Evening star., 1896-10-31
NANSEN AND THE FRAN,
Interesting Incidents of the Voyage
NOrthpOlewlri.

NOrthpOleSvard.
Christiania Letter in New York Evening Post.
The discussion of DR.. Nansen's move
-nients is still the topic Of the day in thi-
country, and the interest in him and the
Fran. now on her journey southwark. be-
ing towed by the steamship Halaagaland.
is even now at boiling point. We have
Nansen hats. Nansen tabecloths, Nansen
pins, Nansen handkerchiefs. Nansen varie
ties at the music halls. Nansen balloons,
Nansen brooches and Nansen-North Pole
beer! A musical composition has even
made It's appearance in which the several
incidents Of the journey are portrayed, such
The departure from Norway" Christ
mas eve on board,' The march 10 Franz
Josef's Land,' Meeting with Jackson,
&c. The whole finishes lriumpnanty with
The national song as welcome homei
Medals have also been struck commemo-
rating the event. The first Impressions
of silver bronze, while The later will
be in aluminium. On the diverse side is
picture of the north pole and above this
the words, "Nansen-J oh2nsen, ST degrees
IA minutes n. The Fran, 50 degrees II
minutes N" Round the motif are the dates
OF the departure and return of both the
Fran and The s!edge journey, with the in
ScriptiOn: 'ForSkeraandenS Morgenso CLINT
cd op mod islagt Pol Crhe sunlight OF
science shone upon the icy pole) On the
reverse side is representation of the Fran
with Frlhjof Nansen'S initials, ard round
the picture the names OF the members OF
the expedition.
The appearance of the Fran has suffered
little. since her departure three years ago.
A little more uIt on her deck, perhaps; a
little. more weatherbeaten and battered.
Everything Is in its place, and the reserve
screw has never even been called into re-
QUESTION. The big boats Grand AMI Grave
sen $50 named after two Of the chief res
taurants in Christianity, are in their places,
hanging from the davits as they were when
the Fran started on her voyage. From
the davits still hang meat and fish, only
this time the meat is bear flesh shot by the
explorers. The petroleum launch alone has
proved a disappointment. and was not as
useful as it was expected to be. Fire. water
and ice did their worst, but to no purpose;
it refused to dispose of ITSELF and one fine
Gay-that is to say, in the summer of 1856
tired of having it about, the explorers
chopped 1t up and used the materials for
runners under their sledges.
A new generation of dogs has arisen
board the Fran. after the consumption by
each ether of those shipped at Charbarwa.
or these only one is left. Susi by name. and
she is a great pet. and the only one of the
dogs allowed below deck. DR.. Nansen's
Eskimo dog Kirk (from Rybers expedf-
tom. that he took with him. and Susi had
spring; as. however, five of them seemed
uhpron.ising, they were shct, and only
tw elve are left All of them have names
and very affecticnate.
In private letter to a friend. Lieut..
Hjalmar Johansen describes the departure
of the siedge expedition in the beginning
of February. 1895. This took place before
the polar night was over and three starts
were made before they were finally under
way. The first time they had not left the
Fran long before one of the sledges broke
down. The second time he and DR.. Nansen
had actually been four days on their Jour-
ney when they decided to return and reduce
their load of provisions. The third start
was successful. and DIR. Nansen's plucky
companion here gives some account of their
journey. of which SO many details have al
ready been published. adding. characteristic
cally. But one can stand mere than one
thinks when one once begins" He goes
got one night when dragging the sledges
from foe to foe. On this occasion there
we're 40 degrees (centigrade) of cold. One
sledge had already been conveyed safely
across when the lane suddenly widened and
1t was as much as they could do to get
back to the other two sledges. In the at
tempt Jchansen fell into the water, but
clambered out on the farther side while
Nansel remained on the other. 1t was only
after many hours hard work and long
detour that the two succeeded In meeting
again. 1T was good to get into the Sleep
ing bag that day and have scmeth thing hot
to drink" says Johansen in his letter: my
clothes were of course as stiff glass. and
1t was several days before they were soft
again. We had many a tough job on that
journey. but now 1t is all forgotten and I
am happily none the worse for it, ana as
we'll as ever" and this in spite'of the fact
that tteir last meal in camp consisted of
soup made Of rotting bear meat boiled in
sea water. thickened with cornstarch.
Hjalmar Johansen. DR.. Mnsens COM
panion on the sledge journey. is q reserve
lieutenant in the army and was born In
Sken in 1867. After having been at the
military college in Christiania for a year
he became clerk to the county sheriff at
Skian; he Is one of the best gymnasts, ske
lobers and shots in Norway. First and
foremost among the other members of the
expedition is Capt. Sverdrup, Nanscns COM
panion on his Greenland expedition His
aid and counsel have always been gener-
ously acknowledged by Nansen, and at the
entertainments given at Tromsoe for the
explorers. the latter spoke of him as "the
only man who could have piloted the Fran
through the ice in the way he had, and
whom he depended on as on himself"
Finally Nansen, amid laundering applause
lifted Sverdrup In his arms. and said
Here you see whom I place highest of
all" Capt Sverdrup was born III Bindolen
In 1855. and Is married and has one child
Lieut.. Sigurd Scott-Harsen of the royal
navy, another prominent member, was