The Detroit times., 1910-12-17

my claim when reached Copenhagen
and later New York. the explorer
says, lis il just to call me the worlds
most intrepid fakir, common, dellD'
crate swindler? Unconsciously | may
have made statements which | myself
now question. That is inexcusable.
But most emphatically and positively,
am not thief; most certainly there
was 10 plan to hoax the world TO my
own financial profit"
DR.. Cook says that he has been ac-
cused of being colossal liar, and yet
that many lies have been told on him.
He cites the gum drop story as a
sample. He says he took no gum
drops with him, and never heard the
story until he got to New York. Cook
says that the trap was not undertaken
for scientific attainment. 1t was a
personal conquest, in which | eX-
pected only the return due path
finder"
Continuing. Dr.. Cook says: Il shall
not give in this story my scientific OBJ
servations. They have been published
and scientific authorities have rejected
them as inadequate. 1t may seem q
-
flcures-which can be manufactured
for me TO say that figures OF lnstru-
mental observations are only self-con-
vincing. But | am telling the truth,
as | see IL frankly"
my conviction that | reached the
Pole never was based solely upon OBJ
servations, figures or mathematical
calculations. | did take these, OF
course. Sometimes / took them has
Hly, again working them out with
N pHstaking accuracy. Sometimes my
mind was clear as crystal. again was
dazed with hunger thirst and cold.
These figures did not convince me OF
my achievement They only corrobor-
ated my inner conviction Of progress
WAS my inner conviction that I
attained the Pole insane? Perhaps.
Which raises the whole problem OF
the border.line OF sanity | was,
feel no more insane than any man
who frantiCally pursues an ideal-an
ideal which may seem hare-brained to
the practical man--and who finally TO
himself, If To no other, is satisfied that
he has accomplished his desire. My
conviction may be beyond the bounds
OF reason. Sometimes now | feel that
1t is. Again | do not. | do not know.
Moreover, and especially since | have
viewed men from a peculiarly suspi-
cious, though unenviable angle. of late,
| have been impressed with the insta-
bility, the ilogicality of all human
reason"
As an illustration of the peculiar eff
feet the Far North has one one. DR.
Cook says that after leaving Heiberg
Land, the fantastic unrealities Of the
north began to manifest themselves
most Peaks of snow were trans
formed into volcanoes, belching
smoke: out OF the pearly mist rose
marvellous cities, with fairy castles;
huge creatures, misshapen and gro
tesGue. writhed along the horizon.
These spectral deniZens OF the nCrth
accompanied us during the entire jour
ney and when tagged of brain and
sapped of bodily strength, ] felt my
mind swimming I'm q sea OF half-con-
sciousness. they filled me almost with
horror, impressing me as the monsters
one sees in nightmare.
Cook explains his mental condition
partially by his inability to sleep. Any
one who has suffered from insom-
MIA he says. may he able in a small
degree TO guage my condition when
sleep became impossible. To reach
the end OF my journey became the
ever.present. goading thought of my
waLeful existence"
II never expected that my ac.
complishment OF the pole. If ! did ",
would be regarded as a thing OF great
Importance to science, which IT Is
not | want TO be honest in this and
right here | say that any observa-
tions took were taken first of all for
my own satisfaction, to check our
line of march They corroborated
my growing consciousness of success.
The constant travelling over miles Ot
ice and the enduring of pain engen-
dered in my mind conviction which
no figures could have evoked. At
the time, however, | did not doubt
my figures. The thought or mac
curaey never occurred to me. True,