VALUE OF THE OBSERVATIONS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 26

VALUE OF THE OBSERVATIONS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

AUCKLAND. September 5.

Speaking to a Herald reporter on the assumption that the cabled report that Dr Cook had succeeded in reaching the North Pole " is correct Professor A. W. P. Thomas, of the Auckland University College, stated that the achievement was certainly one of the greatest importance, not because of the fact that it was the first occasion unon which the task had been accomplished, but because many other scientists were interested. " First of all, there ie the character of the earth's surface at this pomt — whether it is sea or land "' — ho remarked. " From Nansen's investigations we were inclined to anticipate frozen sea around the Noith Pole. Meteorological observations taken at the North Pole must naturally be of the greatest importance, as also must be the location of the Magnetic Pole. From

the point of view of geology in ascertaining the forming of the ice periods the achievement must also he regarded as of considerable moment, while great importance must also be attached to a knowledge of the conditions and temperature at the Pole." " There has," continued Professor Thomas," been a great deal of speculation with regard to the cause of the formation of the earth, which is usually described as a sphere flattened at the Poles. Of recent years it has been discovered that the sphere route is not regular, and it is believed that the formation of the earth has been disturbed in the direction of a pear-shaped tetrahedron. An apparently striking feature in the earth is that the high land in one hemisphere corresponds with water in the other. In other words, at the antipodes of land we find water. Since there is land around the South Pole, we are inclined to anticipate — and observations up to the present have confirmed the view— that there is frozen sea around the North Pole." i Dr Cook announced from Etah, on the Greenland coast of Smith Sound in August, 1907, that he was prepared to make a. "dash" for the Pole from Ellesmere Land, though by a' somewhat ■ different route from that followed by Commander Teary. He set out in the summer of that year, but abont a year ago it was feared that he had been overtaken by disaster. Mr Randolph Francke, who accompanied him, returned to St. Johns in October by the Peary steamer Erik. He r<jporte<i that Dr Cook started in February, 1908, on an attempt to reach the Pole, and subsequently ssnt him by Eskimos a letter, dated March 17, stating that he hoped to be back early in June.. Dr Cook had, however, not returned by the middle of August, when Mr Francke , embarked on board the Erik, and Mr' Francke feared that he had met with an accident oi some description.