The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-09-09
ANSWERS CRITICIIMS,
Explorer Declares He Has Memoranda
Describing His Voyage

SkAtGEN, Sept. 1.-The newSpa per
correspondent who went out to sea to
meet the steamer Hans Egede, on which
DR.. Frederick Cook is returning to civil
cation, gave the following account of his
interview with the dlscoverer of the pole:
AS the steamer Hans Egede steamed
by | caught glimpse of a small man i'll
a dark suit and peaked cap shading his
eyes with his hands, as if straining tn
see the welcome civilization after years
in icy exile. 1t was DR.. Cook. the ex
plorer whose name is on every tongue.
lie was chatting with the captain on
the bridge, now smiling, now waving his
hand. | was allowed TO board the Hans
Egedc.
Somebody gave Or. Cook bouquet
Tears dimmed his eyes as he buried his
face in their fragrance. It's years since
| have seen flowers. said the explorer
with a culver of emotion in his voice.
Il followed him to his cabin; His face
was taned from exposure. He looked
the picture of splendid health. Only
when he smiled one noticed the loss of
two teeth. A fight with u polar bear
did that he said.
Cook Describes His Journey.
You can tell the world the explorer
continued. that | am in better condition
than nj any time and look forward with
an appetite to the festivities that are
promised me. My dinner has been poor
these last few years and | shall have
to make up for IT,
DIR. Cook then briefly described his
Journey. Regarding his discovery. he
said:
Then came April y. That was the
great day. We looked for the sun. As
soon as we got it, | made several obser
vationS. Great joy came over us. We
were only sixteen miles from the desired
spot | said to myself bully for Fred
erick.' Then we went on.
"'lhe last stretch was the easiest
ever made in my life, although had
still to make two observations and the
ice was broken. But my spirits were
high and | shouted like a boy, The Es
kimos looked at one another surprised
ut my gaycty. They did not share my
JOY.
- felt that | ought 10 be there. l
made my last observation and found that
was standing on the pole.
MY feelings? Well. | was too tired
really, to feel any sensation. | planted
the Stars and Stripes in the ice field
and my heart grew warm when ! saw
it. wave in the wind
How does the North pole look"
Cook was asked.
"'Well,' he said, smiling, it amounts
to the size of 25-ccnt piece. There is
nothing to see but ice, ice; no water,
only ice. There were more holes here
than ut the STth degree. which shows
there is more movement and drift here;
but this and other observations | made
afterwards. when / got more settled. |
stopped two lays at the pole, and | as
sure You It wasn't easy to say goodbye
TO the spot.
AS | was sitting AT the pole | could
not help smiling at the people who on
my return would call the whole eNpedi
ton IA humbug. | was sure the people
i
witnesses and that my notebook with
my daily observations had been manu-
featured on board this ship.
Says Tube Holds Secret
1.-The only thing | can put up against
this is what the York Eskmos have told
Rasmussen. Let the Skeptcs who dis
believe my story go TO the North pole.
There they will find small brass tube
which | buried under the flag. Thai
tube contains a short statement about
my trip. | couldn't leave my visiting
card, because | didn't happen TO have
one with me.
" Perhaps the explorer added dryly
i should have stayed there longer had
il not begun to freeze rs in our idleness
The EskimoS were uneasy and the dogs
howled fearfully. On April %, there
fore, | again turned my nose southwark,
which was much easier as you cannot
turn your nose in any other direction
when you stand at the pole
Describing the return journey, Or
Cook said:
Fortune now smiled. We made
twenty miles a day until we reached the
ominous eiGhty-seventh degree, Then |
felt the Ice moving eastward, carrying
us with it. A terrible fog swept round
us and kept us there for three weeks
We got no further than the eighty fourth
degree. Then began a heavy walk to
wards Heibergsland and another three
weeks of fog. When that cleared | saw
we had drifted southwest Of Ringnes-
land. where we found open water and
tower high screw lee, which stopped our
way eastward.
Suffer Hunger; Find Animals
1--WE now began to suffer hunger.
Our provisions were becoming exhausted
and we were unable to find depots. w"
entered Ringnesand and on June 20
found the first animals on our return
bear and seal. We shot "A bear
And now our goal was the whalers
Mt LanCasted Sound We followed the
drift ice to the south.
The explorer said he did not con
slider the location of the pole as import
ant as the fact he had discovered and
travcrsed 10000 square miles OF new
land. He stands by his statement MS
having encountered temperature Of 81
degrees below zero centigrade. This is
a degree of cold never before observed
outside of a laboratory and equivalent to
l40 degrees Fahrenheit of frost. The
greatest cold previously recorded under
natural conditions is % degrees Fahreu-
belt, observed by Peary.
Willing to Face Tests
lie said there was no land around the
pole, only "A sea which he was unable 70
sound, as he had no Instruments fo- that
purpose. Mr.. Cook said he was willing
that all his observations should be sub
mitted to any scientific authority for eX-
animation and said he trusted his claim
be tested by his figures.
"Dr. Cook told the correspondent that
he had seen nothing Of the expedition Of
Commander Peary."
yhT IT lit M II &c IF IT LIT