Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-09-03
The NORTH pole At LAST.
First Reached by DR.. Cook an Amer.
lean.
STORY OF SUFFERING and SUCCESS.


STORY OF SUFFERING and SUCCESS.
Daring Brooklyn Explorer Succeeds In
Accomplishing a Feat That Has
Baffied the Skill and Daring Of
Scientists and Adventures For Cen
turtles.
Paris, September 2-The Paris
edition Of the New York Herald this
morning publishes signed statement
from DR.. Frederick A. Cook, which is
dated "Hansegede, Lerwick, Wednes-
day." on his experiences in the Arctic
regions.
After a prolonged fight with fam
inc and frost" says DR.. Cook, 1--WE
have at last succeeded in reaching the
North Pole. A new highway, with an
interesting strip of animatPd nature,
has been explored, and big game
haunts located, which wilf> delight
sportsmen and extend the Esquimaux
horizon.
Land has been discovered on
which rests the earth's northermost
rocks. A triangle of 10000 square
miles has been cut out of the terres-
trial unknown. The expedition was
the outcome Of 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.
]. r. Bradley literally supplied from
his vessel suitable provisions for local
use. My own equipment for emer-
gencies served well for every purpose
in the Arctic.
MANY Esquimaux 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 equipment. All that was required
was carefully arranged for a point
only seven hundred miles from the
Boreal centre.
"a house and workshop was built
of packing boxes by willing hands,
and this northermost tribe Of $50 peo-
pie set themselves to the problem Of
devising 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 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 see the game haunts. Their mis-
sion was only partly successful, be-
cause Of the storms. At sunrise Of
1908, (February 1s,) the main expe-
dition embarked on It's voyage to the
pole. It consisted of eleven men and
1O3 dogs drawing eleven heavily Ia
den sledges. The expedition left the
Greenland shore and pushed westward
over the troubled ice Of Smith Sound.
The gloom Of the long night was re-
lieved only by a few hours Of day
light. The chill Of the winter was felt
at its worst. AS we crossed the heights
of Ellesmere Sound to the Pacific
slope the temperature sank to minus
SO centigrade. Several dogs were fro
zen, and the men suffered severely,
but we soon found the game trails
along which the way was easy. We
forced through Nansen Sound to
Lands End. In this march we secur-
ed 101 musk oxen, seven bears and
335 hares.
I'VE pushed out into the Polar Sea
from the southern point Of Herbert
Island on March 18. Six Esquimaux re-
turned from here. With four men and
forty-six dogs moving supplies for
eighty days, the crossing Of the cir
cum polar pack was begun. Three
days later two other Esquimaux, form
ing the last supporting party returned,
and the trials had now been reduced
by the survival Of the f1ttest. The
two best men and twenty-six dogs
were picked for the final effort.
There before us, in an unknown
line of 46O miles, lay our goal. 2 The
first days provided long marches, and
made encouraging progress. A big
lead, which separated the land from
the ice Of the central pack, was cross
ed with little delay. The low temper
ature was persistent, and the winds
made life a torture. But cooped up in
our houses, eating dried beef tallow
and drinking hot tea, there were some
animal comforts occasionally to be
gained.
For several days after the sight
of known land was lost the overcast
sky prevented an accurate determin-
alton Of our positions. On March 80,
the horizon was partly cleared, and
new land was discovered. Our obser-
vations gave our position as latitude
S447, longitude S6.36. There was
urgent need Of rapid advance. Our
main mission did not permit a detour
for the purpose of exploring the coast.
Here were seen the last signs Of solid
earth; beyond there was nothing sta
BILE to be seen.
1--WE advanced steadily over the
monotony Of moving sea ice, and now
found ourselves beyond the range Of
all life-neither foot prints of bears
or blow holes Of seals were detected.
Even the microscopic creatures Of the
deep were no longer under us. The
maddening influence Of the shifting
desert of frost became almost unen-
durable in the daily routine. The
surface Of the pack offered less and
less trouble and the weather improv-
ed, but there still remained the life
sapping wind which drove despair to
its lowest recess. The extreme cold
compelled physical action. Thus day
after day our weary legs spread over
big distances Incidents and position
were recorded, but adventure was