Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1909-09-09

une nrst Time and by an American.
Cophenhagen--A brief message re-
ceived here that DR.. Frederick A.
Cook, the American. explorer, reached
the north pole in his expedition, which
has just ended, is given full credence,
although details are lacking of the in
trepid dash across the ice.
The message was received at the CO
lonial office Wednesday via Lerwick,
Shetland Islands, announcing that DR..
1908. This dispatch was sent by a
Greenland official on board the Dan
| ish government steamer Nansegede,
which passed Lerwick at noon We'd
.nesday en- route to Denmark, and read
as follows:
I'VE have on board the American
traveller, DR.. Cook, WI & reached the
north pole April n, 1908. DR.. Cook
arrived at Upernavik in May, 1908,
from Cape York. The Esquimaux of
Cape York confirm DR.. Cooks story of
his journey"
Paris, September 1.-The Paris edi-
tion of the New York Herald publishes
a signed statement from DR.. Freder-
lex A. Cook, which Is dated Hans
Egede, Lerwick, Wednesday," on his
experiences in the Arctic regions.
After prolonged fight with fam
inc and frost" says DR.. Cook, I'VE have
at last succeeded in reaching the north
pole. A new highway. with an inter
esting strip Of animated nature, has
been explored and big game haunts
located, which will delight sportsmen
and extend Eskimo horizon.
Land has been discovered on
which rest the earth's northermost
rocks. A triangle of 10000 square
miles has been cut out of the terres-
trial unknown"
Feared He Had Perlshed.
There was, Of course, the ever-pres-
ent probability that he had persisted
and 1t will be recalled that relief
ship is now en- route Etah, where she
is due the middle of this month. The
vessel, the schooner jeanne, left st.
Johns, N. f., about two weeks ago,
with the double purpose of searching
for DR.. Cook and taking supplies to
/ Commander Peary. The expedition
was financed by special committee
headed by DR.. Roosevelt Stebbins of
New York and composed of friends
of DR.. Cook and men of science were
most keenly interested in his venture.
To those men the news that he was
safe and the report that he had reached
the pole was received with rejoicing
although none of them had any fur
Their advices.
Cook Only an Amateur.
"Single-handed and alone DIR. Cook
apparently has achieved what hum
dreds Of more experienced and better
equipped explorers have been trying
for in vain for years." was the COM
ment of H. T. Bridgeman of Brook
Ign, secretary of the Peary Arctic
club and an intimate friend of DR..
Cook.
beside men like Peary," continued
Mr.. Bridgeman, who has himself TAX
en- large part in several Arctic ex-
petitions during the past fifteen years,
Cook is a comparative amateur. Ha
went north merely as the. surgeon Of
an expedition and was left behind
with small store of supplies at his
own request.
Followed Trail of Game.
HE appears to have awaited a
favorable time and then when things
looked right he hurried northward ac-
companied by two Esquimoux.
According to his last letters he
must have left Etah, Greenland his
base, about February 81, 1908. Cross
ing the Ellesmere land, he reached
Cape Thomas Hubbard, on the edge
of the polar ice sea. There he may
have waited few days and laid in a
stock of fresh meat. Finally, when
all was ready, he took his two trusty
Eskimo servants and started on his
risky dash over the ice 500 miles
to the ultimate North.
"He reached the pole, the dispatch
tells us. April 81, an average in the
neiYhborhood of 15 miles day.