Editing Robert Peary (section)

====Review of depth soundings====
Supporters of Peary and Henson assert that the depth soundings they made on the outward journey have been matched by recent surveys, and so their claim of having reached the Pole is confirmed.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://matthewhenson.com/northpoleproofDEPTH2.htm | url-status=usurped | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020603060320/https://matthewhenson.com/northpoleproofDEPTH2.htm | archive-date=June 3, 2002 | title=Proof Henson & Peary reached Pole (1909 Depth Soundings) | date=August 16, 2022 | publisher=[[Matthew Henson]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Since only the first few of the Peary party's soundings, taken nearest the shore, touched bottom; experts have said their usefulness is limited to showing that he was above deep water. Peary's expedition possessed 4,000 fathoms of sounding line, but he took only 2,000 with him over an ocean already established as being deeper in many regions. Peary stated in 1909 Congressional hearings about the expedition that he made no longitudinal observations during his trip, only latitude observations, yet he maintained he stayed on the "Columbia meridian" all along, and that his soundings were made on this meridian.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} The pack ice was moving all the time, so he had no way of knowing where he was without longitudinal observations.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}}