Finding the North pole Author:Charles Morris Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II Cook's Story of His Discovery of the North Pole THE first announcement to the world by Dr. Frederick A. Cook that he had discovered the North Po... more »le came like a lightning flash from a clear sky. If it had come from Commander Robert E. Peary, there would hardly have been a moment of surprise. Everyone knew that he had gone north splendidly equipped for a polar dash and with the benefit of many years of experience, and it was widely hoped and trusted that he would crown his present effort with success. But from Dr. Cook the world, at large was expecting nothing. It was known that he was somewhere in the North; lost apparently; a relief expedition for his rescue had been prepared and sent out. That the prize of the Pole, persistently sought for centuries, attempted by many well advertised and well equipped expeditions, the struggle for which had so far led chiefly to suffering and death, should be attained in this sudden and unexpected manner, by a man who had gone north apparently only on a hunting trip and to whom few besides his special friends gave a thought, was a matter to fill everyone with astonishment. Therefore when, on the 1st of September, 1909, from Lerwick, the capital of the Shetland Islands, there flashed over land and under sea this surprising telegram: "Reached North Pole April 21, 1908. Discovered land far north. Return to Copenhagen by steamer 'Hans Egede.' "frederick Cook." the world stood astounded as if it had received an electric shock andfor the moment people fairly stopped breathing, so startled were they by the stupendous character of the unlooked-for news. To his wife, wired to her former address in Brooklyn, came also a message, thus worded: "lerwick, Shetland Islands, September 1. "mrs. Frederick A. Cook, "No. 693 Bus...« less