Smyrna times., 1909-09-08

certain DR.. Cook at luncheon, and the
municipal banquet to the explorer will
be given in the town hall tonight.
Used Old Methods.
The explorer ascribed his success
20 the fact that he made use. of the
old methods, namely, Eskimos and
dogs, and that he lived like an Esli.
mo himself. He said:
The lowest temperature recorded
was SO degrees centigrade below
zero"
Eighty-three degrees centigrade be
low zero is equal to III degrees be-
low zero Fahrenheit
Il have ample proof that l reached
the North Pole in the observations I
took. which afford a certain means OF
checking the truth of my statements"
DR.. Cook told the correspondent
that he had seen nothing of the expe.
dition of Commander Peary.
Describes His Journey.
DR.. Cook then described his jour
ney. Regarding his discovery he said:
Then came April 21. That was the
great day We looked for the sun. AS
soon as we got it made several oh.
servations. Great joy came over us.
We were only sixteen miles from the
desired spot. l said to myself, bully
for Frederick, then we went on.
THE last stretch was the easiest
l ever made in my life. although l had
still tC make two observations and
the ice was very broken here. My
spirits were high and l shouted like 4
boy. The Esquimos looked at one an
other, surprised at my gayety. They
did not share my joy.
q felt that I ought to be there.
made my last observation and found
that l was standing on the pole.
My feelings? Well, I was too tired.
really. to feel any sensation. I planted
the Stars and Stripes in the ice field
and my heart grew warm when l saw
it wave in the wind"
''How does the North Pole look?"
was asked.
What the Pole Looks Like.
We'll" said Dr. Cook, smiling, cit
amounts to the size of a twenty-five
cent piece. There is nothing to see
but ice ice; no water, only ice. There
were more holes here than at the 87th
degree, which shows there is more
movement and drifts here, but this
and other observations l made after
wards-when l got more settled.
stopped two days at the pole, and
assure you it was not easy to say
goodbye to the spot
'As l was sitting at the pole
could not help smiling at the people
who. on my return, would call tn q,
whole expedition a humbug, l was sure
the people would say that | hal
bought my two witnesses. and that
my notebook. with my daily observa-
tiOns, had been manufactured on
board this ship.
Buried A Small Brass Tube.
"The only thing l can put up
against this is what the Eskimos have
told Knud Rasmussen. Let the skep-
tics who disbelieve my story go to the
North Pole. There they will find a
der the flag. That tube contains a
short statement about my trip.
could not leave my visiting card be.
cause l did not happen to have one
with me.
Perhaps" the explorer added dry
ly, Il should have stayed there longer
had it not begun to freeze us in our
idleness. The Eskimos were uneasy
and the dogs howled fearfully. On
April 23,' therefore. l again turned my
nose southwark, which was much cas-
ier. as you cannot turn your nose in
any other direction when you stand
at the pole"
The Return Journey.
Describing the return journey, Dr.
Cook said:
Fortune now smiled We did TWEEN
ty miles per day until we reached the
OElinous STA degree. Then l felt the
ice moving eastward, carrying us with
it. terrible fog swept round us and
| kept us for three weeks. We got nc
! further than the saith degree. Then
began a heavy walk towards Hei
berg's Land and another three weeks
Of fog. When that cleared / saw We
had drifted southwest to Ringnest and
where we found open water and tow
er-high ice, which stopped our way
! eastward.
''We now began to suffer hunger
Our provisions were becoming ex
haUsted and we were unable to fin
! depots. We entered Ringnest and o.
June 20 found the first animals 'on our
return-bear and seal. We shot g
bear.
THE day we reached our provision
stores at Etah was a greater day thar
April 21. ] long to get back to civil
cation, to move among my fellow
men; I long to press my wife to my
heart. / am the happiest man living
Tell the whole world l thank God
am back"