The Cairo bulletin., 1909-09-05
ARKANSAS MAN
WAS WITH COOK
WHEN THE EXPEDITION WAS
MADE TO THE ARCTIC
IN 1894.
THRILLING EXpERlEDGE
Steamer Was Disabled, Wrecked and
Finally Blown up in Baffins
Bay--Fordyce Glad of
ce5<'s Success.
Little Rock. Ark.. Sept L..

Little Rock Ark, Sept, 4.--John X.
..srdyce, of this city, son Of Col. S,
wssF Follycc the st. Louis capitals
accompanied DR. Frederick A. Coo
n y}ons one Oh his arctic exploring esp
ditlons in S94.
Ills experience ca that trip va
most thrilling. as the steamer upof
which they mlde the trip was Il
!abled BY an iceberg wrecked on
srnken rock and finally blown Up / a
fBaffins Bay. passengers and crew e4.'
ieaping on small fishing schooner
with scarcely more than the clothe3
lthey wore.
Even then Dr. Cook was fred with
an ambition to reach the pole" said
Nj Fordyce today in discussing the
report, 'and am personally glad Ia :.
he appears to have succeeded where SO
many others have failed and has ra;s
ed the flag of the United States on
! the coveted pole,
! Mr.. Fordyee then gave an int erest
| ing account OF the Cook arctic expe,
dltlon Of 1894 OF which he was d
member, Illustrating it with nearly
two hundred kodak pictures taken by
him during the trip and preserved as
the mcst cherished relic OF an Inflated
Ivoyagc.
/ 1t was in the summer OF 1894 when
young Fordgce, then 25 years old,
was student at Yale. Two years bes
fore Or. Cook had returned from the
north as the surgeon OF the Peary ex-
pedition OF 1872 Peary was still IN
the north, afla y. .relief expedition was
fbeing oFgafAssa for 4tim. COOK nhaer
took to fit out secondary or sabsi
Diary expedition. and perhaps get tht
first knowledge OF Peary's discovery
of the pole It was not his purpose
at that time to make an effort to dis
cover the pole
Advertised for Help.
Dr. Cook advertised for those wht
desired to accompany him on the pro
posed expedition, and over fifty IL
sponded, mostly students and scien
tific men, and some adventures. eaci
being required to pay pro rata 0
the expense, by means of which I'll,
expedition was financed.
Tmong the distinguished scientist;
and teachers in the party we're Prof
Brewer, of Yale, Prof Wright of Ober
lin and Prof Dysche of Kansas Uni
versity.
The steamer Miranda, a steel hulle
boat, Capt, Farrell, was secured lo
the expedition. which cleared from
New York July Z. 1894 Mr. FordycC
went direct from college. and to him
as to most of the party. 1t was to b,
o great summer outing
The Miranda, projected to sydney
Cape Breton, where she took on so,
tons of coal and the next stop was a
ST, Johns, Newfoundland Here Z
veteran ice pilot was taken on. I
nirthern salt. who knew the vagarIe!
Of the ice floes and the treacherou'
, configurat'on of the Greenland coast
Adjusting the compasses and maxim,
other arrangements for the dash tC
the circle, the Miranda proceede,
northward
The first of n series of mishaps tAa
was destined to defea. the purpose 0
the explorers occurred at the Strait
Of Belle Isle. The Miranda, which ha
! already encountered considerabl
drift ice and sighted many icebergs
ran afoul one of the floating mour
tans OF ice and stove a great hole i
the steel hull at the BOW.
Hele Patched Up.
Anehoring in the little harbor g
u the bleak coast of Labrador, a tempui
r airy patch was put over the hole an
the ship put back to st. Johns fo
permanent repairs, More than a wee
was lost by reason Of this accident.
> Leaving st. Johns finally the shiI
! struck across to the southernm0s
point Of Greenland, near Chpe Fare
. Well where 1t was caught in an ic
. floe and swept around the east coas
. by frlgid currents
Afte. much tacking to escape being
----~----------------- ----.~- -------
Concluded on Sixth Paga.)