The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-09-10
"I'll Make Desperate Attempt"
"This Awful Cold and Wind"

1 have regretted many times that you
are not with us, but at the moment it
seemed best to send you back, and, on the
whole, you will be of more assistance to
me at the house, to guard and care for our
things, than here in the field in this awful
cold and wind. l trust you are of the
same opinion.
So goodby, and now for the pole! Yours
cordially, FREDERICK A. COOK.
Such were the last words to "the
outside of tile stout hearted gambler
with memorable fate who was running
500 chances to 1 that he would lay his
bones alongside those who had gone
before in some darksome green ICED
cavern COO miles from rescue.
After nearly two years of silence,
during which only one message from
him was received, the relief ship Jea-
ME was started northward, and it was
expected that the vessel would reach
Etah early in this month. His plan
as agreed on was to push on to the
northern point of Grant Land and
from there start his dash for the pole
in the winter of 1908, timing himself
so as to return to his headquarters at
Annootok not later than September
1909.
DR.. Cooks New Theory.
DR.. Cook intended to put new the
DRY into practice in the polar regions
on this trip. He intended to time his
advance in such way that his trip
across the ice would fall during the
winter months. This seems a strange
time in which to reach the pole; but,
radical as laymen may consider it, pi-
lots and explorers who have spent win
tiers in the north believed that it might
lead to success. Usually explorers have
done their travelling during the sum-
mer and on the approach of winter
have gone into winter quarters. This
gave them chance to recuperate dur
ing the cold weather for the hard work
ahead when the moving ice had opened
water to give them a chance to use
boats. DR.. Cook entirely ignored the
old customs. Ee started on journey
the exact antithesis Of any heretofore
undertaken.
His Career.
DR.. Cook was surgeon and ethnolo-
gist to the first Peary expedition in
1891 and 1892, commander of the eX-
petition on the Zeta, yacht. 1893; Or
ganizer and commander of the expedi-
ton on the Miranda, steamship, in
1894; surgeon and anthropologist on
the Belgian antarctic expedition of
1879 and surgeon to the Peary aux
iliary expedition on the Erik, steam
ship, 1901. He climbed Mount McKin-
ley Sept. IL, 1905, after hair raising
escapes from death and after severe
exposure to the elements. Professor
Ii. @. Parker of Columbia university,
who was originally member Of the
party. afterward disparaged Cooks
feat and engaged in n bitter contro-
versy with him. maintaining that Cook
really reached the summit Of the noun
tain.
DIR. Frederick Albert Cook was born
at Callicoon Depot, Sullivan county
N. Y. on June TO- 1865. He is the son
of DIR. Theodore Albert Cook. He re-
ceived his elementary education in
Brooklyn and was awarded his degree
of NJ. d. at the University of New
York in 1890.
On June 10, 1902, he married Miss
Mary Fidell Hunt. He has been deco
rated with the Order of Leopold, Bel
GUM; gold medal of Royal society, Bel
GUM; silver medal. Royal George soci-
ETY., Belgium, and was member of
the American National and Philadel-
phia Geographical societies and the
Kings County Medical society.
DIR. Cook is president Of the Explor-
ers club Of New York.