The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-09-09

Pole Realized After Centu-
ries Of Effort An American,
DR.. Frederick A. Cook, OAR
ing Explorer Who Has
Achieved this Distinction
Although Feat Was Accom-
plished in April Of Last Year
the News Has Just Reached
the Outside World.
Brussels, Sept. 1.-The observatory
here received the following telegram,
dated Lerwick, Shetland Islands:
Reached North Pole April 18th,
| 1908. Discovered land far North.
Return to Copenhagen by steamer
Hans Egede.
"(Signed) FREDERICK COOK"
The American officials at tue OBJ
servatory state dispatch is surely
authoritative and that the North
Pole has been reached the first time
by an American.
The dream of finding the North
Pole for centuries lured explorers,
scientists and daring adventures.
This dream apparently has now be-
come a reality by the achievement of
DR.. Frederick A. Cook, of Brooklyn
DIR. Cook cabled laeOnic message
from Lerwick, Shetland Islands,
whence he is proceeding to COpen-
hagen, saying:
Successful. Well Address, Copen-
hagen
Paris, Sept. 2.-The Paris edition
Of the New York Herald this morning
published II signed statement from
DR.. Frederick A. Cook, which is dated,
"Hans Egede, Lerwick, Wednesday"
on his experiences in the Arctic re-
gions.
CATER prolonged fight with fam
inc and frost, says DR.. Cook, eve
have at last succeeded in reaching the
North Pole. A new highway, with an
interesting strip of animated nature,
has been explored and big game
haunts located, which will delight
spOrtsmen and extend the Eskimo
horizon.
Land has been discovered on
which rests the earth s nOrthernmost
rocks. A triangle of 10000 square
miles has been cut out of the terres-
tial unknown. The expedition was
the outcome of q summer cruise in
the Arctic seas on the schooner Brad
ley, which arrived at the limits of
navigation in Smith Sound late in
August, 1907. Here conditions were
found to launch a venture to the pole.
J. r Bradley literally supplied from
his vessel suitable provisions for local
use. My own equipment for emer-
gencies served we'll for every purpose
in the Arctic travel. Many Eskimos
had gathered on the Greenland shores
at Annatoak for the winter bear
hunt. Immense quantities of meat
had been collected and about the
camp were plenty of strong dogs.
'The combination was lucky for
there was good material for equip
ment. All that was required was con-
veniently arranged for at point
only seven hundred miles from the
Boreal Center. A house and work
shop were built of packing boxes by
willing hands and this northernmost
tribe of $50 people set themselves to
the problem OF devising a suitable
outfit. Before the end of the long
winter night we were ready for the
enterprise and plans had matured to
force a new route over Grinnell Land
northward along its west coast out
on to the Polar sea.
"The campaign opened with few
scouting parties being sent over the
Il 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 oi
1908 February 49, the main ex.
petition embarked on it's voyage to
the pole. Itconsisted of l men and
, 1O3 dogs drawing eleven heavily
laden sledges. The expedition left
the Greenland shore and pushed west
ward over the troubled ice Of Smith
Sound. The gloom of the long night
was relieved only by few hours oI
daylight. The chill OF the winter was
felt at its worst. As we crossed the
, heights of Eilesmere Sound to the
: Pacific slope, the temperature sank
to minus S3 centigrade. Several dogs
! were frozen and the men suffered Sc
4 verely, but we soon found the game
t trails, along which the way was easy
We forced through Nansen Sound tC
Lands End. In this march we secured
1O1 musk oxen, seven bears and 33s
r hares. We pushed out into the Polar
;, : sea from the southern point of Her
n bert Island on March IS. Six Eski
t mos returned from here. With foul
!. men and 46 dogs moving supplies fol
q eighty days, the crossing OF the cir
:. cum-polar pack was begun. Thre,
: days later two other Eskimos, form
d ing the last supporting party, re
: turned and the trials had now beer
:. reduced by the survival of the fittest
n The two best men and 26 dogs wer
= picked for the final effort.
, There before us in an unknown
IS line OF AGO miles lay our goal. Th
l. first days provided long marches am
J. l. we made encouraging progress.
. big lead which separated the lan'
from the ice OF the central pack wa
crossed with little delay. The 10y
temperature was persistent and th
- winds made life torture. But coope
Z in our snow houses, eating dried bee
tallow and drinking hot tea ther
! were some animal comforts occasion
| ally to be gained.
| For several days after the sigh
of known land was lost, the oveicas
sky prevented an accurate determine
tion of our positions. On March 3
the horizon was partly cleared an
| new land was discovered. Our obse