The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-01-04
AT SOME LENGTH BROOKLYN
EXPLORER TELLS EXPERI-
ENCES IN ICE COUNTRY.
WAS SINCERE IN HIS CLAIMS

If North Pole Was Not Reached, He
saws, Belief and Calculations Were
Wrong. Some of the Awful Hard
ships That Were Endured in His
Quest of the Pole.
NEW YORK.-Dr. Frederick A.
Cook, the Brooklyn traveller, has re-
aDpeared following his seIf-imposed
exile of one year. The doctor has
confessed that he did not know
whether he reached the North Pole
or not and in the January issue of
Hampton's Magazine he tells of the
mental and physical stress he labor
ed under on his journey northward.
Or. Cook, speaking of the trip over
the ice, says:
There was little in the white
waste about me to occupy my atten-
ton. Sometimes spots on the hOri-
ION or the twist of a dogs tail would
fascinate me and hold my attention
for many minutes.
Illusions were Many.
During this time from the early
days of my journey, as l want to
show. everything conferred about the
idea of the pole. Then to bewilder
one, to set one laughing with silly
amusement, or to fill one with a
sense of awe, there early began
procession of mirages and optical
49, g.
it difficult to analyze. Sometimes
these exaggerated transformations
had the effect of bringing far-off
objects apparently near to us. This
often caused confusion in estimating
distances.
Just after Heibergland had be-
come a dull haze behind us there
fantastic unrealities of the north
were transformed into volcanoes
beching smoke; out of the pearly
mist arose marvellous cities with
fairy castles; huge creatures, mis-
shapen and grotesque, writhed along
the horizon.
Mind Did Stunts.
These spectral denizens of the
north accompanied us during the en-
tire journey, and when tagged of
brain and sapped of bodily strength
I felt my mind swimming in a sea
of half consciousness they filled me
almost with horror, impressing me
as the monsters one sees in a night
mare.
Travelling in wind that seemed to
petrify the flesh, the temperature
minus as degrees or even minus SO
degrees Fahrenheit, the lashes of our
eyes frozen together as we walked
and when we rubbed them and drew
apart the lids the icicles tore the ten
der skin Often we had to uncover
our hands and apply the warm palms
to the face before it was possible to
see.
Often Escaped Death.
when I recall the many hair
breadth escapes from death, the haz-
ards we took and feel again that
physical and mental suffering l won
der whether any living man who
would do this were premeditating
lie.
That I did travel upward of q,
800 miles in some direction even my
enemies credit. Whether | went di-
rectly north or was diverted at times
does not cannot change the facts of
my experience. We were compelled
on our journey to go in various di-
fecdOns to find a way. We made
wide detours, at other times we had
to retreat and find new passages.
Perhaps i'll so doing did become
confused and overestimated my
progress. If that is so it is a fact
neither | nor anyone can settle now.
Wherever went, however, I main
tain it was northward, and I did
reach a spot which | believed to be
the North Pole.
Days About Alike.
One day was very like another
Beyond the S3rd parallel life is de-
void of any pleasure The intense
objective impressions of cold and
hunger assailing the body rob the
mind of inspiration and exhilaration
At times it was impossible to per-
spire and the toxin of fatigue gen
Grating unearthly WEAKNESS filled
The brain with fag When perspira-
ton oozed from our pores it froze
IN the garments, and the warmer
portions of our bodies were ringed
with snow. Daily, unremittingly,
This was our agony.