Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-18
A NEW ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
Norwegian Navigators VIII Try %
Reach the Pole.

IRON the London Times
The Norwegian storthins. or national -
sembly, voted on the SOth ultimo q grant OF
100000 kroner for fresh expedition 10 the
North Pole. The charge OF the expedition
Will be intrusted TO NJ Frithjof Nansen and
there are several features Of special interest in
connection with the inception Of the further
effort TO reach the North Pole that call for
notice
Hitherto. with one possible exception, ~
attempts 20 reach the North Pole have been
made IN defiance Of the obstacle OF nature. "a
mas been an open campaign between the en-
uurance OF man and the icy barrier Of the
arctic seas, in which nature has always been
triumphant On this occasion q systematic
and well-organlzed attempt will be made &c
ascertain II nature herself has NOT sunplied a
means OF solving the difficulty, and ~ there ID
not, after all, Possibility OF reaching the
North foie by utilizing certain natural facilities
In these frozen seas Of which all earlier ex-
plorers were ignorant The circumstances
upon which these new hopes are based have
been described IN detail by NJ. Mohn OF the
Meteorological Institute OF Christ,ani.. NJ
hntzman, before the Paris Geographical
Society. and NJ Jacobson Those circumstsnces
may be thus summarized. The Jeannette expe.
dltion OF ls19-sl aud the loss of that sessei
seemed TO sound the knell OF all expeditions "a
reach the pole by Behring straits but in tl,e
end the results OF that effort shown 20 have
OF the officers Of the Jeanette could have
hoped for, when, with extreme difficulty, they
succeeded IN reaching Siberia across the ice
from their wrecked vessel.
In June, 1854 exactly three years after the
Jeanette sank, there were found near Julian.
shaab, IN Greenland several articles which had
belonged 10 the Jeanette and been abandoned
at the time of Its wreck by the crew aud which
had been carried to the coast of Greenland
from the opposite side OF the polar sea on
% fact a..
NY ~ to how it accomplished that weird and
mysterious journey across the Arctic ocean
and rs 10 what unknown current had borne that
significant and informing message from Beh-
ring straits 20 Greenland However those objects
reached Jullanshaab they conld not have come
IN an eastorly direction through Smith sound,
Tor the only current which reaches JuliAnshaAb
Is that from the eastern coast OF Greenland wa
Cape Farewell ana the north. Nor is there
mu'h proDaeliIy that they we're borne
place where the Jeanette sank,
for all the currents round Noyoe
Lembia. Franz Joseph Land and spitzbereen
are known. ana 1t seems impossible for the ice
bearing The relics of the unfortunate Jeanette
TO have raversed the Intervening distance in
the space OF three years even il IL were pos.ible
al ali. There remains only the alternative that
there Is a comparatively short and direct route
across the Arctic ocean by way of the North
fole, and that nature herself has supplied
means OF communication. however uncertain,
across II. Increased significance 20 the dis
coyeS CT the Jeannette relics in 1884 was given
by the identification in lSs6 of bows found ON
the coast of Greenland with those used by the
Eskimo IN the vicinity of Behrlng straits at
Port Clarence, Norton sound and the mouth of
tue Yukon river
NJ. Nansen's expedition will endeayor 20 real
ne these hopes Of direct route across the
apex OF tie Arcuc ocean. specially con-
structed boat of 40 tons will be built and pro-
visions and fuel taken for i've years, although
II II hoped that two will suffice. The expedi-
non wili consist OF 10 or IL men. and NJ. Nanseu
proposes 20 leave Norway IN February, ls92