Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-02

! PARIS, Sept 2.--"After a prolonged
fight with famine and frost, we at last
have succeeded in reaching the North
Pole"
Thus declares DR.. Frederick A. Cook
! in a signed statement this morning in
the Paris edition of the New York
Herald.
The statement, which is dated "Sans
Egede, Lerwick, Wednesday" con-
| tinues:
"A new highway, with an interesting
| strip of animated nature has been eX-
plored and big game haunts located
which will delight sportsmen and eX-
tend the Esquimo horizon.
Land has been discoYered on which
rests the earths northernmost rocks.
A triangle of 10000 square miles has
| been cut out of the terrestrial unknown.
1.-THE expedition was the outcome of
a summer cruise in the Arctic seas on
the schooner Bradley, which arrived at
| the limits of navigation in Smith
sound late in August, 1907. Here con-
ditions were found favorable for
| launching a venture to the pole j.
r. Bradley literally supplied from his
vessel suitable provisions for local use.
My own equipment for emergency use
served we'll for every purpose of Arc
| tic travel. Many EsquimauX had been
gathered on the Greenland shores at
Annatosk for the winter bear hunt
| Immense quantities of meat had been
| collected and in camp were plenty OF
| strong dogs. The combination was
lucky for there was good material for
equipment
Build House of Boxes
"All that was required was con-
veniently arranged for at a point only
700 miles from the boreal center. A
house and workshop were built OF
packing boxes by willing hands and
| this northernmost tribe of 25O per-
sons set themselves to the problem OF
devising a suitable outfit.
Before the end of the long winter
night we were ready for the enter
prise and plans had matured to force
a new route over Grinnell land north
ward along its west coast out on to
the Polar sea.
1.-THE campaign opened with a few
scouting parties being sent over the
American shores to explore the way
and seek the game haunts. Their mis-
sion was only partly successful be-
cause of the storms.
"At sunrise of 1908 (February 19),
the main expedition embarked on its
voyage to the pole. 1t consisted of
eleven men and 103 dogs, drawing
eleven heavily laden sledges. The eX-
pedition left the Greenland shore and
pushed westward over the troubled ice
of Smith sound.
"The gloom of the long night was
relieved only by a few hours of day
light The chill of the winter was felt
at it's worst. AS we crossed the
heights of Ellesmere sound to the Pa
cific slope the temperature sank to
minus So centigrade. Several dogs
were frozen and the men suffered Sc
Verely, but we soon found the game
trails along which the way was easy.
Forced Through Sound
I'VE forced through Nansan Sound
to lands end. In this march we Sc
cured 101 musk oxen, seven bears and
1896 hares. We pushed out into the
polar sea from the southern point of
Herbert island on March 49, Six Es-
quimaux returned from here.
with four men and forty-six dogs
moving supplies for eighty days, the
crossing of the Circumpolar pack was
begun. Three days later two other Es-
quimaux, forming the last supporting
party, returned and the trials had now
been reduced by the survival Of the
fittest The two best men and twenty
six dogs were picked for final effort.
There before us in an unknown line
of AGO miles lay our goal The first
days journey provided long marches
and we made encouraging progress. A
big lead which separated the land from
tho Ice of the central pack was chos-
sed with little delay.
Low temperture was persistent