The San Francisco call., 1909-09-04
WORLDSAVANTS
JOININ HOMAGE
GIVEN DIR. COOK
Scientists From Far and Near
Add Need of Praise to
Explorers LaureIs
Vaudeville Managers Hasten to
Invite Services With
PrinceIy Offers

lent To the celebration by the presence
in New York AT that time OF several OF
the most prominent explorers Of other
countries. who viii add their tribute
10 4he official and unofficial ovations OF
city. state and nation
Among those who have already made
plans to be in America at the time of
The celebration are Dr. Fridjof Nansen.
whose memorable north pole expedition
Of 1895 reached the highest latitude
until then attained DR.. Otto G. Nor
Senskiol. the Swedish Antarctic eN-
plorer and geologist; Captain Roald
.Amundsen. the hero of the northwest
massage who is now htting out polar
expedition to start early next year.
Doctor Stephenson. the Norwegian eN-
rlorer. and possibly Lieutenant Shack
Teton. the English naval eftlcer whose
explorstions in the Antarctic led nm
10 the farthest southern point ever
reached by man.
RALLY TO HIS SUPPORT
Rudolph Francke. the last white man
-tbo saw Doctor Cook before his final
dash for the pole. added his word of
tribute 70 his friends achievement.
Doctor Cook never made statement
he could not prove" said Francke.
From the day / first met Doctor Cook
I was impressed with his perseverance
He does not know what il means to
quit. His strength OF purpose is Won
derful.
when left Doctor Cook 500 miles
from the pole he was ready to make
his final dash northward. With hickory
sledges OF his own design. with some
Of the best trained dogs in the polar
region and with a supply of carefully
dried meats and provisions, he was
confident of success.
WILLING TO RISK LIFE
Doctor Cook thought it best that I
should return. He was the commander
Of the expedition. and I obeyed without
hesitation.
'Francke.' he said to me as we part
ed on the morning OF March 3, am
going to take a desperate chance, and
I have decided that il would be asking
TOO much to expect you to go with me.
] an willing to risk my life for this
sdes, and 7 hope TO win. I have reason
TO believe that I shall succeed, but if
80 down I shall go alone From that
day never doubted that he would sue
Ceed."
Attorney General Wickersham issued
p formal statement today. effectually
putting dsmper on some of the inter
views credited 70 him concerning the
stars and stripes floating over newly
acquired territory in the polar regions.
He said:
a reporter came to see me at my
home last night and asked for my
opinion 2 s TO the raising of the Ameri-
can flag over the north pole. 1 declined
to. consider the matter seriously, and
after some jOcular remarks in reply TO
his questions as to what he could quote
me as saying. ! stated that he could
say that 1 had not given the matter
any serious consideration"
Journey Well Planned
That the journey to the pole was
we'll planned is shown by the quantity
and nature of the supplies which the
schooner yacht deposited in Sreenland
for DR.. Cook These included 10000
cans Of provisions. many tons of dried
meats. 10000 boxes of matches. 5000
gallons Of gasoline, 1 600 gallons of al
cohol, two barrels Of gumdrops which
g are currency with the Eskimos in
stead of money; guns and knives for
trading hickory lumber for building
sleds and sheds and great quantities of
staple groceries.
In all there were sufficient provisions
te last the party for three years An
stem which indicates the care with
which the expedition was planned is
that Of reducing weight on stoves.
Other polar expeditions carried brass-or
sron stoves, which weighed from IL to
I 8 pounds each. DR.. Cooks stoves were
made or aluminium and weighed only
three pounds each, thus each stove