The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1909-09-09
POLE is FOUND.


Frederick Cook, American Explorer
Reaches Most Northern Point.
Paris, Sept. 3.--"After a proIonge'
fight with famine and frost, we at las
have succeeded in reaching the Nortl
Pole.v
Thus declares DR.. Frederick A. Cool
in signed statement this morning il
the Paris edition Of the New Yorl
Herald. The statement, which il
dated Hans Egede, Lerwick, Wednes
day." continues:
"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 discovered on which
rest the earth's northernmost rocks.
A triangle of 80, 600 square miles has
been cut. out of the terrestrial I'M
known.
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 iE August, 1907. Here conditions
were found favorable for launching a
venture to the pole. j. r. Bradley
literally supplied from his vessel suit
able provisions for local use. My own
equipment for emergencies served well
for every purpose in the Arctics.
At sunrise of February 49,
the main expedition embarked on it's
voyage to the pole. 1t consisted of IL
men and 103 dogs, drawing IL heavily
laden sledges. The expedition left the
Greenland shore and pushed westward
over the troubled ice Of Smith sound.
"The gloom of the long night was
relieved only by few hours of day
light. The chill of the winter was
felt at its worst. AS we crossed the
heights of Ellsmere sound to the Pa
cific slope, the temperature sank to
minus S3 centigrade. Several dogs
were frozen and the men suffered Sc
verely, but we soon found the game
trails, along which the way was easy.
There was an unknown line 400
miles away which was our goal. We
made encouraging progress. A big
lead. which separated the land from
the ice of the central pack was crossed
with little delay.
I'VE advanced steadily over the
of moving sea ice and now
found ourselves beyond the range of all
footprints of bears nor
he blowholes of seals we're detected.
Even the microscopic creatures of the
ieep were no longer under us.
"Thus, day after day, our weary legs
spread over great distances. Incidents
md positions were recorded, but ad-
was promptly forgotten in the
lext days efforts. The night of April
was made more notable by the swing
ng of the sun at midnight over the
northern ice. Sunburns and frostbites
low were recorded on the same day,
tut the double days glitter infused
quite an incentive into ones life of
hivers.
1--WE were now about 200 miles from
he pole and sledge loads were reduced.
)ne dag after another went into the
tom = oi the hungry survivors, until
he teams were considerably diminish
ID in number, but there seemed to re-
main soficient balance for man and
'rute to push along into the heart of
he mystery to which we had set our
elves.
On April FL we had reached SO de-
.rees SO minutes 46 seconds. The pole
vas in sight. We covered the remain
ng Ia seconds and made few final
observations. l told Etukishook and
Ihwelsh, the accompanying Eskimos,
hat we had reached the great nail. , |
Everywhere we turned was south. |
With single step we could pass from
ne side of the earth to the other; from |
midday to midnight. At last the flag
Dated to the breezes at the pole. 1t |
1as April 81, 1908. The temperature
1as minus 3S centigrade; barometer
1888; latitude, 80; as for longitude.
was nothing, as it was but word.
Although crazy with Joy, our spirits
egan to undergo feeling of weari-
ess. Next day, after taking all our
sentiment of intense
olitude penetrated us while we looked
the horizon. Was it possible that
MS desolate region, without patch
earth, had aroused the ambition of
D many men for so many centuries?
here was no ground, only an immen-
ty of dazzling white snow, no living
cling, no point to break the monotony.
ION April 23 we started on our re-
irn."