Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-09-08
DIR. COOKS DISCOVERY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
sions and instruments in most excellent
state of preservation. Owing to the
smallness of my expedition our REQUIRE.
ments were not large. For the same
reason we were able to proceed most
quickly. AS I approached the Pole the
Eskimos with me were utterly scared
at meteorological conditions. Then
came April 81. That was the great
day. We looked for the sun. AS soon
as we got it made careful observa-
tions. Great JOY came over us. We
were only 16 miles from the desired
spot. | said to myself, bully for
Frederick, then we went on. The last
stretch was the easiest | ever made in
my life, although had to make two
observations and the ice was very
broken here. But my spirits were high
and shouted like boy. The Eskimos
looked at one another surprised at my
gaiety. They did not share my joy. l
felt that l ought to be there. | made
my last observation and found that |
was standing on the Pole. My feelings?
Well, / was too tired really to feel any
sensation. l planted the stars and
stripes in the ice field and my heart
grew warm when | saw it wave in the
wind. The North Pole looks, amounts
to the size of twenty-five cent piece
There is nothing to see but ice, ice,
ice; no water only ice. There were
more holes here than in the 87th de-
gree. which shows there is more move
ment and drift here but this and other
observations | made afterwards-wh
| got more settled. l stopped two days
at the Pole and | assure you it was not
TO fo fha hc
| was sitting at the Pole I could not
help smiling at the people who, on my
return, would call the whole expedition
humbug. was sure that the people
would say that l had bought two
witnesses and that my note book with
my daily observations had been manu-
featured on board the ship. The only
thing | can put up against this is what
the York Eskimos have told Knud
Rasmussen. Let the skeptics who
disbelieve my story go to the North
Pole. There they will find small
brass tube which | buried under the
flag. That tube contains short state
ment about my trip. ] couldn't leave
my visiting card because l didn't hap
pen to have one with me. Perhaps
should have stayed there longer had it
not begun to freeze US in our idleness.
The EsklmOS were uneasy and the dogs
howled fearfully. On April %, there
fore, | again turned my nose south
ward. which was much easier, as YOU
cannot turn your nose in any other
direction when you stand at the North
Pole" Describing his return journey,
DR.. Cook said: Fortune now smiled.
We did twenty miles per day until We
reached the ominous S7th degree.
Then | felt the ice moving eastward,
carrying us with it. A terrible fog
swept ro1nd US and kept us for three
weeks unable to make any observation.
During these three weeks we got no
further than the 84th degree. Then
began heavy walk towards Heig-
bergsland and another three weeks of
fog. When that cleared | saw we had
drifted southwest to Ringlesland,
where we found open water and tower
high screw ice which stopped our way
eastward. We now began to suffer
hunger. Our provisions were becoming
exhausted and We were unable to find
depots We entered Ringlesland and
on June 20 found the first animals on
our return-bear and seal. We shot a
bear. And now our goal was the
whaler at Lancaster Sound. We
followed the drift ice to the south
eight miles day but were stopped by
pack ice in Wellington Channel. which
was impossible either by boat or
sledge. Here was lots of game, but
We did not dare to shoot it. We had
only taken a hundred bullets to the
Pole and now only fifteen were left.
We went into Jones' Sound after wal
rus and bears and found open, CAIN
water. We met Polar wolves with
which some of our dogs made friends
and ran away. Now we spent day and
night in an open boat ten miles from
shore. This lasted for two months,
while storms often ragged over our
heads. At last we got ashore again,
but we had no fuel and were obliged to
eat uncooked food. Next day we found
fuel and what feast we had. But
we suffered much hunger during this
period. One night bear came and
stole our food. We had many fights
with musk oxen, which attacked US.
Our best weapon against them was the
lasso.' The correspondent story
quotes DR.. Cook as saying in conclu-
sion: "Say, that day we reached our
day than April Fl. | long to get
DdCh W ClVDlZdGlOll W move dIIlOIlS lily
fellow men; long to press my wife to
my heart. l am the happiest man
living. Tell the whole world l thank
God am back
/ NOTE-Since the above was put in
type word has come that Robert E.
Peary has also reached the pole, or
April 6, 1909, and the statement is also
made that he discovered no evidences
of previous visit. This has thrown
the whole world into a turmoil ovel
the affair, and the truth of the matter
is anxiously awaited. The probable
explanation is that the ice drift ant
: flow has carried the tube containing
J Cooks records far from the place.
NAPRnW