Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-09-08
Cooks own Narrative.

Paris, Sept. 1.-THE Paris edition of
the New York Herald yesterday morn
ing published signed statement from
DR.. Frederick Cook, dated Hans
Egede, Lerwick, Wednesday" on his
experiences in the Arctic regions.
After prolonged fight with fam
inc and frost" says DR.. Coook, I'VE
have at last succeeded in reaching the
North Pole. A new highway, with an
interesting strip or animated nature
has been explored and big game
haunts located which will delight the
sportsmen and extend the Eskimo ho-
rizon
Land has been discovered on which
rests earth's northernmost rocks. A
triangle of thirty thousand square
miles has been cut out of the terres-
trial unknown. The expedition is the
outcome of the summer cruise in the
Arctic seas on the schooner Bradley,
which arrived at the limits of naviga-
ton in Smith Sound late in August,
1907. Here conditions were found to
launch the venture to the pole
Immense quantities of meat had
been collected and about the camp
we're plenty of strong dogs. The
combination was lucky for there was
good material for equipment. All that
was required was conveniently ar
ranged for at a point only 700 miles
from the bereal center. A house and
workshop were built OF packing boxes
by willing hands and this northern
most tribe of ESQ people set them
selves to the problem of devising a
suitable outfit.
Before the end of the long winter
night we were ready for the enter
prise and plans had matured to force
a new route over Grinnell Land north
ward along its west coast out on the
polar sea.
THE campaign opened with a few
scouting parties being sent over the
American shores to explore the way
and seek game haunts. The mission
was only partly successful because OF
storms. At sunrise 1908, February
19) the main expedition embarked on
the voyage to the pole. 1t consisted
of seven men, 103 dogs drawing
eleven heavily laden sledges. 1t left
the Greenland shore and pushed west
ward over the troubled ice of Smith
Sound. The gloom of the long night
was relieved only by few hours of
daylight The chill of winter was felt
at its worst. AS we crossed the
heights of Ellesmere Sound to the Pa
cific slope, the temperature sank to
minus SO centigrade Several dogs
were frozen and the men suffered Sc
verely, but soon found game trails
along which the way was easy.
in spite of what seemed long
marches, we advanced but little over
a hundred miles. Much of the work
was lost in circuitous twists around
troublesome pressure lines and high
irregular fields. We now were about
200 miles from the pole and the sledge
loads were reduced. One dog after
another went into the stomachs OF
the hungry survivors until the teams
were considers bly, diminished in mum
Der, but there seemed to remain a
sufficient balance for men and brutes
to push along into the heart Of mys'
terry to which we had set ourselves.
Through hansen Sound.
I'VE forced our way through Nan
sen Sound to Lands End. In this
march we secured 101 musk oxen,
seven bears, and 335 hares. We
pushed out into the polar sea from the
southern point of Herbert island on
March IS. Six Esdmos returned from
here. With four men and 46 dogs for
moving supplies for so days, the cross.
ing of the circum-polar pack was be.
gun Three days later two other Els
kimos. forming the last supporting
party. returned, and the trails had
now bten reduced by the survival OF
the fittess y 10 e the best men and
&c dogs were picked for the f1nal ef
fort.
There before us in an unknown
line of 400 miles was our goal. The
first days provided long marches and
We made encouraging progress. The
big lead which separated the land