New-York tribune., 1910-01-10
WHO is DR.. COOK i?
SI'ORMBOUNDSKIPPER
WANTS TO KNOW.
He Has ON the Seas When the
Nescs Canle-Thinks 1t
Is Funny.

Inc little norwegian park S1las WHICH
has been doing her best for three weeks
to get into this port with e65 tons of
Java coffee, dropped anchor yesterday
off Stapleton, Staten Island The minute
she was safely anchored Captain Conrad
Jacobsen went ashore in a small boat
and sent cable message to his wife and
three children at Grimstad, Norway.
That was a weight off his mind, he said,
for he had not seen his family in thir-
teen months, and he wanted to let them
know that he had weathered the winter
gales. He expects to get some letters
from home to-day.
The Silas was only $50 miles off port
on Christmas Day, but she ran into
gale that drove her back and series of
storms made the skipper doubt whether
he ever would see New York.
"Oh, ] am tired of the sea- said the
skipper yesterday, when a tall ship news
reporter sat upon and crushed q freshly
opened box of East Indian cigars in the
cabin of the Silas. Excuse me while i
remove the cigars. That's all right
Never mind l have a few more boxes
in the pantry"
pened, but them as the captain was say
ing
"Yes, as I was saying" said Captain
Jacobsen, Il have been following the
sea for twenty-seven years land he did
not look q day over forty-two1. and have
been on this bark since she was launched
eleven years ago. l have run through
some bad weather, but never before have
/ struck such storms those that hit
us during the last five weeks in the Gulf
Stream. We cleared Padang III days
ago, and had fair weather until we
came close to the American coast.
A MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS.
1T was Christmas time the season of
good cheer for most everybody but the
sailormen off the great American coast
On Christmas morning we were about
one hundred and eighty miles northeast
of Cape Hatteras, when a gale came up
from the south southeast, hauling up
with terrific force to- northwest. We
hove to under a small piece of reefed
spanker and main lower topsail, and for
forty-eight hours we were heavily
pounded
Seas broke over us, and ] was not
sure that we were going to come out Of
il safely. There was much in the Gulf
Stream to remind us of the storms un-
certainty, for we were running through
lanes of drifting lumber--and. by way OF
encouragement. we passed within two
cable lengths Of submerged dismasted
American schooner
Captain broke in the tall reporter,
have you any real news on this bark?
Has anything happened during your
long passage from Padang that has a
ring of humor in ?"
No; there is no humor in trying to
keep af1oat in a gale like the one we had
on Christmas Day." replied the skipper,
dryly. AZ would like to tell you some
thing funny, but as it didn't happen 1t
can't be told
Did you have any animals on board ?''
asked the tall reporter.
The sturdy Norwegian looked around
and then said, with sigh: mo. We
brought only coffee from Java"
mo dogs or cats?"
ADVENTURES OF THE CAT.
"Oh, yes; we have a cat on board, a
big black and white fellow, but I've only
seen him once since the day after
Christmas. That was when a sea came
over smashing the door and flooding the
entire cabin The second mate and T
were just going on deck when the water
came in on us. We struggled around
the cabin up to our necks in water. The
mate was hurt in the breast and on the
hut !, ;.. ;rI,l
wave that smashed the door into bits
wrecked the skylight. That flood de-
stroyed much of our food, and il we
had been held off much longer we would
have run short of provisions"
What did this water do to the cat?"
"Well. / think 1t drove him mad. He
ran around the deck, jumping at i'm
aginary brethren, and once or twice he
had an encounter with his tail 1
thought he would eventually jump over
board He hid for nearly week. Now.
! think l have told you all I know.
Please tell me some news"
well" said the tall reporter, casually,
"Dr Cooks proofs have been rejected at
Copenhagen
Cook? DIR. Cook? Who is he?" asked
the Norwegian skipper. who has been
isolated on the high seas for III days.
HE is a physician of Brooklyn who
said he discovered the North Pole"
"So?" exclaimed the Norwegian, arch
ing his eyebrows and wrinkling his fore
head Maybe he gave you some of that
humor you thought happened on our
bark Where is your explorer Peary,
who has been after the pole since first
went to sea-"
He discovered the pole" said the pur-
veyor of news from land. But he did
it year after DIR. Cook said he himself
had found it,"
You have had lots of humor since I
left Padang, and now you want more.
i am sorry, but will let you know when
our cat gets back his wits. That's the
best I can do for YOU"
AM nUCTEp TpTICT NuADnun