The people's recorder. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1893-1925, 1909-09-11
DIR. COOK lIONIzED
His Story Fully Credited and He is
: Showered With Honors-King
Frederick Has Him to Dinner and
SeatS Him on His Right Hand


Seats Him on His Right Hand.
Copenhagen, BY Cable.-"Onc is
enough for any man. will never re-
turn to the North Pole. a single ex-
perience have just passed through
will suffice for n life time.'
This was practically the first
answer Of DR.. Frederick Cook, the
dlscoverer Of the North Pole, to a vol
ley OF questions fired at him by a reg
lment OF newspaper men who boarded
the Hans Egede as she steamed into
the harbor at $3.50 O'Clock Saturday
morning.
DIR. Cook admits that the nature of
the moving ice covereing the site of
the pole will probably remove tn, evil
dcnees he LIFT there April 21 and 30,
1908, but he states that his records
vi observations wlcn presented to
scientific men will wipe out all sccpti-
cism.
lie says he first planted staff on
the site of the pole and then raised
the American flag. "Thcre, on that
God forsaken spot realized as never
before the meaning Of patriotism and
the love OF the flag Seeing thai
the flag would be whipped to shreds
by The wind he took it down and plac-
ed it in brass cylinder which he
| placed OH the staff.
| Dr. Cook said he spent practically
oil OF two days taking observations.
| Lie had sr%tant, pocket watch, three
chronometerS. and "morc modern in.
strur2nts than were ever used by an
explorer i'll the extreme North. 7
| 'erliied all observations carefully and
am confident that accuracy and com
pletcncss Of the record will satisfy
the scientific world.''
The entire population of the citv
seemed to be at the pier with thous-
ands who lourneycd from all over
Europe. For Is minutes the crowd
| chccrcd wildly.
| Dr. Cook was overcome bv emo.
lions; fears welled in his eyes. 81
never expected such dcmonstro-
tion,'' he said. cit seems too mucl,
Tor what have donc.n
| hlng Frederick asked for Il call
from hiln. To the reply ts.at he had
no clothing suitable for the Kinw5
presence the King asked him to call
IN ms hunting garb which he did.
The banquet Saturday evening was
heid IN the magnificent municipal
building. Four hundred persons.
many of them ladies'. attended.
President Taft congratulated DR.
eoof n1e:st fifth, Fl ttttii.,gtty ir., cablerram,
A Copenhagen dispatch of Sunday
says DR., Frederick a. Cook dined
Saturday evenin" with King Frc,ler
lex at the summer palace few miles
outside Of Copenhagen.
The King invited him to meet him
only after having the government
make the closest possible invcstiga
ton into the merits of his story. All
the Danish explorers were asked to
give their opinions of DR.. Cook 5
claims before the audience was grant
cd and their verdict was unanimous
! ly in his favor.
The dinner was entirely the result
OF the Kings personal opinion re.
Sardlng the explorer who had the
scat on the Kings right, an honor
Which Dar.?s cannot remember having
been acecrdcd another private person.
In answering the many Questions
pnt to him he said:
"lou ask my impression on reach.
/ ing the Pole. Let me confess T was
disappointed. Nan is n child t!r,om-
ing of pTodigies. I had reached the
Pole and now al moment wien 7
should haze been thrilled with pride
and JOY l was invaded with sud
den fear Of the dangers and suffer
lngs of the return.
On approaching the Pole he said
the ley plain took OH animated mo-
ton us if rotating on al invisible
pivot.
T.. "A great fssura then opened up
bcfind,' l., added, "and It seemed
as If we were isolated from the world.
My two Eskimos threw themselves at
my feet and bursting into tears, re-
fused to continue either on, way or
another, so paralyzed were they with
fear. Nevertheless I calmcd them
and we resumed our journey.