The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-08
COOKS STORY.
He Describes His Journey to and
From the Much
SOUGHT NORTH POLE

SSS~sss
"As I Was Sitting at the Pole
Could Not Help Smiling at thu
People Who, on My Return
Would Call the Whole Expedition
a Humbug."
A special dispatch received al
London from Skagen says:
LAS the steamer Hansegede steam,
ed By 1 caught through my glasses
a vision Of a small nan in a dark
suit and peaked cap shading his
eyes with his hands, as II strainine
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 O 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 n noticed the
loss Of two teeth. "A fight with q
Polar bear did that he said.
"'You 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 I shall have to make
up for it.
"Dr. Cook then briefly described
his journey. Regarding his discov-
cry he said:
"'Then came April 81. That was
the great day. We looked for the
sun. AS soon as we got 1t I made
several observations. Great Joy
came over us. We yer only six
teen miles from the desired spot.
1 said to myself, Bully for Freder-
ick,' then we went on.
1.-The last stretch was the easiest
I ever made in my life, although
/ had still to make two observations
and the lee was very broken here.
But my spirits were high and I
shouted like a boy. The Eskimos
looked at one another, surprised at
my gayety. They did not share my
Joy.
"T felt that I ought to be there.
I made my last observation and
found that I was standing on the
pole.
my feelings? Well, I was too
tired really to feel any sensation.
I planted the Stars and Stripes in
the ice field, and my heart grew
warm when 1 saw it wave In the
wind.
How does the North Pole look?"
was asked.
WELL 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-
tons I made afterwards-when / got
more settled. l stopped two days
at the pole, and I assure you 1t
wasn't easy to say goodbye to the
| spot.
Gas 1 was sitting at the pole ]
could not help smiling at the people,
who, on my return, would call the
whole expedition a humbug. I was
sure the people would say that
bought my two witnesses, and that
my note book with my daily observa-
lions had been manufactured on
board this h1p
1.-The only thing 1 can put against
this Is what the York Eskimos havf
told Knud Rasmussen. Let the
sceptics who disbelieve my story 60
to the North Pole. There they vii
find a small brass tube, which
buried under the flag. That tube
contains a short statement, about my
trip. I could not leave my visiting
card, because / did not happen t.
have n with me.
"'Perhaps,' the explorer added
dryly, I should have stayed there
longer had it not begun to freeze
US in our idleness. The Eskimo'
were uneasy and the dogs howlet
fearfully. On April %, therefore
I 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.
Cook said:
Fortune now smiled. We di'
twenty miles per day until we reach
ed the ominous S7th degree. The
I felt the ice moving eastward, car
rying us with 1t. A terrible To-
swept US and kept US for thre
weeks. We got no further than tn
saith degree. Then began q heav
walk towards Heibergs Land an
another three weeks of fog. Whe
that cleared I saw we had drifte
southwest to Ringnesland, where "