Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1909-09-10


you can tell the world" the explorer
continued, that l am in better condition
than at 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 l shall have to
make up for it.
DR.. Cook then briefly 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 we got 1t made several observa-
tions. Great joy came over us. We were
only 16 miles from the desired spot. I
said to myself. bully for Frederick. Then
we went on. The last stretch was the
easiest / ever made in my life. although
1 had still to make two observations. and
the ice was very broken here. But my
spirits We're high and l shouted like a
boy. The Eslimos looked at one an
other surprised at my gaiety. They did
not share my joy. I felt that / ought TO
be there. l made my last observation
and found that l was standing on the
tired really, to feel any sensation. |
planted the Stars and Stripes In the Ice
field and my heart grew warm when saw
1t wave In the wind"
How does the North Pole look?" was
asked
We'll" said Dr. Cook. smiling, 'it
amounts to the size of n -5-cent piece.
There is nothing to see but ice, ice; no
water only ice. There were more holes
here than at the S7th degree which shows
there is more movement and drift here;
but this and other observations / made
decentralization l got more settled. /
stopped two days at the pole and i as
sure you ii wasn't easy to say goodbye
to the spot. AS / was sitting at the pole
l could not help smiling at the people who
on my return would call the whole eXpe-
dition n humbug. / was sure the people
gaV | m =
nesses and that my notebook with my
daily observations had been manufactured
on board this ship.
1.-The only thing / can put UP against
this is what the York Eskimos have told
Knud Rasmussen. Let the skeptics who
disbelieve my story so to the North Pole.
There they will find n small brass tube
which / buried under the flag That tube
contains II 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.
81 should have stayed there longer had II
| not begun to freeze us in our idleness
| The Eskimos We're uneasy and the dogs
| howled fearfully. On April %. therefore
| l again turned my nose southward. which
| was much easier, as you cannot turn your
nose in any other direction when you
| stand at the pole. We now began to suf-
| fer from hunger. Our provisions were
| becoming exhausted and we were unable
| to find depotS. We entered Ringnesland
! and on June 20 found the first animals
4 our return--bear and seal. We shot 8
bear.
| And now our goal was the whalers al
| Lancaster sound. We followed the drift
| ice to the south so miles day, but wa,
stopped by pack Ice in Wellington chan.
| mel, which was impossible either by boa
or sledge. Here was lots of game, but We
| did not dare shoot It, We had only takeI
| a hundred bullets to the pole and nov
| only 10 were left. We went into Jone.
| sound after warus and bears and founC
| open. calm water. We met Polar wolves
| with which some of our dogs made friends
| and ran away.
Now we spent day and night in al
open boat ten miles from shore. Thi
lasted for two months. while storms Otter
| ragged over our heads. At last we go
ashore again. but we had no fuel ant
were obliged to eat birds raw. ON
| day we found fuel and what feast W,
| had But we suffered much hunger dur
ing this period, One night a bear came
and stole our food. We had many fight
with musk oxen. which attacked us. Gu
best weapon against them was the las
| 500