The Race for a Telegraph Station

When Robert Peary left for the Arctic in 1908 and what he hoped would be his conquest of the North Pole, he knew that Frederick Cook had left a year earlier on board the

John R. Bradley, a schooner named after Cook's only financial backer.

Cook and Peary had once been friends. Cook had been the doctor on Peary's first expedition to the High Arctic in 1891, and their paths had crossed on numerous occasions since. Cook had risen gradually from obscurity to the point that, in 1906, he had been guest of honour with Peary at a National Geographic Society banquet. Peary had every right to be worried at Cook's departure for the Arctic a year ahead of his own.

When Peary reached northern Greenland, he learned from the Inughuit that Cook had established his base camp at Anoritooq (Annoatok) in Kane Basin, had left on a trip westward in the spring of 1908, had sent back his German assistant and the 10 Inughuit who had carried supplies over the rugged crossing of Ellesmere Island, and had continued on with only two young Inuit men, Ittukusuk and Aapilaq. Yet for some reason Peary ceased worrying and convinced himself that Cook was long dead.

But while Peary was spending the winter at Cape Sheridan, preparing for his "final assault" on the pole, Cook and his two Inuit companions were passing their cheerless winter in a cave at Cape Sparbo on Devon Island. That spring, as Peary sledded north to the pole, Cook and the two young men – with no dogs left – trudged back to Greenland on foot. They reached Anoritooq in mid-April, as Peary was returning from his farthest north to the Roosevelt.

Cook lost no time in heading south to announce his attainment of the pole to an unsuspecting world. The Roosevelt, meanwhile, was still frozen in to her winter quarters and would be for some months.

In August, when Peary reached the Inuit village of Neqe, he first learned of the movements of Cook and his party. Even then he did not appear overly concerned. It was not until he called at Cape York on his final departure from the district that he became concerned. There he picked up mail that had been cached for him by Captain Adams of the whaling ship, Morning. In a letter marked "urgent," Adams informed Peary that Cook was in Upernavik, farther down the Greenland coast, claiming to have reached the Pole in 1908, and awaiting passage on the first ship south.

This news lit a fire under Peary. Now, after dallying in North Star Bay, he ordered Captain Bartlett to proceed at full speed for Indian Harbour, Labrador, the nearest telegraph station, 1,500 miles to the south.

Meanwhile, Frederick Cook was making his own way to a telegraph station. With an Inuk guide, Qulutannguaq, he had traveled by sled to Upernavik, south of Melville Bay, which he reached on May 21. He remained there for a month as guest of the Danish administrator.

From there he continued on to Egedesminde, to await the arrival of another ship which would take him to Copenhagen. Finally, on August 9, Cook departed Egedesminde aboard the Hans Egede. The captain of the vessel suggested that Cook get his news to the world as quickly as possible, and stopped at Lerwick in the Shetland Islands to allow him to do so.

Early in the morning of Sept. 1, the Hans Egede steamed up Brassay Sound, a boat was lowered and Cook was rowed ashore. He sent three telegrams. The first to George Lecointe, an old colleague from an earlier expedition, read simply: "Reached north pole April 21, 1908." The second was to his wife, Marie, in Brooklyn: "Successful and well. Wire address to Copenhagen." The third was a 2,000-word message to a New York newspaper, the Herald. The next day the Herald published an article with a banner headline reading: THE NORTH POLE IS DISCOVERED BY DR. FREDERICK A. COOK…"

On Sept. 6, while Cook was receiving the attention of the press and society in Copenhagen, Peary reached Indian Harbour telegraph station in Labrador and was finally able to announce his achievement to a world that was already lauding Cook. His first message was to his wife: "Have made good at last – I have the D.O.P." The initials stood for "damned old pole." Another message followed, to the secretary of the Peary Arctic Club: "Pole reached. Roosevelt safe. Peary." Other messages followed. One read, "Stars and Stripes Nailed to the Pole."

When Peary learned of Cook's prior claim, he cabled the New York Times: "Do not trouble about Cook's story… He has not been to the Pole… He has simply handed the public a gold brick."

For over 200 years, men of different nations had sought the North Pole. Now two Americans were claiming it within five days. Cook had won the race to a telegraph station and was the first to claim to have reached the pole.

Taissumani recounts a specific event of historic interest. Kenn Harper is a historian, writer and linguist who lives in Iqaluit. Feedback? Send your comments and questions to kennharper@hotmail.com.