worst he was a charlatan was accompanied on his trek bj his assistant Matthew and four Smith Sound Eskimos none of whom knew to take navigational readings t verif whether Peary vas curately recording his findings said in a telephone inter view from Toronto Since Peary returned from his last arctic expedition and claimed to have reached the North Pole on April 6 the issue has never been settled In the mid 1970s Encyclopedia reflected the doubts by changing its quivocal entry on Pear to record thai he is usually credited with finding the pole LINGERED The National Geographic Socie ty which partly sponsored the original expedition endorsed Peary claim in 1909 and Congress backed the explorer after length hearings in 1911 But doubts lingered partly because another explorer Frederick Cook claimed he had beaten and because notebooks were not con conclusive The issue lingered and came to boil five ago when a television portrived villainous cheating the inno cent Cook our tht- recognition at the first min to reach the pole grandson Edwin Stafford was incensed that producers chose soft spoken hand some Richard Chamberlain to Cook while hard boiled charactor actor Rod Steiger played Peary Stafford responded by providing Peary s papers to researchers in a bid to clear his grandfathers name The National Geographic Society finally got into the act when Baltimore astronomer Den Rawlins called a fraud in Kevin Bell Washington Bureau a page stor in the Washington Post last year At the elaborate press conference complete with a short film and Peary s old sextant and sled said he could find no evidence to disbelieve Pear while new research techniques turned up evidence to back Peary claim and his crew relied on Peary s depth soundings and photographs allegedlv taken at the pole The depth soundings show that expedition twice crossed i cur ndge on his dash from Ellesmere Island to the pole Modern under watt mapping techniques have found that northern cur tht is near the pole ES But the compelling evidence comes from the photos Davies said Through sophisticated lechni developed the St World War shadows in diflerent photographs tan be used to pir point the location anvwhere in the world And Pearj photos show he Available at The Herald Office in either 8x10 or 5x7 Sizes theHERALD Georgetown CHURCH DIRECTORY DENOMINATIONAL PENTECOSTAL ALL PEOPLES CHURCH DELIVERANCE CENTRE comer Fnchgate Bible Study Worship Deliverance Sunday 10 30 am 7 Wednesday Wo Children Service English translation Pastor George A TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE CALL DISPLAY ADVERTISING 8772201 was within five miles of the North Pole Stafford expressed relief that hit grandfather has finally been vin djcated years after his heroic expedition report it will help to set the record straight and perhaps put an end to the long process of vilification of a courageous American explorer But Berton said the issue is far from settled While he credits Peary with coming within miles of the pole he says there are too many holes in the explorers stor The fact of the matter is that it is in tht Natnnat Geographic Soc interest to preserve its conclusion Astronomer Rawlins who pro vided much of the raw data for Berton findings closely monitored National Geographic presentation and con eluded There are more fiddle factors in this report than the New York Philharmonic The skeptics cite a loose page in Peary arctic diary with the words The Pole at last It appears it was torn loose from book and slipped into the diarv bolster Pearys The doubters also cite the 270- eight trip from Ellesmere Island to the pole and back Some of the dailv treks were made at twice the speed Peary achieved on other arctic tions I find it difficult to believe he moved that fast Berton said The National Geographic Society will publish its findings on the Peary expedition in the January issue of its magazine A film documentary outlining the evidence that Peary reached the pole is scheduled to be broadcast oniUS That certainly their side of the story said Berton who declined to talk about the National Geographic s individual findings until ht had seen the complete report I don 1 think it stop the con The ideal temperature 20C Every degree more could Increase your fuel bill about 3 It s the temperature most people enjoy during the day Home Comfort News from ICG Heating and Air Cond honing DISTRIBUTORS EARLY FOR ALL YOUR GIFT NEEDS Profess onal Ska a pen rtg P onal Team Woa 8730500 Mo Si Geo JED WE ARE DEDICATED TO SERVICE We have asked our carriers to complete their deliveries as 11 early as possible each week II your Herald Is not delivered to your home please phone our circulation department CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT HOURS For your convenience the Circulation Department is open from 8 a to 5 Monday to Friday WELL DELIVER TO YOUR HOME 8772201 Beckermann Qmm START YOU NEW Y Ask for yourBEE quality comparison guide Exclusively at A Touch IMS I 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