Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-09-03
No. 23.

april 20, the Duke OF sAbruZZi was
April 20. of Nansen April Z, and of
Peary in 1902 was April 2l. These
dates all demonstrate that the vari-
Gus explorers made their trip at the
same period of the year as Cook.
Cooks Remarkable Speed.
The one feature of the Cook ex-
pedition which stands out as most
important, aside from the poles dis
coyery, according to DR.. Wolf. is the
phenomenal speed which Cook made
In his dash. 1t Is believed that the
element of luck or chance must have
played remarkable part in Cooks
dash to have enabled him to cover
such distance In such a short time.
The progress of Cook over the ice
Is record in itself just as his dis
covery of the pole makes history.
There is really little that can be
said concerning the achievement of
Dr. Cook said DR.. Wolf, who Is per-
sonally acquainted with the success
ful discoverer, Until the world re-
ceiyes more details and a more COM
plete account than what has been re-
ceived. Thus far, the news of the
discovery has been confined to the
barest announcement of his dis
covery and that he has been success
ful. Beyond this we have little. the
facts being few, and all the rest Is
conjecture and speculation. BY this
| do not wish It understood that I
am discreditlng the discovery by DR..
Cook. Such Is not my intention, but
what mean to convey Is that our
sum total Of information Is small
and before we are acquainted with
the results Of the expedition we must
walt for DR.. Cook to arrive in civil
ization with his proofs.
Naturally, DR., Cook will fortify
himself with all the proofs he could
obtain. These will be astronomical
observations. 1t is almost impossible
for DR.. Cook to fake his proofs.
While 1t Is true that an expert might
compile calculations without reach
Ing the Pole and present them as
proof, such calculations, II manufac-
tured, would scarcely stand the mi
croscoplc scrutiny to which the data
OF DR.. Cook will be subjected. Such
Investigation and examination, OF
course, VIII not be for the purpose OF
endeavoring to disprove the state
ment OF the explorer, but will be
made In order to settle beyond ques-
tion that DR., Cook actually stood at
the Pole.
THE winter trip Is not new. Il
has been repeatedly tried before. as
the dates Of the farthest point north
attained by various explorers prove.
Peary reaching his farthest twice In
April and the Duke of Abruzzl and
Nansen also going their highest In
April. Thus, the same time for maxi
Ing the dash Is always utilized. When
| was with Peary, the sun set in
September. When the sun sets, alb
solute darkness follows until the re-
turn OF the sun, with the exception
that once n month during the win
ter night there Is full moon. Dur
ing the period Of absolute darkness
a man can do nothing The explorers
remain on their ship or in their huts.
When the full moon comes II rs pos
sible TO hunt, and during these days
the Esklmos can get reindeer, musk
OK and Arctic hare After the moon
has disappeared no progress can be
made, everyone being penned In ow-
Ing to the darkness.
when ready to make the dash,
preparations are carefully made, and
the ship or huts are left by the light
OF the last moon In February. Fol-
lowing this moonset the sun rises.
The first day there are few mo-
ments OF sunlight, and as tho days
progress the sun appears for longer
period, until, finally, there is sun
light for "a hours
1T has been figured that from the
most north land TO the Pole Is 500
miles, the round trip being 1900
miles. A man must average ! 0 miles
a day on this dash. This is because
the last full moon for the north trip
until the ice begins 70 break up there
~ n period Of 90 or 100 days. II
Is absolutely necessary that the ex-
Iploror bo back by that time. for II
ho is north Of the break, he cannot
cross the widening stretch OF water
and cannot, consequently, reach HIS
supplies
Made Seventeen Miles n Day.
According TO the dispatches, Or.
Cook must have travelled at the rate
OF n miles a day from the time hC
left Point Hubert, March II, until
he reached the Pole, April a. II
tunal hn fnfop into paputdnrattnu a. al