Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-16


lows: l intend to build vessel as small
and strong as possible, just large enough to
hold coal and provisions for IL men for five
years. A vessel of about 10 tons (gross)
will probably suffice. 1t shall have engines
powerful enough to give it speed of six
knots, and, besides, be fully rugged for sail
| ing. The most important thing about this
vessel is that it will be built on such prin-
ciple as to Withstand the pressure Of the
ice 1t side must be made so sloping that
when the ice packs it cannot get fast hold
| of it, as was the case with the Jeanette
and other vessels which have conveyed
Arctic expeditions, but instead will raise it
up. No great change of construction will
| be needed Notwithstanding Jeanette s
absurd Eunpractical?l form, she withstood
the pressure for about two years. With
such vessel and crew of 10, or at the
most, II strong and picked men, together
with an equipment for five years as good In
every respect as can be procured for love or
money, it is my opinion that the enterprise
is well assured. With this vessel we shall
| advance through Bering Straits and west
ward along the north coast of Siberia toward
the New Siberian Islands as early in the
summer as the ice permits.
AWAITING THE PROPER TIME.
ARRIVED at the new Siberian Islands,
time must be employed to the best advan-
tage in investigating the nature of the cur
rents and conditions of the ice, and thus
await the most favorable moment for ad-
vancing to the furthest in open water,
which will probably occur in August or the
beginning of September. When the suit
able time arrives we shall pillow our way
into the ice northward as far as we can.
Then We shall choose a spot and moor the
| uaSSo1 eaourolv hpt1uaaU s11ifohla fope and
let the ice pack around it as much as it
| pleases-the more the better; the ship will
| be thereby lifted and remain lying there
secure and fast. From this moment the
| current will take charge of the transport.
As regards the duration of the transit of
the vessel from this point, DR.. Nansen esti-
mates it at two years, based on the time the
Jeanette relics took to travel and ion the
ascertained movement of the ice, some
where about 211 knots day. In the event
of the destruction of the vessel, DR.. Nansen
has no fear as to the results of taking to the
boats, and points out numerous instances in
which, under such circumstances, but little
risk was incurred. The ships complement
will consist of IL meu, all told, of whom
three would be qualified to undertake scien-
tihc observations, etc.
COST OF THE EXPEDITION.
Such is DR. Nansen's plan for the expedi-
tion, which is now an established fact. He
estimates its cost at 800, 900 kroner (about
SIG, ,7OO), of which the Storthing has voted
a grant of 100000 kroner (about eli, ,420),
DR.. Nansen being promised the remainder
from other sources. The present intention
is 20 leave Norway in February next. so as
to reach Bering Straits by June of the
year.
Dr. Nansen himself considered that a
vessel with sides sloping downward to the
keel, like the letter V, would be one not
only of novel construction, but of the only
practical form for raising or lifting when
subject to side pressure by ice. This idea
has been overruled by the marine architects
as unsuitable, and design for more ordi-
nary but excessively strong type of vessel
has beenA approved of, and the ship is now
under course of construction in the yard of
Mr.. Archer an English gentleman, at
Lauvrik. DR.. Nansen himself is occupied
in making the other arrangements, and
there is every prospect of the expedition
being fitted out in as perfect a manner as
possible ere it leaves for the unknown world
in the Arctic seas.
AN OLD GREENLAND EXPEDITION.
The interest which Lieutenant Peary's
Arctic expedition is universally exciting,
naturally recalls the fact that Greenland has
already been crossed once before. The char
acter of the place presented, for long time,
an interesting subject for geologists. The
material and Information which it promised
to afford on the theory of glacial action in
the moulding of the earth's surface might
prove inestimable, while no successful ex-
pedition had yet been accomplished before
1888. Nordenskiold had attempted to cross
the Finland ice'' in 1870, and in 1883 had
succeed in penetrating some distance of the
place. But he still held, in common with
others, that Greenland was not wholly COW
cred with ice. It took Fridthjof Nansen
who was endowed with the love of advent
ure, to demonstrate to the world that
Greenland was one vast country, of which
lowland and upland were entirely covered
with one mass of snow.
Nansen was known in his own country,
Norway, as an accomplished "skilober,"
the art of traversing snow and ice OH the
long wooden runners known as ''ski.
PREPARING TO CROSS THE ICE.
Nansen was convinced of the fact that
skillful "skilobern" could manage to tray
erse the inland ice, and he resolved to un-
dertake the arduous enterprise. Funds
were supplied by private generosity, men
were found ready to accompany him in his
adventures, and the old Viking spirit was
an undertaking which few had ever dared
to hazard before.
When completed in his outfit, Nansen, in
company of three other Norwegians and
two Laps, set out on July IL, 1888, from the
Jason, expecting to make his way easily to
the shore. He started purposely from the
east coast, contrary to the traditions of
Arctic expeditions, because, in his calcula-
tions, he came to the conclusion that if he
started from the west his route would have
to be retraced.
Their first attempt of drifting toward
shore was unsuccessful, while their position
was perilous. Ten days of terrible strife
ard anxiety elapsed before the conditions
had changed in favor of their effecting any
landing at all, and they reached the shore
24O miles south of the point at which they
aimed.
HOSPITALITY OF THE NATIVES.
Two weeks of strenuous work, of assidu-
GUS application, it took them before they
could reach any place where traces of life
could be found, but they were rewarded
with the kindliest of receptions possible,
which makes Nansen emphasize in his book.
by saying that ga smiling face is the Eski-
mos greeting to a stranger"
On August 10 they resolved to attempt
the crossing of the inland ice The boats
were abandoned and they began the ascent
Of the eastern slope. The perils which they
were exposed to were frequent and fatal. Gre
vases abounded in the ice everywhere around
them, and Nansen exclaims repeatedly in
surprise that they never fell lower than
their armpits
After several days of incessant and ex-
hausting climbing the party found them
selves in a region where the descent was