The Washington times., 1909-09-02
MYSTERY Of NORTH
IS SOLVED BY THE
FEAT Of DR.. COOK
Question Whether Land or
Sea Surrounds Pole Un-
raveIed at Last.
REGION IN A GRIP
OF PURPLE SNOW
All Belongs to Uncle Sam hy
Ancient Right of Dis
coverY.

NEW YORK. Sept 2-There Is M
more unknown" North: no more such
mystery surrounding the great track oe
ice from the hitherto "farthest North.
TO the hitherto undiscovered Pole.
For years scientists have debated con-
cerning the regions Of the Pole. -Ssn1s
have prophesied that an opezsea would
ae found there Others held that land
would be found. stiH others declared
the attraction OF gravitation would cease
and weight would become nil.
All these mooted scientific questions
have been settled by DIR. Frederick A.
Cook, the Brooklyn explorer. There Is
no open sea at the Pole There is no
solid earth within 800 miles of the Pole.
There is nothing there but purple SHOWS
and the acme OF human suffering.
Dr. Cooks journey has been Of ines
Unable benefit from a scientific view
point. though from a commercial stand
point the benefits are nothing 50 far as
is now seen.
The Americans preliminary announce
ment OF his discovery settles many ques-
tions in the minds of the laymen, and
his complete story viii solve hitherto
unsolvaBle problems for the scientists.
In DR.. Cooks account of his trip there
are laid bare the details OF the part OF
the globe on which man never before
set foot
The coIdest weather was not expert
enced at the pole itself. but several
hundred miles south.
One Question Settled.
on March 30 DR.. Cook and his two Es-
kimo compaI ions. Etukishook and All
welab. settled the first of the great ques-
tions their voyage was TO solve. On
that day. in latitude 81 degrees Il min
utes. longitude s6 degrees s6 minutes.
they discovered new land, and the :asr
land between civilization and the Pole.
This is 800 miles south OF the top o.
the world" This land was not ex-
plored, for Cook and his companions
wanted TO plunge on into the ice fields.
EguAl4 4cLAL4 A4A~AC - dUlAllaA IKE
This fact. too, was proven by the ex-
pIorer. For from the spot where he
last saw land, he found no signs OF life.
no bear prints. no walrus blow holes,''
not even the slightest microscopai ami
mails.
The further north he went he found
that the winds blew less fercely, though
/ the temperature remained low.
On April II the sun puts in its ap-
pearance in this region for the six
months summer. on that day they
were in latitude IS degrees IS minutes,
longitude "a degrees 20 minutes, Just 2e0
miles under" the Pole, and on that day
had the unusual experience of being
frost-bitten and sun-burned on the same
day and at tn time. The sun, coming
I'D from its sixth months hiding place.
cast gIimmering rays on the dazzling ice
! and almost blinded the explorer. who
I was compelled 10 bIacISen his face to
keep the SIX from burning him.
Finds Smooth Ice.
Two hundred miles from the Pole na
( found that the ice was smoother, with
fewer irregularities and crevices, though
I it was drifting eastward at a rapid pace.
I
plunged on toward the Pole, the ice be-
came more extensive and heavier, with
fewer crevices. and with less crushed ice
TO bar his passage.
| on April Il. 1903, he had reached latl-
tude IS degrees, p minutes, and longi-
tude 80 degrees 81 minutes. less than le0
miles from the Pole. At that distance
the temperature was forty degrees be-
/ low zero, and the cold SO intense thai
when the ice foes were broken by the
eastward currents, the crevlces imme-
diately frOZe over smoothly so that his
( passage was not delayed
J At this point, according 20 DR.. Cook,
men lose nearly all sensibnitieS. save
the desire TO go onward and onward,
spurred by che hops that, at last, they
\ Will achieve their greatest ambition me
/ discovery of the North Pole They
grow TOO tired even 20 dig the snow
/ shelter houses beneath which they can
I keep warm. Instead. DR.. Cook slept in
a silken tent, which impaired some
warmth.
At this point. TOO, ne began seeing
mirages. Far off on the horizon, he be-
heved he saw land, and had come 10
/ the conclusion that the scientists who
I declared land would be found at tha
Pole were right in their conclusions.
Day after day he dragged his weary way
along the snow packs toward this
/ land" only 20 md It was a mirage,
and that there was nothing about him
\ but ice. ice, ice.
Sun Comes Out.
! On April Il the sun again came out
and he took his bearings His sextane
| showed he was in latitude 50 degrees,
/ % mina.es and As seconds. just IA sec