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Prof. Cooks's Arctic Expedition

Prof. Cooks's Arctic Expedition image
Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
October
Year
1894
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

It is evident iliat when Professor FiTilri-lek A. Cook, surgeon and ethnologiet of the Peary expedition, fitted out iis scientific eunimer excursión to the far morth, he omitted, with with a i'atuity not unnatural in a scieiii ii'ic man, to provide hiinself With a competent mascot. Authorities differ as to whether Jiis iron steamship Miranda was suit-ed to an arctic voyage or not, fout jio ship, however consti-ucted, could have hoped to cope successfully with the Miranda's ill lucfc. It began promptly by a week's delay in starting. It was July 7th instead of July lst, before the Miranda, with her fifty professors, scientiflc specialists, sportsmen and correspondents got away from New York. Once in motdon, she pioeeeded in comparitive prosperity to St. John 's, Newfoundland ; but on July 17th she Btruck an iceberg near Belle isle, and was 60 far daniaged tiiai she had to put back to St. Johifs and speuil ten days in repairs. Si.u-ting again on July 29th, uhe steered tor Greenland, and reaelied Sukkertóppeii August Tth. Two days later she gtarted north from tliere, but had hardly cleared the harbor before she struck hard and repeatedly on a sunken rock. That ïinished her trip noHhward. vSlie got back to Sukkertoppen, where some of the scientific tourists went ashore again and scoured the country tor rcindeer and l.iids, while others, including Dr. Cook, scoured the sea in a small boat looking for help for the distressel steamer. An American iishing schooner was Bghted off Holstenborg, whicn agreed to accompany the Miranda home and carry her passengers. On August 21st tliey etarted back together, the schooner in tow ; but that night a stoiin came up which set the steamer a-leaking so seriously that in the morning her crew were put aboard the schooner, and she was abandoned, with her pumps and englnes still working, and a!l of the property, scientific apparatus and arctic trophies of the tourists still aboard. The schooner brought her living cargo of ninety-three souls safeto port at North tëidney, Oape Breton. Dr. Cook and iseventeen of liis companions sailed from Halifax to New York on the steamer l'ortia, the Miranda's sister snip. The parting compliiii&nts of the hoodoo which had attended them so faithfully came in a fog on .September lOtli, when the Portia ran down a schooner off Cuttyhunk, in Yineyard Sound, und drowned four of her men. Dr. Cook lenrhed New York Heptember llth, in good health, and thankful that a.l of his fifty adventurers had got back alive. If he goes nortli again next year it is probable he will make his other preparations secondary to the provisión of a competent and servdeeable mascot. l'ossibly he would have doaie better this time in a wooden shq, but not 'even wooden vesseis of approved' construction for arctic wear are prooi against the impact of icebergs, or can skate successfally over suuken rocks. What Dr. ('nok needs most next time is

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier