The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1909-09-10
An American Reaches North Pole
DR.. Cook Succeeds in the
Greatest Achievement
the World Has
Ever Known

~ho newspapers OIL Europe and America,
Dr. Frederick A. Cook, pinned down by
the merciless searching questions of w.
M. Stead, the veteran British journalist,
and dean and spokesman of the CORE
spondents' corps, admitted that unless
his astronomic observations and the cor
Tobofative observations by his two Es-
quimo companions is accepted as such,
he has no positive proof of his right to
the title to the discovery of the North
Pole.
So frank, straightforward and con-
vlnclng were the answers of the daunt-
less scientist that at the end of an
hours gruelling he had satisfied the be-
lief of every man present at the inter
view in the truth of his assertions that
he planted the Stars and Stripes on the
long coveted northern goal on April 21,
1905.
DIR. Cooks statement, the first de-
tailed account he has related of the
achievement which has startled the
world, was a graphic recital made under
the most cruel and most unfavorable cir
cumstances.
After a day, strenuous enough to tire
a Roosevelt, DR.. Cook, in the face of
discouraging skepticisms which would
have snatched away his laurels almost
before they were bestowed, was called
upon to clear away al international in
credulity which seemingly barred his en-
trance to the hall of fame.
He succeeded in the effort.
Calm and i~mperturbable, though wine
ing under the cruelty of thrusts which
even the tactfulness of Stead could not
mitigate, DR.. Cook modestly and with
delightful unassumption met every in
quiry with a directness and frankness
that quickly won all his hearers.
He Is Congratulated.
At the conclusion of the interview he
was congratulated on all sides, and
everywhere were heard expressions of
favorable comment on his modesty and
sincerity, and the belief was expressed
that the scientific worlds verdict will
be that he won the prize vainly sought
for centuries.
Il realize, gentlemen" said DR.. Cook,
in addressing the newspaper men, shat
despite the fact that | have nothing to
gain from Misrepresentation of actual
facts, and on the other hand have every
thing to lose, that the nature of my &C
complishment of April, 1908, when I
planted the flag at latitude 90 degrees
north, calls for proof to the scientific
world.
Has Esquimos' Word.
81 understand that in a case of this
sort my reputation and my past count
ed for naught, but | believe that in a
carefully prepared diary which I kept,
and in the painstakingly accurate as
tronomic observations which l made,
will be found the proof demanded by
the world. Corroborating this will be
the evidence of the two brave and I'M
complaining companions of my trip, the
Eskimos Etuishaak and Ahwalah, whose
names were previously misspelled.
II am told that our trip to the pole
has been branded as unscientific and a
mere unprecedented, sportsmanlike
event. While 1 plead guilty to a GER
tain amount of the spirit of the sports
man, | am not willing to admit that
my expedition was unscientific. 1t is
true that 1 did not have the elaborate
paraphernali ; or all instruments that l
could have oesired had it been possible
for me to carry more luggage.
Had Some Instruments.
II was, however, equipped with an
up-to-date and complete set of naviga-
ton and astronomical instruments. |
had three thermometers, a pedometer and
a watch and used each of the instru-
ments to check the records of the 9TH
ers.
GAS a result, it is my opinion that
there were few really serious errors and
my calculations and observations were,
for all practical purposes, correct. My
work in making observations of this ma
ture was, of course, not confined to
this particular trip, as I had plenty of
experience in this line on previous
Northern expeditions. My watch was
the only one instrument to get out OF
order.
"But, in addition to the proof fur
nished by my notes and observation fig
ures, l think that when the final time
comes more credence will be given to the
statements of my Eskimo companions ,
than the public now seems to give. 8
Trusts Eskimos. t
"'The artless honesty of these sturdy c
men, savages though they are, is we'll |
nigh proverbial. l am satisfied that no S
scientific man who is acquainted with s
the Eskimo and his traits will place SO
low a value on my intelligence as to t
presume that I would pin my hopes of
proof in such an issue as this to a lie
concocted by me and placed in the Q
mouths of these men. Furthermore, the O
average white man underestimate the S
Eskimos' intelligence in matters per- b
tanning to the Arctic. P
'The pole has long been the great I'M G
known and great unattained of the Es- a
kimo as well as of the white man. And
the Importance of the quest for the 9