The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-12-16


In these words does DIR. Fret
ment of his "own story" in the ,
Magazine, issued today, lay the {
his North Pole discovery claim, v
out merit, but of his honesty in
marvellous feat.
All through the story Cook
mental strain he underwent and
that the hardships he endured af
no condition to make scientitical
movements. He explains how he
these words:
Returning from a life savage
in it's drain on body and mind, l
was tossed to the zenith of world
ly honor on a wave of enthusiasm,
a world-madness which startled
me. In the ebb of that wave,
was plunged into the depths OF
suspicion and discredit, victim
of my own folly and the sufferer
from a storm of adverse circum-
stances"
After reciting a chapter of hard
ships and privations that will
probably move to pity many ad-
verse critics, Cook says:
Did Not Mean to Fake.
when | recall the many hair
breath escapes from death, the
hazards we took, and feel again
the physical and mental suffering
| wonder whether any living man
would do this were he premeditat-
ing n lie.
"If | did believe in myself hon
estly and sincerely, If l felt con-
vinced of my claim when I reach
ed Copenhagen and later New
York" the explorer said, "is it
just to call me the worlds most
intrepid fakir, common, deliber-
ate swindler? Unconsciously
may have made statements which
myself now question. That is
IineXcusable. But most emphati-
eally and positively l am not a
thief; most certainly there was no
plan to hoax the world to my own
financial profit"
Denies Gnndrop Story.
DR.. Cook says that he has been
accused of being a 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 gumdrops with him
and never heard the story until
he got to New York. Cook says
that the trip was not undertaken
| for scientific attainment.
1T was q personal conquest,
in which I expected only the re-
turn due a pathfinder.
Doesn't Try TO Prove.
| Continuing, DR.. Cook said: 81
shall not give in this story my
scientific observations. They
have been published and scientific
authorities have rejected them as
1t may seem a cur
ious thing. as so much is made
of figures which can be manufac-
tured by the ream-for me to say
that figures of instrumental obser-
vations are only self-convincing.
But l am telling the truth, as I
see It. frankly.
"My conviction that I reached
the pole was never based solely
upon observations, figures or ma
thematical calculations. / did
take these, of course. Sometimes
took them hastily, again work
ing them out with most painstak-
ing accuracy. Sometimes my mind
was clear as crystal; again / was
dazed with hunger, thirst and
cold. These figures did not con-
vince me of my achievement.
They only corroborated my inner
convictions of progress.
Was He Insane?
''Was my inner conviction that
| attained the pole insane? Per-
haps. Which raises the whole
problem of the borderline of san
ity. / was, l feel, no more in
sane than any man who frantical-
| ly pursues an ideal-an ideal
which may seem hairbrained to
the practical man,-and who fin
ally, to himself, II to no other. is
satisfied that he has accomplished
his desire.
ASIAN illustration of the pecul-
lar effect the far north has on one,
DIR. Cook says that after leaving
Heiberg land, "the fantastic un-
realities of the north began TO
manifest themselves most. Peaks
of snow were transformed into
volcanoes, belching smoke; out OF
the pearly mist rose marvellous
cities with fairy castles; huge
creatures, misshapen and gro
tesque, writhed along the horizon,
These spectral visions of the north
accompanied us during the entire
Journey and when tagged Of brain
and sapped of bodily strength,
felt my mind swimming in a sea
of half consciousness, they filled
me almost with horror, impress
sing me as the monsters one sees
in a nightmare.
Shadow Equal Lcigth.
The thing that convinced DR..
Cook and mis- two Eskimos that he
reached the pole, was the fact
that they attained a point where
their shadows at noon and mid
night we're of equal length
''At noon,p he says, 1.-THE shad-
uw represented in its length of the
altitude OF the sun. about 12 de-
grees. At O'Clock It was the