The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-09-11
"I'll Make Desperate Attempt"
@This Awful Cold and Wind"

are not with u.s. but at the moment 1t
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 the stout hearted gambler
with inexorable fate. who was running
500 chances to that he would lay his
bones alongside those who had gone
before in some darksome green iced
cavern GOO 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 a 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 1t, pi-
lots and explorers who have spent win
ters 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. He 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, a 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 Is, 1906, after hair raising
escapes from death and after severe
exposure to the elements. Professor
FL. g. Parker of Columbia university
who was originally a member of the
party, afterward disparaged Cook
feat and engaged in bitter contro
yersy with him. maintaining that Cook
really reached the summit of the noun
tain.
DIR. Frederick Albert Cook was borf
at Callieoon Depot. Sullivan county
II. y. on June 10 1860 He is the soT
of Or. Theodore AIber5 Cook. He re
eeired his elementary education il
Brooklyn and vas awarded lis degre'
of NJ. b, at the University of New
York in 1890.
Il On June 30. 1902, be married Mis-
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 o
the American National and Philadel
phia Geographical societies and th
Kings County Medical society.
Dr Cook IS president of the Expl0E
ers' club Of New York.