The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-16
D R. COOK is
EXP | AIMING
Mental and Physica
Strain of Arctic Trip
Is Described

New York. Dec, 16-Dr. Frederick
A. Cook. the Brooklyn traveller. has
sent word to his friends here that he
will reappear next week. following his
self-imposed exile of one year.
DR. Cook Will arrive from Europe
probably on next Wednesday. The
doctor has confessed that he does not
know whether he reached the north
pole or not, and in tomorrows Issue
OF Hampton's Magazine he tells of the
mental and physical stress he labored
under on his journey northward DR..
Cook. in speaking of his trip over the
Ice, says;
There was little in the white waste
about me TO occupy my attention.
Sometimes a spot on the horizon or
the twist of a dogs tail would fascl"
Late me and hold my attention for
many minutes
During this time. from the early
DAYS OF our journey, as | want TO show.
everything conferred about the idea of
the pole. Then, to bewilder one, 10
set one laughing With silly amusement
or to fill one with u sense OF awe,
the party began a procession through
mirages and optical Illusions The
mental effect / find it difficult TO an
alyze Sometimes these exaggerated
transformations had the effect OF
bringing far off objects apparently.
near to us. This often caused con-
fusion in estimating distances.
Saw Fantaetic UnreaIItiee.
Just after Helberg Land had be-
come a dull haze behind us, these
fantastic unrealltes Of the north be-
gan TO manifest themselves most
Peaks of snow were transformed into
volcanoes, belching smoke. Out of
the pearlY mist rose marvellous cit
les with fairy castles; huge creatures.
misshapen and gTotesque. writhed
along the horizon.
These spectral deniZens of the
north accompanied us during the en-
tire journey, and when tagged of
brain and sapped of bodily strength.
| felt my mind swimming in a sea
OF half-consciousness; they filed me
almost with horror, impressing me as
the monsters one sees In nightmare.
Travelling In wind that seemed to
pctrify the flesh. the temperature 46
degrees or even minus So degrees
Fahrenheit. the lashes OF our eyes
frozo together us We winked. and
when we rubbed them and drew apart
skin. Our breath froze on our faces
Often we had to uncover. our hands
and apply the warm palms to the
face before II was possible to see.
HaIrbreadth Escapes.
when | recall the many hair
breadth escapes from death, the haz-
ards we took. and feel again that
physical and mental suffering. / Won
der whether any living man would do
this were he premcdltating lie.
That I did travel upward of $500
miles in some direction, even my enc
mfes credit.
Whether I went directly north or
was diverted at times does not. can
not, change the facts OF my expert
ence. We were compelled on our
Journey to so in various directions to
find a way, We made Wide detourS.
at other times we had to retrace and
find new passages.
Perhaps In so doing / did become
confused and oyercstimated my prog
ress. If that is so II Is a fact neither
j nor any one can settle now. Wher
ever / went, however, / maintain II
was northwnrd, and did reach a spot
which l believed to be the pole.
Effect of Cold.
One day was very like another
Beyond the SD parallel life is devoid
Of any pleasure The intense objec.
tive Impressions Of cold and hunger
assaiing the body, rob the mind of
Inspiration and eXhilaration.
AT times 1t was impossible to per-
spire and the toxin of fatigue. gener-
ating unearthly weariness. filled the
brain with fag. When perspIratlon
oozed out from our pores it froze in
the garments and the warmer portions
OF our bodies were fringed with SNOW
Daily. unremittlngly. this was our
agony.
My boys had the advantage OF
sleep. / enyied them. Anyone who
has suffered from insomnia may be
able, In a small degree, TO gauge my
condition when sleep became lmDos
sible To reach the end of my jour
ney became the haunting, ever-present
goading thought OF my wakeful exist
ence
Sun at Midnight
From the end OF the polar night
late In February, up to the sleep O
April Z, I estimated by various sys
TENS OF reckoning that We had GOV
cred distance which placed m'
somewhat over 200 miles from my
goal. Tho sun. because of cloude'
skies. had not been visible before, bu
now 1t was seen for the first time a
midnight, and IL assumed strange
shape. l havo described II as vas
blue fire, from which roSo luminou
floaters. / have spoken Of the dis
torted faces which leered at us owe
the horizon. Sometimes In our north
ward progress these faces lau2hed
again they scowled. What the actua
configuratIons were, I do not Ecuow.
Despite a physical lnssitude an'
suffering. which made IL painful I
move, took observations In a regular
mechanical way. The much ado sine
made about such proofs never at tha
time occurred to me or seemed poss
BILE. Although | had gone on othe
expeditions and had performed scieI
tiflc work, such feat as this alway
meant 10 me the satisfaction of spi
itual hunger rather than a tfophy I
he laid before eeographers. who nevC
stepped out OF the protected circle
their home environment
What He Thouoht