Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-09-02

He found that by shifting the posi-
ton Of his feet on the tip of the world
he could throw himself across a span
Of Longitudinal lines that swiftest train
and steamer could not cover in forty
days.
Perhaps in a whimsical moment this
Brooklyn explorer balanced himself on
the toe of one bearskin boot and
whirled from right to left. Presto! he
had added a day to his life.
Whatever may have been the tricks
that Cook played with the laws of the
geographers, and the astronomers,
whatever may have been the secrets
of science that he discovered on that
day when he caught the near angle of
the north star almost directly over his
head. must yet be told more at length
by the explorer himself when once
more he is back in the nearer frontier
Of the worlds civilization.
Message Hurried to Wife.
Before he left his home two years
ago to take the trip to the north which
was to result in a sudden dash for tho
pole DR.. Cook had arranged that all
communications he should address TO
his wife should be thru DR.. and Mrs.
Davidson, close friends Of the family
and permanent Brooklyn dwellers in
the neighborhood Of his own home.
Early in the summer Mrs. Cook had
clased up her Bushwick avenue home,
only a block below the home of the
Davidsons, and had gone to Maine with
her two children, Helen and Ruth.
AS soon as the Davidsons received
the cable message from the Shetlands
port this morning they sent it over the
wire to Mrs. Cook at South Harpswell,
a little village on an island in Casco
bay a few miles outside of Portland,
Maine. Then they sent the original
cable form by mall to Mrs. Cook
This meager cable that Mrs. Cook re-
ceived broke an absolute silence pf
eighteen months. Not one word from
her husband had she received either
directly or, thru the vague meander-
ings of the White Silence channels
since Rudolph FRANKIE, DIR. Cooks sole
white companion, left him alone
somewhere north Of Etah, on the
| west coast Of Greenland, and came
down with a letter from him on the
Perry expeditions tender Erik in
| October. 1908.
Thomas Hubbard, one of the extreme
northwestern tips of explored country
in Grinnell's land. It was dated March
IL, just month and a day prior to the
day DIR. Cook has flxed as that upon
which he discovered the pole.
Without White Companion.
Between March 3, 1908, the day
when DR.. Cook and eight Eskimos left
FRANKIE alone in the base of supplies
Cook had established at Annatok
twenty miles north of Etah, and the
day when the explorer first fell in with
the Danish ship that is bringing him
back this one white man alone in the
frozen mystery land within the circle
worked without sight Of another white
face
Utterly alone save for the presence o.
the half savage natives he had with
him, Cook claims to have covered the
600 miles computed as having sep.
arated him from the top of the world
since last he was heard from at Cape
Thomas Hubbard, and alone presum.
ably he retracted his steps to the frs
outpost of civilization.
| Must Prove His Assertion.
| Just because of that one fact-tha
he was alone and that no man wa.
with him who could understand tht
story that would come thru the peel
sight of the sextant-Dr. Cook will
meet with doubling and demands fo
absolute proof of his assertion when HI
comes again to civilization.
Thru the comment of men Of science
here it was made evident that the loca
ton Of the north pole can not be &C
cepted when it is only one mans un
supported statement against the world
No official action was taken by tn
Arctic Club, the Explorers Club, or th
American Geographical Society, 70
none of these associations had receive,
any formal notification of DIR. Cook
success.
Arthur M. Huntington, president o
the American Geographical Society, i
out of the city, as is Rear Admiral W
S. Schley, president of the Arctic Club
The officers of the Explorers Clu1
could not be found.
Friends Confident Of Victory.
Despite the fact no official action wa
taken members of the Arctic Club
viewing the situation optimistically
were inclined to think that he ha
reached the pole.
They were relieved by the messag
because of the ever present probabilit,
/ that he had perished and it will be re
called that relief ship is now en- rout
to Etall, where it is due the middle o
this month. The vessel, the schoone
Jeanie, left st. Johns, N. F., two week
~ rro xr,;tJ tho dn,,h1o nY,rnOSa of Saq rph
ing for DR.. Cook and taking supplies t
Commander Peary. The expedition wa
financed by special committee heade
by DIR. Roswell o. Stebbins, of this city
and composed of friends of DR.. Cook
New York Grain.