Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-10-15
NANSEN EXPEDITION STORIES.
Yarns Which Delighted the People
of Tromso-Eager Listeners.

AS is only natural, all the people
of Tromso take the liveliest interest
in the hansen expedition, more es-
pecially as tree men of the ships
complement, viz, Pilot Jacobsen
and two sailors, belong to this port.
So any of the Fram's men who hap
pens to be about is always surround
ed by knot of eager listeners, to
whom he has to recount his adven-
lures, often illustrating his meaning
by a rough sketch with a piece of
chalk or a pencil. The men are all
good-natured fellows, and seem will
ing enough to talk, and many is the
excited discussion as to whether the
Fran should have entered the ice
north or south of the Siberian Islands,
and so forth. Here are some of the
yarns which have delighted the from
so people:
In the perpetual darkness of win
ter, in the desolate polar regions, we
could hardly see our hands before our
faces. One night, when the whole
ships company were snug below, we
suddenly heard the dogs barking most
furiously. 1t was Ships Carpenter
Mogstad's watch, so he went up on
deck to see if any thing unusual was
going on, but as he could see nothing,
he went down below again, concluding
that the dogs were just barking for
the sake of barking, as is their wont.
However, the noise was repeated at
intervals, so he went up on deck again,
and, taking lantern, saw that several
Of the animals had disappeared, and
that some others were overheard on
the ice. Mogstad called out for Hen
riksen, and they both let themselves
down on the ice from the deck of the
ship, which at the time was high
above the ice surface. They walked
off little distance from the ship. to
see if they could find any tracks.
AS they were searching about with
no more formidable a weapon than
a small lantern between them, all at
once a polar bear sprang up before
them. Then there was a race between
the three-the two men and the bear
to the ship. Mogstad, a bit more
light-footed than his mate, reached the
Fran first, but fell down twice onto
the ice as he was climbing up her side
At the second fall he could not help
muttering to himself: Now the
bears got you, my friend" But de-
spair steadied his nerves, and he man
aged to hoist himself safely up behind
the ships bulwarks. He had hardly
got on board, however, when he heard
his comrade call out, and saw that
the bear had got hold of him and had
bitten him. But Henriksen, who is a
big powerful, resolute fellow, dealt
his assaliant such a blow on the head
with the lighted lantern he was carry
ing that the brute, half stunned and
half scared, let go of it's prey, and
Henriksen seized the opportunity to
skip up the Fram's side. The bear
reyenged itself by Selling one of the
dogs. On a closer investigation being
made, it was found that the bear had
paid two visits to the ship during the
night, creeping in through an open
portfolio, and had carried off a dog
each time.
One day when hansen and johann
sen had to pass along a somewhat mar
row path they were suddenly attacked
by bear. Johansen, who is a man
of no ordinary strength, caught hold
of his enemy's throat with a grip of
iron, and held him at arms length
till Nansen was able to get his rifle
and lay the bear low. North of S4 de-
grees no animal life was found to ex-
list, and this would seem to cast some
discredit on the hitherto prevalent
theory that if a sufficiently high lati-
tude could be attained, one would
come to dry land and open water, be-
cause birds are to be seen flying to-
ward the extreme north This north
erly flight of birds is now believed to
be attributed to their having lost
their way or being blown out of their
course. One day at 80 degrees latitude
seal was perceived from on board
the Fran, with a founder in it's mouth.
On the approach of the vessel the seal
went up away over the ice. A founder
was also observed at about eleven
miles from Bear Island The depth
of the water in the extreme north also
seems to indicate that there can be no
land near Soundings taken at "a de-
greas latitude gave depth of from
1910 to 1880 fathoms (2,400 to $500
meters it is said-London Times.