The San Francisco call., 1909-09-08

] dentaIly it has shown the world
how to navigate the air and no" u
exn1ore the oceans depth with GER
tain degree of safety And these three
wonserfuI things have been done
within a few months perhaps Il e"e
nations of the old world wouid sNe
their shop keepers a chance' 'e'
might some time feel the thrill OF priae
that is tingling in the veins OF All
Americans today when they realize that
- was one of their own people VINO
finally forced the icy barriers ana that
it is their own flag that covers the pole
of the earth.
Cantains and princes have tried and
failed. Scientists and civil engineers
have travelled over the icy wastes ana
fouad only hunger or death, sometimes
both. The world has hung GREATNESS
on the recital of tales Of the tremen-
dous preparations for gaining the goal
and one. two, three years later mas
shouted in acclaim because the mani
moth expeditions has succeeded IN
reaching a point one degree farther
north than the man who went before.
SIMPLE PHYSICIANS FEAT
Finally a simple physician with
meager outfit gained the goal Dr'
Frederick A Cook had sailed into the
arctic as surgeon of an exploring ex-
pedition. He had learned the ways of
the Eskimo. enough of their language
to enable him TO get along. for re"
white men really go into the intrieacles
of the Innuit tongue, and had accus-
toned himself TO live as they lived and
to eat the food that the ice foes
brought to them. The fascination OF
arctic life had taken possession OF
him. He had begun his life work oy
taking a try at the antarctic. But tne
south polar regions do not offer either
the facilities or the rewards OF success
that the northern lands can give
Doctor Cook was lucky. When ne
got to his hunting ground ne Iouho
about 25O Eskimos gathered to take
advantage of the annual run OF game.
Here was the ideal condition. we'll
stocked base of operations. He eouio
have food. sleds. dogs and men IN
a abundance. The local conditions mad
given him exactly what the big expe-
ditions had striven for. 1 doubt IL ne
exnected 10 reach the pole but he saw
that he had the best chance that
/ man ever had to reach the farthesI
! north. and that is honor enough TOT the
most exacting So he made MS traces
with the natives, gave his promises TOT
/ future remuneration and got What ne
wanted from them.
Then came the incidental work OF
! transporting provisions in as large
quantities az possible to point as far
| north as he could get them and still
! find a suitable place to cache them-a
place where they wouldn't drift on, ana
also a place where he could find them
/ on his return.
FIGHT AGAINST ELEMENTS
From now on it was fight against
/ hunger, fatigue and killing cold HIS
weapons were hardened constitution
and dogged determination. Ills Two
esximos and the dogs had the same
! bardihood but his will was the power
| that moved them all. The dogs trotted
/ onward cheerfully to certain death-
| The two Eskimos, Etukeshuk and AS
| welab, trudged along. not knowing ana
! little caring whittier they were going
/ They had agreed to go with the white
2
| and bIindIy wheresoever he willed. But
/ Doctor Cook knew what he was trying
/ to do: knew the risks that they were
| running and knew the reward that
/ would come to them Ina agine his feel
| ings as he read his sextant every noon
/ that the sun shone through the fog and
saw successfully that he had reached
and passed the highest point north that
Nansen said he had reached; the high
est that the Due d'Abruzzi said he had
reached: the highest north that Peary
said he had reached. For you must
| remember that the arctic hero business
has to be done on honor. None of them
can prove his own achievements any
better than Doctor Cook can prove his.
You can see him as he reaches some
latitude that for a year or two had
| been marked "farthest north" and he
halts his little party The dogs fall
/ to work on their meal of dried fish or
/ bear meat, the Eskimos set to work on
/ a snowhouse or to pitch the silken tent
that weighs so little. but keeps out
/ the deadly wind and keeps in the
warmth of their bodies. But the chief
of the party goes carefully over his
stock of provisions.
DASH Is SLOW WORK
Day after day. plodding along. help
ing the dogs by pushing the -sledges,
| Strengthening out the sleds on the in
| clineS, lifting them over cracks In the
| ice. righting them every time they
! capsize. breaking a way for. the dogs
through unfrozen snow-a dash for the
pole has nothing of the field day about
it. 1t consists of painfully putting one
foot before the other day after day.
week after week. maybe month after
month, with perhaps grave at the end
| covered only with the driven snow.
You can't even ride on your own
sled unless you are lucky enough to
| get slide down hill somewhere. But
| when you are out On the ice pack the
| hills are likely to be short and you
may find a crevasse at the bottom. You
must keep the strength of your dogs
for hauling food and shelter. A man
can walk, therefore he must.
When Doctor Cook finally made up
his mind to go for the north pole, the
excitement and exultation of spirit gave
him the strength of the fanatic. The
impetus would have carried him twice
/ the distance. But how about the pa
tient, devoted Eskimos? They could
no more comprehend what it was all
about than they could understand the
madness of their leader But they had
/ promised to go wherever he went. even
to death, and they would never desert
him.
NH