Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-09-02
DR., COOKS
OWN STORY
CONTINUED from pnge one.)

nave been trying for In vain for years,
was the comment tonight of Herbert ].
BridRman. of Brooklyn. secretary of the
Pcary Arctic club and intimate
friend of Dr. Cook, when he was shown
tho cable advices reporting that his
Brooklyn neighbor had succeeded in
reaching the pole
Beside men like Pcary" continued
Mr.. Bridgman. who has himself taken
large part In several Arctic expedi-
lions during the past Is years Cook Is
comparative amateur. lie went North
merely as the surgeon of an expedition
md was left behind with q small store
Of supplies at his own request.
HE appears to have waited a favor
able time and then. when things looked
tight. he pushed northward. accom-
panied only by two Esquimaux, and de-
pending for his supplies largely on the
Imall amount of canned goods he could
rarry and the musk-ox which he prob
ably ascertained We're plentiful along the
route he planned to take.
According to his last letters, he must
have left Etah. Greenland. his base about
February q, 1905 Crossing to Fllesmere
land, he reached Cape Thomas Hubbard,
on the edge of the polar ice sea There
he may have waited few DAYS, and laid
In n stock Of fresh meat. Finally when
all was ready. on March II, he took his
two trusty Esquimaux servants and
started on his risky dash over the polar
Ice 800 miles to the ultimate North
"lIo reached the pole. the dispatches
Tell us. on April II. avera cling in he neigh
borhood of l5 miles day II he Travelled
N straight line and making far higher
Average if-as is likely he was compelled
20 go in a roundabout wav
NEW LAND is IMPORTANT.
Somewhere in the hitherto unknown
North Cook says he discovered land If
correct, this Is one of the most important
results of his journey. for heretofore
scientists have believed that all that
region was sea.
From the time of his arrival at the
pole until to-day. we have little bu,
Ruesswork upon which to form any
theory as to the movements Of Cook II
he made as good time on his return trip
as on his journey northward. he should
have reached Cape Thomas Hubbard on
May a. From there he probably made nj.
way as rapidly as possible back across
Ellesmere Land to Etah There ho must
have found members of the Pearv party.
ana opened to them the results Of his
marvellous trip
There are some long CANS Of ti,,,o
to he accounted for in Or. Cooks
movements from the time of his
reaching the pole TO the recent %
our news to-day. but any one who
has ever been in the North cer rood
lily realize that there are thousand
md one things which might have do
lavcd him.
&c rot
COOK did not cable to his friends in
america the news of his accomplish
ment. That the captain Of the Dam
ish steamer was the first to report
tho news is not particularly remark
able as the captain is a government
official and would naturally be OK
pected to send a notice OF the achieve
ment to his superiors.
LARGELY A MATTER OF LICK
DR.. Cooks achievement shows
how largely the element OF luck en-
tiers into the problem OF Arctic or.
ploration. IF the reports are correct !
he has accomplished almost without |
equipment or preparation. thing
which the most deliberately QUILTED |
expeditions have failed IN. He has
sucoeeded, we may take for granted. |
because the conditions were all with |
MIN. solid Ice, the best Of weather !
plentiful food animals, and continued !
good health. must all have been with |
him.
me question naturally arises. what
IS the value of this achievement?
We'll, II we look upon Arctic explora-
tion from the standpoint of the pura |
scientist the answer will denend upon |
now completely DR.. Cook has been |
able to gather the long desired data |
regarding geography. air and cur |
rents weather conditions. life in the |
ultimate North, etc. In this respect
friends of Or, Cook are inclined TO fear
that his accomplishment may prove |
somewhat disappointing because he |
cannot have carried any large equip
ment Of Instruments for observation. |
A GIANT FIGURE OF THE DECADE
But viewing the matter from the less
narrow view point of the general public
ns great triumph of man over nature. |
hs the achievement OF daring physical I
feat of the first magnitude the news
from Copenhagen to-day makes DR.. Cook
heservedly one Of the great figures OF
the decade. He is the Columbus Of the
Arctic. What he has done no one can
ever excel. There Is no point further
north nothing left for any rival explorer
10 accomplish which can Guido his ner-
Torrance"
Other explorers now in New York add
Pd their words OF tribute to Or. Cooks
achievement here tonight Anthony
Fiala. author Of Fighting the Polar
ice" who has made two trips to the
Arctic regions. said, "Dr. Cook well de-
serves the honor he has won and am
heartily glad that his efforts have been
Euccessful"
Evelyn Il. Baldwin, organizer of the
Baldwin-Zeigier expedition. was inclined
TO await fuller reports from Dr. Cook
before giving fun credence to the re-