The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-09-28
| Or. FREDERICK A. COOKS
JOYOUS WELCOME HOME
Brooklyn Greets Arctic Traveller
With Pride and Affection.
Il HAVE COME FROM THE POLEr
After Two Years Absence the Explor-
en- is Greeted at His Home With
Unprecedented Enthusiasm and
Splendid Confidence.

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Splendid Confidence.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-Amid shrieking
whistles and tumultuous cheers, DR..
Frederick A. Cook returned home on
the Oscar III. from his two years alb
sence in the arctic From the mo-
ment the explorer in the morning
stepped from the steamer to the small
tug in which his wife had gone down
the bay to meet him until long after
nightfall DR.. Cook was hailed by his
admir- ers as the discoverer of the
North Pole, and a Homecoming well
come was accorded to him the SINGER
ity of which could not be doubted.
In interviews, brief as they were,
which DIR. Cook gave in the day he
declared he had brought back with
him ample proofs that he was the dis
coverer of the North Pole. These
proofs he was asked to produce, but
he said he would send them to the
University of Denmark, at Copenha-
gen, where the Danish scientists
would make them public
Already, DR.. Cook declared, his
story of his dash to the pole had been
approved by Daegaard- Jenson, In
spector of Danish North Greenland.
The Governor of Upernavik has as
sured the Danish Government of his
conviction that Dr. Cook had reached
the pole. 1t was upon this indorse-
ment, DR. Cook said, that the Danish
people accepted his story.
DR.. Cook was silent as to the chal-
lenge to his assertion made by Com
mander Peary. He declared that he
would not answer Commander Peary's
criticisms until Peary had come to
New York City, when, the explorer
said, he would be willing to confront
the Commander Reminded that
Commander Peary had insisted that
DR.. Cook had never been at the
North Pole or anywhere near it," and
that he had Cook nailed" DR.. Cook
merely replied:
When Mr.. Peary comes to town
will answer him; not before"
The Oscar II. lifted her anchor off
Fire Island just after sunrise and
slowly steamed to Quarantine, reach
ing there before O'Clock. About
the time the Oscar III. was starting
for Quarantine the tug John c. Gill
kinson, with Mrs. Cook, the explor-
er's wife, their two children, the ex-
plorer's two brothers, and DR.. Ros-
well Stebbins, chairman of the Recep-
ton Committee of the Arctic Club of
America, left the Battery. The tug
arrived at Quarantine just as the
steamer 1oomed out of the gray fog.
There was blast from the siren
of the Oscar ii. and shrek from
the tugs whistle Mrs. Cook, stand
ing on the deck of the smaller craft
with her children, raised her hand to
her eyes and peered over toward the
dimly outlined Oscar H. for a glimpse
of her husband There were prob
ably thousand passengers at the
steamers rail- all watching to see
Mrs Cook. Dancing around the Oscar
III. were half dozen tugs carrying
reporters A revenue cutter was
slowly drawing up alongside the
steamer.
DR.. Cook, on the steamers deck,
espied the John c. Gilkinson. He
lifted his derby hat and waved it.
His wife responded with a wave of
her handkerchief. 1t took only few
minutes for the tug to reach the side
of the steamer and for the gangway
steps to be lowered to it. DR. Cook
stood at the gangway eager to board
the tug. AS he stepped down he was
met by his youngest daughter, Ruth,
who flung herself into his arms. Then
his wife caught him in her embrace
The explorer made ready to trans
fer to the steamboat, but before he
could do so Miss Ida Lehman,
daughter of the treasurer of the Arc
tic Club, jumped to the tugs deck
and put a wreath of roses about DR..
Cooks neck. DR.. Cook indicated his
thanks. Then, with the huge wreath
in danger of being torn away, he went
down the gangplank into the arms of
q frantically cheering throng.
This is almost as bad as fighting
your way to the pole,'' he gasped, his
face wearing broad smile
"Oh! you, Uncle Fred!" cried a
feminine voice, and Miss Lillian Cook,
the explorers niece, edged her way
through the crowd DR.. Cook strug-
gled against the crush until he had
made path for her. She kissed him
and the crowd cheered again. Then
while he was hemmed in at the gang
way to the Grand Republic he turned
to a member of the committee and
asked him to give out statement
ne nad prepared for the newspaper
men. With that he took some fifty
typewriter copies from his pocket
sad handed them over. Here is the
statement;
ION Board the Oscar II.-After
one of the most delightful trips of
my life across the Atlantic, am in
deed glad once more to see the shores
of my native land. / have come from
the pole. / have brought my story
and my data with me The public
has already tangible and specific
record of that trip. In a very short
time the narrative, with all the OBJ
servations, will be published and
placed before the world for examina-
ton.
" 1t is as easy for you as for me to
understand why / cannot, on the i'm
M ~ y -, Il