LATEST CABLES

West Coast Times, 3 September 1909, Page 3

LATEST CABLES

THE NORTH POLE RMOHED.

AN AMERICAN EXPLORER'S TRIUMPH.

IN APRIL LAST YEAR,

ACCOMPANIED BY TWO ESKIMOS

LAND DISCOVERED.

GREAT SECRECY MAINTAINED.

THE NEWS FROM SHETLAND

ISLANDS.

WIDESPEREAD ELATION.

[PER , PBES3 ASSOCIATION. — COPYBIGHT 7

LONDON, Sept. 2.— News ihat the North Pole lias at last been reached

by mail has just been received in I.on-

don. The intelligence comes from the Shetland Islands. The triumph is affirmed to have been achieved by an

American, whose expedition vas almost unknown..

The successful explorer is Doctor Frederick Albert Cook, an American, and a native of the city of Brooklyn. His success was accomplished in the early part of 1908, since when no intelligence of his expedition has reached civilisation.

The following is the telegram which has been received in London from Lerwiek, Shetland Islands, conveying the news :—: — "Successful and well. Address,

Copenhagen. Cook."

There has been no tidings of Or Cook for over seven months until his rrrival

yesterday at the Shetlands. He is aboard the Danish steamer "Hensegede," which on reaching the Shotlands yesterday, cast anchor of Lerwiek, and remained for two hours. She then resumed her voyage from Greenland to Copenhagen. Absolute seaery was maintained in regard to Dr Cook's great journey during the Hens^gede's stay, and she was visited only by the Danish consul at Lerwiek. On his boarding the Hensegede the Consul was bound over by the explorer to . strict secrecy, before he was given any information. He therefore was in no way responsible for the news becoming known. There was, however, the Dauish Inspector for Greenland aboard as a passenger for Copenhagen, and he, in a telegram to the Administration of the Greenland Colonies at Copenhagen, stated: — "We haVe aboard Dootor Cook, who reached the North Pcle on the 2ist of April, 1905." The Inspector's telegram goes on to give some details of the movements of the successful explorer. He states that in May of this year the Doctor arrived at the town of Uperavik, on the north-east of Greenland, lie had proceeded frpm Cape York to I'peravik. The Eskimos at Cape York confirm the. truth of Dr Cook's journey to the Pole. He set out for the Pole early last year with a companion, Randolph Francke, but the latter found the climate was too severe for him, and had to leave, returning to New Foundland On Francke's departure, Dr Cook proceeded on alone, with two Eskimos and eight teams of dogs, laden with supplies. He was then, when last beard of, five or six hundred miles from, the Pole. Further confirmatory reports comes from Brussels, from Reuters correspondent, who states that on Wednesday M. Lecomte, director of the V-:ele Obeservatory, received from Dr Cook a telegram announcing that ho lad reached the North Pole. The telegram it is also stated, intimated that J)r Cook had discovered land in the extreme north. The New York correspondent of the Times wires : — "The news of Dr. Cook's success has been received here with" elation. So little publicity had been given to Dr Cook's expedition, and so much to Lieut. Peary's attempt to reach the Pole, that almost everybody has been taken completely by surprise. Even the officers of the American National Geographical Society at Washington have confessed that they knew little about Dr Cook's exj-edi-tion." Dr Cook, aboard the Hensegede, is expected to arrive at Copenhagen on Saturday. There is great excitement and enthusiasm at the Danish capful.