Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1909-09-09

Recently, two American citizens
have secured prominent places in the
galaxy of immortals. Glenn Curtis,
in Paris, won the great spccd-race
for aeroplanes and DR.. Frederick
A. Cook discovered the north pole.
In quest Of the top of the world
there have been forty three cxpedl-
tions. The first was in 1853. under
command of Sir Hugh Willoughby.
Scarcely a decade during the last
three and half centuries has passed
that an expedition has not sought
the north pole. In the various eXpe
ditions 1913 lives have been lost, the
one with most fatalities being that
of Sir John Franklin, an admiral in
the English navy. This was the
Englishman's third trip to the arc
tic regions. Nothing except written
ten record, inclosed in a cairn of
of stone, was ever found of the brave
band of l3l explorers The writer
remembers that when he was boy
people were still talking of Sir John
Franklin, although the catastrophe
was several years old. The expedi-
ton of DIR. Kane in search of Frank
lin was almost as much a topic of
conversation as the loss of the Ere
bus and Terror and their crews. All
over the civilized world, for many
years after the disappearance of the
Franklin expedition, there was much
sympathy with Lady Franklin's re-
peated efforts to CLEAN tidings of her
husband 1t was not until 1859 that
definite information of the fate of
Franklin was obtained. A ship was
sent north by Lady Franklin. the YES
sci being commanded by Capt. Nc
Clintock. AT Point Victory writ
ten record in the handwriting of
Capt. Fitzjames and signed by Capt.
Crozier, both of them officers Of the
Franklin expedition, stated that Sir
John had died June III, lS47; that
nine officers and fifteen men had per-
ished. and that the expedition would
start to-morrow(April 26, 1Sis) for
Backs Fish River" That was the
last ever heard of the Erebus and
Terror and their gallant crews. AS
one writer says: "A briefer record
has never been told of so tragic a
story.
The announcement by DIR. Cook
that he has discovered the arctic
pole has provoked great contention
among explorers and scientists. The
majority of the members of these
classes seems to be with DR.. Cook.
He is not new to the business of OK
ploration, having been a member of
a former arctic expedition. and also
one to the antarctic. The alleged
finder of the pole had with him only
two EsquimauN. whose words will.
of course, not add much weight to
the statements Of their chief. In
fact. Mrs. Peary, wife of Explorer
Peary now in the polar regions,
and from whom word was received
few days ago to the effect that he
had also reached The north pole
says in an interview that she does
not believe DIR. Cooks statement,
questions his ability to say whether
or not he was at the pole, and as
serts that his Esquimaux compan-
ions would not be able to distin-
guish the north pole from barber
pole. However. there is no reason
for an unprecedented person to dis
believe the doctor S story of his tri-
umph, as he is a man of established
reputation for intrepidity and truth
fulness. He kept careful record
of his journey, and when his instru-
mental reckoning showed so degrees
north latitude he knew, of course.
that he was at the top of the
world.
The question that at once occurs
Is, OF what practical use is all
this sacrifice of life, money and time
in efforts TO locate an ice-covered or
barren spot of the earth's surface
i'm a region that is known To be unin-
habltable?' This question was re
Gently answered by Sir Robert Ball,
noted English scientist, former
astronomer of the royal observatory
and now professor of astronomy at
Cambridge university, and one of
the most distinguished men of Brit
ain, who has written the following
statement of what the discovery
of the north polcmeans:
The two questions that are be-
ing asked all over the wide world
to-day are: First Why does any
one want TO go to the north pole?
Second How does he know when he
gets there? To answer the second
question first: The mariner who
finds his latitude in the northern
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