Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-02-20
NORTH POLE DISCOVERED.
DR.. HANSEN, THE NORWEGIAN Ex-
PLORER, FINDS 1T.
Tho Report Comes From Siberian
Trader who Acts as the Scientists
nt--CIaims There is Land There
and tho Party is Returning.

st. Petersburg FEB. ia despatch
from Irkutsk, Siberia, says that siberian
trader, named Kouchnareff, who is acting
as agent of DR.. Nansen, the Arctic ex-
plorer. has informed the project of Kolmsk
that he has received information that DR..
Nansen has reached the North Pole, where
he found land, and that he is now on his
way back.
In April last the Figaro, of Paris, cir
culated rumor that DR.. Nansen had
found the North Pole and that 1t is stu
ated on chain of mountains. 1t was
then added that he had planted the Nor
wegian flag there. The story was general
~ regarded as being without foundation.
On September II of last year advces were
received in London from the Danish
trading station of Angmagsalk, on the
east coast of Greenland, that a ship sup
posed to be Dr. Nansens FRAN had been
sighted at the end of July, stuck fast In
an ice drift. Finally, on December q,
despatch from Christiana Norway stated
that Dr. Nansens wife had received let
ter by carrier pigeon, reporting that the
expedition was doing well. As no carrier
pigeons were taken north by the Nansen
party, this report was evidently inaccu-
rate; but it was published for what ii was
worth.
DR.. Fridjof hansen is a distinguished
scientist of Norway and an enthusiastic
North Pole. lie is about 80 years of age.
He entered the University of Christiania
in 1850 and two years later went on seal
ing trip to Denmark straits. on the coast
of Greenland. In the Viking.
Later in 1882 Nansen was appointed GU
rator of the museum at Bergen, which
position he retained until 1888 when he led
a small expedition of six men to Green
land, crossing the southern part OF that
portion of the globe. 1t was probably DUR
ing this trip that Nansen conceived the
plan of making an attempt to reach the
North Pole in a vessel constructed spe-
Cially for such an undertaking. In any
case, after his return to Norway, Nansen
took the preliminary steps towards hitting
out his expedition and the Fran was plan
ned and constructed. She Is generally
classed as three-masted sailing schooner,
but she had 100 horse power steam en-
CINE in addition to her sails.
Her displacement was 500 tons, and her
sides were so constructed as to force all
ice meeting the vessel to pass underneath
her. thus preventing punching" and
''screwing"
The Norwegian Parliament allowed
Eansen about $50, 900 to fit out his craft,
and in addition he was assisted In his
work by many private subscriptions, in
Guiding one of $4,000 from King Oscar.
The Fran was launched on October 20,
1892, at Laurwik, near Christlana. Nor
wegian paper, describing the fitting out
of the Fran, said: Bread is the prnci-
pal nourishment of Nansen and his peo-
pie The break is a kind of biscuit, large
and round, white and very compact.
The ration of each man is to consist of
four biscuits day. This, at least, was
given out when the expedition left Nor
way Silk Is used as the most suitable
material for tents. as 1t shuts out the cold
better than anything else
The cabin of Nansen's ship. the Fran
-forward-is heated by means of an Eng
lish petroleum stove. which consumed
three litres OF petroleum per day. AS the
explorer has taken along with him suf-
ficient supply of this fuel to last him eight
or nine years. there Will be no lack OF
heating material
The library of the expedition consists OF
1000 books. half of which are scientific
works, and the other half novels, poetry
etc.
THE crew numbered IL men and all occu-
by the cabin, which measures only IL feet
square. There they dwell. eat and work.
The suits they wear cannot be penetrated
by water"
The expedition sailed from Christiania
June "a, 1898, the Doctors plan being to
make for the new Siberian Islands and
thence head north until the Fran, by be-
Ing imbedded in the ice, would be COM
PEELED to drift along the west coast of any
land which might be found.
on August %, 1893. DR.. Nansen sent q
despatch from Vardo. reporting That or
the second of that month he was.about &c
sail into the Karn sea, and that the Fran
had behaved splendidly UP to that stage
of the journey, especially in forcing hei
way through the ice
London despatch, dated March 4, Of
last year, announced that a letter, datct
Kjollefjord, February "a had reached
Hammerfest, Norway, announcing that {
Ia t,aer, tnr of of