Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-09-08
DIR. COOK TELLS HOW HE
PLANTED "OLD GLORY" ON
EARTH'S DREARIEST SPOT.

vance Upon North Pole-New
Highway Opened-3O,OOO Square
Miles of Land--How 1t Feels to
Stand Mt the North Pole.
Paris, Sept 1.-The Paris edition
of the New~York Herald this morn
ing publishes a signed statement
from DR.. Frederick A. Cook, which
is dated "Hansegede, Lerwick, We'd
nesday," on his experiences in the
Arctic regions.
After a prolonged fight with fam
inc and FROST" says DR.. Cook, 1--WE
have at last succeeded in reaching
the North Pole. A new highway,
with an interesting strip of ami
mated nature has been explored and
big game haunts located, which will
delight sportsmen and extend the
Eskimo horizon.
Land has been discovered on
which rests the earth's norrhermost
rocks. A triangle Of 10000 square
miles has been cut out of the terres-
trial unknown. The expedition was
the outcome of a summer cruise in
the Arctic seas on the schooner
Bradley which arrived at the lin
It's of navigation in Smith Sound late
In August. 1907. Here conditions
were found to launch venture to
the Pole. J. r. Bradley literally
supplied from his vessel suitable pro-
visions for local use. My own equip
ment FOR emergencies served well
every purpose of Arctic travel. Many
Eskimos had gathered on the Green
land shores at Annatoak for the
winter bear hunt. Immense GUAM
titles of meat had been collected and
about the camp were plenty of
strong dogs. The combination was
lucky, for there was good material
for equipment. All that was re-
quired was conveniently arranged for
at point only seven hundred miles
from the boreal center. A house
and workshop were built of packing
boxes by willing hands and this
northermost tribe of $50 people set
themselves to the problem of devils
ing suitable outfit. Before the
end of the long winter night we
were ready for the enterprise and
plans had matureG to force a new
route over Grinnell Land northward
along its west coast out into the
Polar sea.
The Campaign Begun.
'The campaign opened with few
scouting parties being sent over the
American shores to explore the way
and seek the game haunts. Their
mission was only partly successful
because Of the storms. At sunrise
of February 10, 1908, the main ex-
pedition embarked on its voyage to
the Pole. 1t consisted of II men
and 1913 dogs, drawing eleven heav-.
lily 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 reliev-
cd only by few hours Of daylight.
The chill of the winter was felt at
its worst. AS we crossed the heights
of Ellsmere Sound to the Pacific
slope the temperature sank to minus
80 centigrade. Several dogs were
frozen and the men suffered severely.
but we soon found the game trails
along which the way was easy. We
forced through Nansen Sound to
Lands End. In this march we Sc
cured 101 musk oxen, seven bears
and 335 hares.
On the CirCum Polar Pack.
1--WE pushed out into the Polar
sea from the southern point of Her
bert Island on March IS. Six Eski-
mos returned from here. With four
men and 46 dogs moving supplies
for eighty days, the crossing of the
circum polar pack was begun. Three
days later two other Eskimos, form
ing the last supporting party, re-
turned, and the trails had now been
reduced by the survival Of the fittest.
The two best men and &c dogs were
picked for the final effort.
"There before us in an unknown
line Of AGO miles lay our goal. The
first days provided long marches and
we made encouraging progress. A
big lead which separated the land
from the ice Of the central pack was
crossed with little delay. The low
temperature was persistent and the
winds made life a torture. But,
cnnnad LIN In our snow honsns ont