The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-09-09
DIR. COOK LIONIzED
His Story Fully Credited and He is
Showered With Honors-King
Frederick Has Him to Dinner and
Seat Him on His Right Hand.

Seat Him on His Right Hand.
Copenhagen. BY CabIe.-''Once is
enough for any man. | will never re-
turn to the North Pole. A single cx-
perience | have just passed through
will suffice for Il life time
This was practically the first
answer of DR.. Frederick Cook. the
discoverer of the North Pole. to a vol
ley of questions fired at him by reg
lment of newspaper men who boarded
tn" Hans Egede as she steamed into
the harbor at 9:3O o'clock Saturday
morning.
DIR. Cock admits that the nature of
the moving ice covereing the site of
the pole will probably V remove the owl
dences he left there April ~ and -.
1908. but he states that his records
OF observations when presented To
scientific men will wipe out all sccpti-
cism
He says he first planted staff on
the site of the pole and then raised
the American flag. "There. on that
God forsaken spot realized as never
before the meaning of patriotism and
the love of the flag Seeing that
the flag would be whipped to shreds
by the wind he took it down and plac-
ed it in brass cylinder which he
placed on the staff.
DR.. Cook said he spent practically
all OF two days taking observations.
lie had a sextant. pocket watch. three
chronometers, and "more modern in
strumentS than were ever used bv an
explorer i'll the extreme North. 1
verified all observations carefully and
am confident that accuracy and com
pleteness of the record will satisfy
The scientific world"
The entire population of the city
seemed to be at the pier with thous-
ands who journeyed from all over
Europe. For Is minutes the crowd
cheered wildly.
DIR. Cook was overcome by emo
tlons; tears welled in his ewes. ~
never expected such q demonstra-
tion,' he said. cit seems too much
for what | have done'
King Frederick asked for a call
from him. To the reply that he had
no clothing suitable for the Kings
presence the King asked him to call
IN his hunting garb which he did.
The banquet Saturday evening was
held in the magnificent municipal
building. Four hundred persons,
many of them ladies. attended.
President Taft congratulated DR..
Cook most fittingly in cablegram.
a Copenhagen dispatch of Sunday
says DIR. Frederick A. Cook dned
Saturday evening with King Freder-
lex at the summer palace few miles
outside of Copenhagen.
The King invited him to meet him
only after having the government
make the closest possible investiga-
ton INTO the merits of his story. All
the Danish explorers were asked TO
give their opinions of DR.. Cook s
claims before the audience was grant
GU anu tHelF Nerulcl was unanimous
ly in his favor.
The dinner was entirely the result
OF the Kings personal opinion re-
gardmg the explorer. who had the
seat on the Kings right. an honor
which Danes cannot remember having
been accorded another private person.
In answering the many questions
put to him he said:
"iou ask my impression on reach
ing the Pole. Let me confess I was
disappointed. Man is a child dream
ing of prodigies. / had reached the
Pole and now at a moment when /
should have been thrilled with pride
and JOY | was invaded will sud-
den fear of the dangers and suffer-
ings of the return.
On approaching the Pole he said
the icy plain took on animated mo-
tion as if rotating on an invisible
pivot.
A great fissure then opened up
behind,' he added. "and it seemed
as if we were isolated from the world.
My two Eskimos threw themselves at
my feet and bursting into tears, re-
fused to continue either one way or
another. so paralyzed were they with
fear. Nevertheless l calmed them
and we resumed our journey.