The morning times., 1896-08-17
SITTING NANSEN'S CLAIM
Polar Enthusiasts Inclined to Doubt
ALI the Dispatches.
Former Explorers Are TalkinS-Cem-
modore Melville Has Something
to Say on the Subject

The return OF DR.. Nansen To Vardo.
Norway, from his expedition in search OF
the North Pole has gwen the scientlnc
and adventure ruus people u good deal 10 taik
about. Ia fiier in the season. when Dr.
Nansen, who had set out Oh his quest IN
June, 1898, had been almost forgotten,
there came report which set the polar
enthusiasts in an interesting frame oil
mind, that DR.. Nansen had found the pole
and had been seen by some Norwegian
sailors returning from the Arctic seas.
This report was discredited at the time
and it was shown pretty conclusively that
Dr. Nansen could not have been Seen where
he was alleged to have been seen. II was
principally argued that II he intended to
return it would be in the summer time.
DR.. Nausen's idea was that there was
current some where which would carry the
right kind OF vessel To the North Poie.
lie built such a vessel, called the Fran.
which was supposed to be proof againstthe
packing OF the ice, which would raise IN
stead of crushing 1t. He set out from
Ciiristiana on June "a, 1898. and nothing
definite has been heard from INN to the
present time.
DF. Nansen turned up some weeks ago Mt
Franz Josef land. W thence he was taken tn
Vardo, Norway, on the steamer Windward,
W which was going TO Franz Josef ana for tire
relief or tue British expedition known as
lie Jackson ii Harmsworth, which was left
on Franz Josef land in 1894.
Dr. Nausen says that he eached Point
four degrees higher than that, which would
be 81 degrees Il minutes, Yet he says
tina, the highest latitude he reached was
sc degrees and A minutes. The highest
po,nt reached by him he says was north OF
the New Siberia Islands, In order 10 do
this he d a>..ndoncd his vessel a year go last
March ID latitude 81 and no one knows low
he went further, as il is believed and stated
that he did rot call tor the surrBes OF
dogs left for him at the place agreed on.
One of those competent TO speak on tie
subject OF polar expeditions is Commodore
$ w Melville He said 10 Tie I ines last
night:
Taking 1t for granted that DR.. Nansen
has arrived at vaIdo ii seems doubtful il
he got as far 10 the east ward as the New
Siberia Islands, but rather that he got
caught in the ice to the north of the
Kara Sea and followed the drift Of tie
''Ihcgethofi' tThe.rcch, ard Payerbof the
Austrian expedition, which was beset to
the north and east OF New Zealand and
drifted first to the northeast and then to
the southwest, bringing up at the snaii
islands to the south ward of Franz Josef
Land.
Il; looks very much as though NaDSen
made The same drift il he came out by way
oi Franz Josef Land and by the steamer
WiDdward.
1t is not impossible. however, that he
may have made a high north latitude.
though it seems impossible to my mind
that the Fran drifted or steamed to the
latitude of So degrees. 1t matters, not,
however; he has demonstrated the failacy
of his theory that any ship can drift to the
north roie Of the earth. 1t also confirms
my theory that no matter where he should
push ship into the polar pack TO the north
of Siberia she would be spe wed out bet ween
Novazanloya and Franz Josef Land, or
between Franz Josef Land and the SIitz-
bergen
''If the kilograms are true it goes to
confirm my theory of fixed ice cap at
the pole extending as far south as So
degrees north latitude. and If lie sue
ceeded in landing on this ice cap he could
readily make high latitude afoot on the
fixed ice" >