THE DISCOVERY OF THE POLE 



WE print herewith the reports of Dr F. A. Cook and Commander 

 Robert E. Peary announcing the discovery of the North Pole April 

 21, 1908, and April 6, 1909. Before the National Geographic Society 

 can, however, accept the conclusions of either Commander Peary or Dr Cook 

 that the North Pole has been attained, it will be necessary that the scientific 

 records and data of each explorer be carefully examined by its Committee on 

 Research or by some body or commission acceptable to the Board. The Society 

 takes this position not from any distrust of the personal integrity of either 

 explorer, but because of the many calculations that enter into the determination 

 of the pole. The National Geographic Society urges Commander Peary and Dr 

 Cook speedily to submit all their observations, notes, and data to a competent 

 scientific commission in the United States. 



First Report by Dr Frederick A. Cook, Sept. i, 1909 



{Copyright, 1909, by the New York Herald Company. All rights reserved. Repub- 

 lication in whole or part prohibited) 



FTER a prolonged fight against 

 famine and frost we have at last 



succeeded in reaching the North 



A 



Pole. 



A new highway, with an interesting 

 strip of animated nature, has been ex- 

 plored. 



Big game haunts were located which 

 will delight the sportsman and extend 

 the Eskimo horizon. 



Land has been discovered upon which 

 rest the earth's northernmost rocks. 



A triangle of 30,000 square miles has 

 been cut out of the terrestrial unknown. 



The» expedition was the outcome of a 

 summer cruise in Arctic seas. The yacht 

 Bradley arrived at the limits of naviga- 

 tion in Smith Sound late in August, 1907. 

 Here conditions were found favorable to 

 launch a venture for the pole. 



Mr John R. Bradley liberally supplied 

 from the yacht suitable provisions for 

 local use, and my own equipment for 

 emergencies served well for every pur- 

 pose of Arctic travel. 



Many Eskimos had gathered on the. 

 Greenland shores at Annootok for the 

 winter bear hunt. Immense caches of 

 meat had been gathered. About the 

 camp were plenty of strong dogs. 



The combination was lucky, for there 

 was good material for an equipment, ex- 

 pert help, and an efficient motor force, 

 and all that was required was conven- 

 iently arranged at a point only 700 miles 

 from the boreal center. 



A house and workshop was built of 

 packing boxes. The willing hands of 

 this northernmost tribe of 250 people 

 were set to the problem of devising a 

 suitable outfit, and before the end of the 

 long winter night we were ready for the 

 enterprise. 



Plans were matured to force a new 

 route over Grinnell Land and northward 

 along its west coast out on the polar sea. 



Soon after the polar midnight the 

 campaign opened. A few scouting par- 

 ties were sent over to the American 

 shores to explore a way and to seek 

 game haunts. 



Their mission was only partly success- 

 ful, because storms darkened the January 

 moon. 



At sunrise of 1908 (February 19) the 

 main expedition embarked for the pole. 

 Eleven men and 103 clogs, drawing 11 

 heavily loaded sledges, left the Green- 

 land shore and pushed westward over 

 the troubled ice of Smith Sound. 



