Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-09-10
FOUND THE NORTH POLE
Or. Frederick A. Cook Tells his Thrilling Story to
Newspaper Men. No Doubt of Discovery.
Peary Is One Year Late.

very different from that at other
places.
eve stayed around the pole for two
days making many observations.
don't claim to have put my finger OH
the exact spot: do not claim to have
put foot on it, but personally think
we have been at the spot. When the
observations have been figured out
again it is possible that there will be
found slight errors and differences,
but l am certain that a gun shot
from where we were would have COW
cred the pole. We planted the stars
and stripes at what we believed to be
the pole, but did not leave the flag
with staff. Instead placed a small
silk flag in a cylinder with my card,
and the record of the journey with
the date. The drift ice may carry
the flag away, but to me that is a
matter of indifference. | should
have been very glad to have found
land there.
81 am quite prepared to place my
observations before any geos raphical
society in the world. l think there is
no doubt about my obtaining author
itative recognition. l have already
received kilograms from the geo.
graphical societies of Sweden, Nor
way, Denmark. Belgium and other
countries. which congratulate me,
while Amundsen. Nordenskjold.
Cagni and Lecointe have acknowl-
edged my work. offer my odserva-
tions to science the same rs other men
have done, and accept the RESPONSE
billy.
"As to the temperature ut the pole.
it was minus IS.
81 took about 300 photographs, one
OF which shows the American flag fly
lng-these as yet have not been devel-
oped."
Questioned with regard to his great
speed DR.. Cook said.
''rhe daily distance covered on the
northerly trip was slightly less than
Is miles: on the southwark trim it
was 10 miles. This is not an abnor-
mai distance for Eskimos on the ice.
They often travel 80 or 80 miles with
dogs. One of the greatest advantages
OF our trip was that did not take a
famine route. We had game for a
long time, perhaps hundred miles.
We fed our dogs well through the
winter in Greenland, and ran them
400 miles, giving them fresh meat
every day. Thus we brought them to
the polar sea fat and well used. We
had the best men and the best dogs.
I'VE lived entirely on dried meat
ana beef tallow, reducing the food
problem to- science. The last trace
OF animals we saw was Il bear track
at 81 degrees. Afterwards we did not
even see life in the water, except
algae. The drift of the ice during
the entire southern trip was slightly
south OF east; the direction of the
wind was generally south of west,
We found several of Sverlrup's old
camps. The reason we utilized silk
tents on some occasions was that we
were so exhausted we had not the
strength to build snow sheds. We
had carefully figured and planned
everything so that there was no sur
plus weight to be carried. We did
not run short except when we went
astray.
1--WE brought 10 dogs back with lis.
The others had been eaten by their
companions. We used the lasso,
traps and bows and arrows to catch
game. 1t took two months no learn
how to trap a moose. One of the men
shot an elder duck with an arrow"
DIR. Cook concluded his observa-