Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-09-09
COOKS STORY.
He Describes His Journey to and
From the Much
SOUGHT NORTH POLE

"As L Was Sitting at the Pole ]
Could Not Help Smiling at the
People Who, on My Return
Would Call the Whole Expedition
q Humbug."
A special dispatch received at
London from Skagen says:
"As the steamer Hansegede steam
ed by / caught through my glasses
a vision OF a small man in a dark
suit and peaked cap shading his
eyes with his hands. as IL straining
to see the welcome civilization after
years in Icy exile. 1t was DR.. Cook,
the explorer, whose name is on every
tongue. He was chatting with the
captain on the bridge. now smiling.
now waving his hand. I was al
lowed to board the Hansegede.
Somebody gave DR.. Cook q, bou-
quet. Tears dimmed his eyes as he
buried his face In their fragrance.
It's years since I have seen flowers,
said the explorer with a culver of
emotion In his voice.
| When he smiled one noticed the
loss OF two teeth. "A fight with a
Polar bear did that he said.
"'Yon can tell the world the
explorer continued. that I am In bet
ter 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 1 shall have to make
up for It.
"Dr. Cook then briefly described
his journey. Regarding his discov-
cry he said:
Then came April 21 That was
the great day. We Locked sc- the
sun. AS soon as we got 1t I made
| several observations. Great joy
came over us. We were only six
teen miles from the desired spot.
/ said to myself, Bully for Freder-
| ick.' then we went on.
The last stretch was the easiest
ever made in my life, although
/ had still to make two observations
and the Ice was very broken here.
But my spirits We're high and /
shouted like boy. The Eskimos
looked at one another, surprised at
my gayety. They did not share my
joy.
felt that I ought to be there.
l made my last observation and
| found that I was standing on the
pole.
My feelings? Well, was too
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 p"
was asked.
WE'LL said DR.. Cook, smiling,
1T amounts to the size OF a twenty
five 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 observa-
tions ] made afterwards-when / got
more settled. l stopped two days
at the pole. and I assure you It
wasn't easy to say goodbye to the
spot.
AS l was sitting at the pole I
could not help smiling at the people.
who, on my return. would call the
whole expedition a humbug was
sure the people would say that I
bought my two witnesses, and that
my note book with my daily observa-
tions had been manufactured on
board this ship.
The only thing can put against
this is what the York Eskimos have
told Knud Rasmussen. Let the
sceptics who disbelieve my story go
to the North Pole. There they will
find a small brass tube, which ]
buried under the flag. That tube
contains short statement, about my
trip. l could not leave my visiting
card, because l did not happen to
have one with me.
Perhaps the explorer added
dryly, i should have stayed there
longer had 1t not begun to freeze
us in our idleness. The Eskimos
were uneasy and the dogs howled
fearfully. On April %, therefore
again turned my nose southwark
which was much easier, as you can
not turn your nose in any other di
rection when you stand at the pole.
Describing the return journey, DR.
J Cook said:
Fortune now smiled. We dic
twenty miles per day until we reach
5 ed the ominous S7th degree. Thel
, felt the ice moving eastward. car
I rying us with 1t. A terrible 70,
!, swept us and kept us for thre
. weeks. We got no further than tn
: S4th degree. Then began q heav,
walk towards Heibergs Land an,
4 another three weeks Of fog. Whel
Q that cleared I saw we had drifts,
4 southwest to Ringnesland, where W
4 found open water and tower-higI
: screw ice which stopped our wa
g eastward.
q We now began to suffer hur
A | ger Our praufSdnno uyaro koaou4-