The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-09-14
DR.. COOKS OWN STORY OF
THE CONQUEST OF THE POLE
By DR.. Frederick A. Cook.

nesday, September LATTER pro-
longed fight against famine and frost
we have at last succeeded in reaching
the North Pole.
A new highway, with an interesting
strip of animated nature, has at last
been explored.
Zig game haunts were located, which |
will delight the sportsman and extend
the Eskimo horizon.
Land has been discovered upon which |
rests the earth IS northernmost rocks.
A triangle Of 10000 square miles has |
been cut out of the terrestrial unknown.
The expedition was the outcome of a |
summer cruise in Arctic seas. The yacht |
Bradley arrived at the limits of navi- |
cation in Smith Sound in August, 1907. |
Here conditions were found favorable |
to launch venture for the pole. John
r. Bradley literally supplied from the
yacht suitable provisions for local use,
and my own equipment for emergencies
served well for every purpose of Arctic
travel.
Good Equipment Material.
Many Eskimos had gathered on the
Greenland shores at Annootok for the
winter bear HINT. Immense catches of
meat had been gathered. About the
camp were plenty of strong dogs.
The combination was lucky, for there
was good material for an equipment, ex-
pert help, and an efficient motor for ice,
and all that was required was conven-
iently arranged at a point only five
hundred miles from the Boreal center
A house and workshop was built of
packing boxes. The willing hands of
this northernmost tribe of two hundred
and fifty people were set to the prop
lem of devising a suitable outfit, and be-
fore the end of the long winter night
we were ready for the enterprise.
Plans were matured to force new
route over Grinnell Land and north
ward along its west coast out of the
Polar Sea.
Soon after the polar midnight the
campaign opened. A few scouting par
ties were sent over to the American
shores to explore way to seek game
haunts.
Their mission was only partly sue
cessful because fogs darkened the
January moon.
At sunrise of 1908 February 19), the
main expedition embarked for the pole.
Eleven men and 103 dogs, drawing
eleven heavily laden sledges, left the
Greenland shore and pushed westward
over the troubled ice of Smith Sound.
rev VI bdyiiSht.
The gloom of the long night was re-
lieved by only few hours of daylight.
The chill of winter was felt at its worst
AS we crossed the heights of Ellesmere
Sound to the Pacific slope the tempera-
ture sank to SO degrees Fahrenheit
Several dogs were frozen and the men
suffered severely, but we soon found
game trails along which an easy way
was found through Nansen Sound to
the land IS end.
In this march were procured 101 musk
oxen, seven bears and 335 hares, and
then we pushed out into the Polar Sea
from the southern point of Heiberg
Island.
On March 16, six Eskimos returned
from here, with four men and forty-six
dogs, moving supplies for eighty days.
The crossing of the circumpolar pack
was begun three days later, the other
Eskimos forming the last supporting
party returned. The trains had been
reduced by the survival of the fttest.
Etukeshooke and Aswelab the two
best men, and twenty-six dogs, were
picked for the final dash. There was
before us an unknown line of AGO miles
to our goal The first days permitted
long marches, and with encouraging
progress, the big lead which separated
the land ice from the central pack was
crossed with little delay.
Low temperature and persistent winds
made life torture, but, cooped in snow
houses, eating dried beef and tallow
and drinking hot tea, some animal com
forts were occasionally to be gained.
Discovers New Land.
For several days after the site of
known land was lost overcast skies
prevented an accurate determination
of our positions.
On March 80 the horizon was partly
cleared of its smoky agitation and over
the western mist was discovered a
new land.
The observation gave our position
latitude "a deg. 0 min. 81 sec. Longi-
tude Sc deg. 0 min. SO sec.
The urgent need of rapid advance
on our main mission did not permit
detour to explore the coast.
Here were seen the last signs OF
solid earth. Beyond there was moth
ing staple and even on scaling nothing
was noted to mark the terrestrial polar
soldity.
We advanced steadily over the
monotony of moving sea of ice. we
now found ourselves beyond the range
of all life. Neither the footprints of
bears nor the blowholes of seals were
detected. Even the microscopic Great
ures of the deep were no longer under
us.
The maddening influence of the shift
ing desert of frost became almost un
endurable in the daily routine. The
surface of the pack offered less and
less trouble. The weather improved
but still there remained light, life
sapping wind which drove despair to
its lowest recess.
Under the lash of duty, however
interest was forced, while the merci
less drive Of extreme cold enforced
physical action. Thus, day after day
The weary legs were spread over big
distances