The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-04

ice was very broken there. But my
spirits were high. and shouted like
a boy. The Eskimos looked at one an
other surprised at my gaiety. They
did not share NY joy.
"'I felt that I ought to be there. !
made my last observation and found
that I was standing on the pole.
g" Ny feelingS2 Well / was too tired
to feel any sensation. I planted the
stars and stripes in the ice field and
my heart grew warm when I saw 1t
wave in the wind
How does the North Pole look?" was
asked.
".Wel,' said DR.. Cook Tt amounts
to the size OF % 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
u made decentralization / got more
settled. I stopped two days at the pole
and I assure You it was not easy to say
goodby to the spot.
LAS I was sitting at the pole
could not help smiling at the people
who on my return would call the whole
expedition a flumbue. was sure the
people would say that had bought
ny two witnesses and that my note
book with my daily observations had
Eeen manufactured on board this ship.
this is what the York EsQuimaux have
told Knud Rasmussen. Let the skeptics
who diSbelieve my story go to the north
pole. There they will find a small brass
tube which I buried under the f1as.
That tube contains a short statement
about my trip. I could not leave my
visiting card because I didn't happen
to have one with me.
Perhaps the explorer added dryly,
L should have stayed there longer had
it not begun to freeze us in our idle
ness. The Esquimaux were uneasy and
nose in any other direction
~, T r~,s-.
ed my nose southwark, which was
much easier as you can not turn your
nose in any other directions
Describing the return journey, DR..
Cook said:
Fortune now smiled We did TWEEN
ty miles per day until we reached the
ominous S7th degree. Then I felt the
ice moving eastward, carrying us with
it. A terrible fog swept around us and
kept us for three weeks. We got no
further than the S4th degree. Then be-
gan heavy walk toward Heiberg's
land and another three weeks Of fog.
When that cleared 1 saw we had drift
ed southwark to Ringnes land where we
found open water and tower-high screw
ice, which stopped our way eastward.
We now began to suffer hunger.
Our provisions were becoming exhaust
ed and we were unable to find depots
We entered Ringnes land and on June
20 found the first animals of our return
bear and seal. We shot a bear.
land now our goal was the
whalers at Lancaster sound. We fol-
lowed the drift ice to the south
we made eight miles a day. but
were stopped by packed ice in Wei
1ington channel. which was impass-
able either by boat or sledge. Here
was lots of game. but we did not dare
shoot. We had only taken a hundred
bullets to the pole and now only
fifteen were left. We went into
Jones sound after waIrus and bear
and found 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
an open boat, ten miles from shore.
This lasted two months, while storms
often ragged over our heads. At last
we got ashore again, but we had no
fuel and were obliged to eat uncooked
food. Next day we found fuel. and
what a feast we had. But we suf-
fered much hunger during this
period One night a bear came and
stole our food. We had many fights |
with musk oxen. which attacked us. |
Our best weapon against them was
the lasso.'
The correspondents story quotes |
DR.. Cook as saying in conclusion:
"'Say that the day we reached our
provisions stored at Etah was a |
greater day than April 21st. I long |
to get back to civilization to move |
among my fellow men; long to press
my wife to my heart. I am the hap
piest man living. Tell the whole |
world I thank God 1 am back"