Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-09-15
HOW BRADLEY STARTED COOK 70 The POLE
The Doctors Novel Plan
of Scattering Eskimo
Families Along His
Route - The Camp at
Etah - Weak Dogs as
Food For Strong Ones

, there we IeIt DT. look, WIFI huuOlpn
Francke, a strong young German; about
6fty Eskimos and $50 dogs, with pro-
visions and supplies enough to last for
three years.
Double Use Fors Boxes.
DR.. Cook and had our supplies put
up in big boxes. about three feet
square, with tin inside, and the outside
was wood. That is the way l had
them filed. so that we could use the
wood for building the winter house
and then have the stuff inside the
tin in good shape. left him plenty Of
coal and plenty Of gasoline, etc. You
see, we did not want to carry lot of
wood up there. The use of wood
around the tin boxes was to save space
and to build the house.
DR.. Cook spent the winter occupied
with preparations and planned to start
northwest In February over the ice of
Smith sound and over Ellesmere Land
In order to reach the sea at about SO
degrees north latitude. He arranged
to take with him several families Of
Eskimos and canvas boat. II all
went we'll | was sure he would reach
the pole and get back to Kennedy
channel within three months. He fed
the dogs or musk OK, Of which there
Is plenty. He had Eskimos at five
points In Ellesmere Land to cover his
retreat, as II were, and when he made
his final dash he Travelled light, with
only two sleds and two Eskimos.
The success of his now historic trip
was due largely to favorable weather.
Left EskiAo Families Along Route.
DR.. Cooks plan to leave groups of
families Of Eskimos at different points
along his route was undoubtedly an
other big cid to his success on his
dash 10 the pole. His route lay more
to the westward than that Of many
others.
His object In going to the far west
was to get away from the sea drift Of
the Ice. so that the drift Of ice to the
east would not interfere with him on
the return. The natives Travelled to
the east again to cover his retreat
when he came back from the pole and
struck land again. He figured it would
take 100 to 100 days on the ice. In
his winter house he had q drying
room, with $50 feet Of stovepipe.
which he wound around his room so
that he could dry all the walrus kill
ed when | was up there, which he was
to carry for his dogs. OF course they
had plenty of meat and everything
else for all hands for three years, so
that evon If he did not get musk oxen
he had plenty Of other food. II he
could get musk oxen, so much the bet
ter, and he could keep the other as 1t
keeps indefinitely. AS he lightened up
on his dash to the pole Dr. Cook
abandoned one sled and killed his
weak dogs to feed them to the strong
ones so that he could make fast time
Planted Two Flags at Pole.
DR.. Cook told me he would plant two
flags at the pole II he reached 1t, one
the American stars and stripes and the
other the little green and white emblem
known as the Bradley arctic expedi-
ton flag.
may say that l had to forego in
surance on my yacht during this trip.
as the insurance companies told us
arctic exploration was too perilous to
permit Of the vessel being accepted as
good risk no one need fear Illness
up there in those regions. for, as every
arctic traveller has testified. sanitary
conditions arc ideal.
On the return trip on the John r.
Bradley after leaving DR.. Cook we en-
countered fierce gales and came near
going down in the awful gale Of Sept
IS off Labrador. in which seventy ships
were lost. The John r. Bradley had
to be refitted at North Sydney and
had to wait for wind to take her to
Gloucester, as her engine was disabled.
DR.. Cook couldn't wait long at the
pole, as he had to get back Off the Ice.
He had to be gone two years from the
time be left America. He could not
get back any sooner You can't go up
one year and 80 on to the pole. You
must use one year to go up as far
north as possible with your vessel.
For instance. Peary got up with the
Roosevelt little farther north than
we did and put his vessel up for the
winter. He built his sleds then and
did everything necessary for the time
to come to make his dash. 1t is total
darkness all this time, but they do
have beautiful moonlit nights. DR..
Cook arranged to start in January,
when It is dark. The sun begins to
come out every day little lighter, and
in July and August you have the mid
night sun and no darkness whatever
Wasp TANNING as Business.