The record-union., 1896-08-15
His Long Voyage Arduous, But Had
Favorable Results.
The Expedition Proves Nansen's
Theory of the Polar Drift, Accord
ing to Commodore Melville, to be
GrOundIess, While E. S. Baldwin,
Who Was a Member of the Peary
Expedition, Contends That the
Drift is Proven to be Fact.


VADSO Norway, Aug. 14.-Dr Nam
sen, the Arctic explorer, says he eX-
poets that the Fran will eventually ar
riVe at Spitzenbergen. He says that she
drifted with the ice in a westerly dl-
rection to 81 degrees. Rocky seas, he
says, prevented him from entering the
mouth of the Olensk River for the pur-
pose of procuring dogs, and the lack OF
dogs prevented him from reaching the
North Pole, which he would otherwise
have found. DR.. NanSen says he found
water $500 meters deep, which became
appreciably warmer at a depth of 100
meters. The land voyage, he says, was
very arduous, but had extremely favor
able results. He reached the northern
coast of Franz Joseph Island in the
autumn of 1895, and built a stormhouse,
where he lived all the next winter.
POLAR DRIFT GROUNDLESS.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14.-Commo-
dore Melville, Engineer in Chief of the
Navy, who was a member of the i'll
fated Jeanette party, which serves as
the pattern for Nansen's attempt upon
the North Pole, holds that the result of
the explorers voyage, as understood
here, clearly proves Nansen's theory of
the Polar drift to be groundless.
In the opinion of Commodore Melville,
Nansen has only closely paralelled the
celebrated voyage of Wyprecht and
Payor in the Tegelhoff, and has fol-
lowed their drift. The Tegelhoff rounded
the north point of Nova Zembla, with
the intention of traversing the north
coast of Siberia. Her commander got in
the ice and drifted north and east. which
the gulf stream favored Ia the early
fall. Afterward when the stream lost
its force they drifted south and west.
bringing up on the Wittze Island, one
Of a small group southwark of Franz
Jospeh Island. During the winter their
ship was crushed and in the following
ST MINER they escaped in their boats and
We're picked up off Cape Nassau.
Nansen, Commodore Melville points
cut, has had q very similar experience.
He did not enter the ice on the opposite
side of the polar basin from where he
vas picked up, so his trip failed utterly
TO prove that q current exists that may
be relied on to carry a ship across the
Polar waters and bring it down on the
east side of Greenland. AS matter of
fact, he was last heard from, accord
ing to Commodore Melville eastward
of Nova Zembla, and he has just drifted
north and back again. This is precisely
in accord with the judgment passed up
on Nansen's theory by Commodore Mel
VILE before Nansen undertook his voy-
age
AS to Nansen's course the Commo-
dore says that while it is not known ex-
actly where Nansen entered the ice, he
doubtless entered northward of Nova
Zembla, and this would give him just
the right drift to emerge where he is re-
ported to have been picked up
NANSEN'S VOYAGE A SUCCESS.
CHICAGO, Aug. lin contrast with
the opinion of Commodore Melville, as
teIegraphed from Washington to-day,
Evelyn s. Baldwin, who was member
of the Peary expedition, and is now a
member of the Chicago Academy of
Sciences. is very enthusiastic over the
cabled reports. He said to-day:
"Dr Nansen's dispatch, Home safe
after a fortunate expedition should
preclude further discussion as to the
success of his voyage, and should be
taken as incontrovertible evidence in
a favorab BILE light. The doctor says that
while the North Pole itself was not
reached, it was demonstrated that ex
ploration in the most distant region can
be successful. The results of DIR. Nan
sens expedition are far reaching, dem
onstrating first that the Polar current
which carried the Jeannette as far north
as II degrees and Is minutes continues
in the vicinity of the Pole certainly as
far as latitude 6 degrees II minutes
4he point where it would appear Nansen
abandoned the Fran, fearing that
!, 70 1rif IA
be carried beyond the pole and not be
able to extricate himself before the sup
plies should give out. He did a wise
thing to return by the route that was
known to him.
THE second important point gained
by him is the fact that a vessel may be
constructed so as to Withstand the tre-
mendous strain of the northern ice.
Moreover. the meeting of the English
expedition to Franz Joseph Island, by
which means he has returned to civ
ilization on board the Windward, inn
presses the importance of concerted
action among all exploring parties"
Mr.. Baldwin thinks that a headquar-
ters should be established to carry on
Arctic expeditions. Such headquarters
should be located on Newman Bay, in
Northwest Greenland. latitude S1.30
as near Captain Halfs location as pos
sible. This opinion is shared by Lieu
tenant Brainard of the Greedy expedi-
ton. Mr. Baldwin thinks that with
such headquarters secured a party
would certainly be able to outline the
northern extension of Greenland. which
RAY perhaps reach as far as ~ or
Sc degrees. Then by maintaining a sys-
tenn of relay stations the pole itself
could be reached. At any rate the ex-
tstence of new land and animal life. the
electrical forces, geological formations
and related subjects might be prose-
cuted.
DR.. Nansen adds that during the VIM
ter, when there was no bears flesh to
feed the dogs. they killed the weakest
dogs and fed them to the others, until
the whole pack was killed. He and
Lieutenant Hansen started on May 18th
TO try to reach Spitzbergen. After trav-
cling for six weeks on snowshoes, drag
ging sledges partly over land and partly
over ice, they reached the quarters oc-