New-York tribune., 1906-11-28
OR. F. COOK GETS HOME.
,crENDED MT. M'KINLEY.
planted I4merican FlGg on Peak
after Hard Climb.

-, ,he highest peak in North America, arrived
- ,hs CITY last night. He and Edward Barrille
-, - .he onlv persons so far is known, who
-. ecsomnlished this remarkable feat.
a. ,he Hotel BarthoId DR.. Baker told last
-,-,. NJ the hardships which his party under
-sn, He was not surprised 10 learn that Pro-
,.ssor T. c. Parker. OF Columbia University.
.,o wa. one Of the original party. had expressed
,.rht ever the report OF his successful accom-
,,ishu,ent Of the ascent Of the mountain.
~ don't blame Professor Parker" DR.. Cook
.s,d .qf he did express a doubt that had
..s,seed to accomplish successfully the ascent
- Mount Mckinley. When Professor Parker
~, our expedition we had practically decided to
s,srdon the attempt TO reach the top, and, more
ever our original plan had been to attempt the
ss,ent from the western side. Professor Parker
r,rh,ly reasoned that we could not have accom-
l;shed this in the interim between the time he
~, rs and the day our telegram arrived, telling
!. our success. But as a matter of fact, we
sscended the mountain on its northeastern side.
three hundred miles from the point where Parker
thought we would go up; and don't mind con-
ssssjng that our accomplishment of the feat was
really accidental"
Continuing. he said:
We bad given I'D our intention of reaching the
summit and had reached q point half way up.
soIslv with the object Of doing some exploring,
when We suddenly found that conditions made
u easier 10 go UP the rest OF the way than de-
.cend the way We had come.
AMERICAN FLAG ON PEAK.
If Professor Parker has any doubt al cares
~ make the ascent himself, he will find on the
100 Of Mount Mckinley. 10000 feet high, an
american flag and a tube containing our names.
~hich we left there 10 be found by any who
nay follow US.
DR.. Cook described in detail his perilous trip.
Ee said that he had done some Arctic exploring.
having accompanied Peary as his surgeon on two
of his Arctic expeditions. and Amundsen on one
Of his expeditions. Continuing, he said:
In fact il was my Arctic experience which
first gave me the idea Of trying 10 climb Mount
Mckinley. I had heard OF this mountain, whlch,
! believe was first brought to the notice Of
Americans by prospector in 1897, who named
II Mount Mckinley. II occurred to me that,
mountain climbing. being closely associated with
polar work. il might be possible to accomplish
the ascension Of this mountain by employing
polar exploration methods Of equipment We
proceeded 10 DO this. Our tents were made OF
silk large enough 10 house three men and
weighing only three pounds, whereas the ordi-
nary mountain climbers tent weighs forty
pounds Our sleeping bags were an invention Of
ny own. They were made Of eiderdown covered
with silk, and when not used as beds were used
by Us as coats. Our diet consisted OF pemican.
used by Arctic explorers, but never before by
mountain climbers. In addition we had cur
rants sugar tea, a specially prepared biscuit,
but 10 salt We had 10 sacrifice salt because it
made Us thirsty. and we had no water. When
We wanted water We got il by melting the snow.
We ate twice a day, using alcohol for fuel In
melting The snow. not in cooking our food.
Our arrangements ena bled every man TO carry
IN his back a complete outfit for two weeks,
weighing fifty pounds. Ordinary mountain
climbers have had TO hire carriers 70 carry their
heavy packs.
We left on May !. and reached Seattle on the
lMh in the party were Professor H. c. Parker
Russell ". Porter. topographer; Bellemore H
Brown naturalist; Walter Miller. photographer
Frederick Prince. Edward Barrilla, H. Beecher
and John Dokkin. and others We started
from Seattle on May IL. and landed al Cooks
lnlet, Alaska, on May 2S Mount Mckinley being
i25 miles from Cooks Inlet
In specially constructed boats we then started
Up the Eusitina and Yetna rivers We expected
10 ind pass at the head of the Yetna River TO
me Alaskan range but there was none large
enough TO admit our passage, and, therefore,
We gave up the prospect Of attacking the south
western side of the range and tried the south
eastern side. When we reached this side
task seemed hopeless. There was no possible
line Of attack which promised success. We
NerA confronted by fifteen thousand feet of per-
lshdlcular cliffs. This was early in August, and
= = seemed too late in the season 10 go west.
therefore We abandoned the effort to get TO the
Top Of the mountain
We left Mr. Porter with two assistants south
Of Mount Mckinley TO make a map of the
Triangle between the Susitina and the Netab
.iFeFs. Brown and Beecfer left US to explore
SeaTCh
-'elcdI specimens. While Prince and Miller
-Heue geological exploring trip at the mouth
" He heeJihan River. Barrille. Dokkin and
@Scehaed several rivers. we reached glacier
nlIch sweeps the entire eastern slope Of Mount
Mchlnley. This glacier offered an excellent
n.ghway TO the mountain. Within three days
allG !eaylng the boat we had explored the en-
LeE glacier and found ourselves up against the
.oLd!eastern ridge Of the mountain. Our aim
vas 10 explore the northern ridge with a view
n. n mapping route for possible future ascent
;, ma. nae absolutely no intention Of continuing
=; t-e Top CT the mountain, but we thought we
.1sht az well try to climb a four thousand
~ granite cliff the top Of the ridge We
Iiased 10 climb Il, making an ascension Of
mountain 0 "1'0 VI 'il0
4 a. a. the end Of the fifth day we had gone
V 4eet and had overcome the really desper-
e.e obstacles, but we could find no place to
r1tap There wasn't even room 10 put up a
bs, mouse Night fell and we could not get
lee, ~ 70 our old camping place. where we had
dcKkin D2Kkin Therefore. we slept in our elder
the tooes N a hole we cut in the ice. When
e,,sL Le1t morning broke Barrille and I dis
"a baa,l the critical question whether we should
e.,tch oech or on up. and we decided il would be
- 10 continue climbing.
I'M boi i Two thousand feet more os hard climb
The ,"--ch We accomplished by cutting steps in
tounS we reached an elevation Of 5000 feet.
2 co... pace TO build q snow house and passed
a,i,ai able night. After that IL was conpar-
MAJ, easy climbing, but we experienced alti-
-inai troubles. The tenaperafure Vac 1e do
resrt.e.4o 10" zero. our heart action was depressed
bjsaai bjai1auon @ was difficult. our noses began TO
birdr.eeli eid we mad repeated attacks Of snow
ate 49, We were too weary TO be hungry, and
my 70 suppF our bodies with fuel
NhACHEs SUMMIT OF MOUNTAIN.
M Nh me seventh day we found the cold eo erAat
lat nigI+ IIs SO dlfhcIlt that we could not sleep
slsT,aasLat esLt. on the eighth day, September rs we
sers q -OF me very top OF the mountain. We
We hsS "eaTy that climbing was a great task
tao o. SSohleLnplated stopping on the pea;; for
feurraSe pIIealhlng 50 difficult that we hurriedly
sgain II TOOK rs four days TO get 10 the ba SO
net -. lahdea in Seattle three weeks ago
had .o oLitr members Of the expedition yyho
pork s1Iililshed great geographical exploration
VIE So ~ i was agreeably surprised to find my
teross 80 Two children also waiting. We came