The Portland daily press., 1896-02-19
is THE POLE HIS?
Gossip of Nansen and His Daring Jour
ney.

Washington, February 1S.-lncredul-
lty still reigns among the savants in
Washington best qualified to form an
opinion on the subject as to the reported
return of Nansen, the Norwegian Arctic
explorer, and thv still more remarkable
sotry Of his having drifted to the North
Pole and drifted back again. DR.. VIII
liam H. Dali of the United States Geo.
ogical Survey, who has made Arctic
matters his particular study, said yester-
day:
'tAn examination of the telegram re-
ceived, shows that the only facts in our
possession are that rumor has been re-
ceiyed from IrkutsK to the effect that
Manson is on his way from the Polar
Sea. The telegram from Archangel is
probably the result of the receipt that of
THE SAME RUMoR
from Russian sources. Since no message
from Nansen himself is received, and no
statement of his whereabouts, it seems
probable that the rulnor is due to a mis-
understanding Of some expression OF his
anticipated arrival by persons in North
ern Siberia who had been notified to be
on the lookout for Nansen's party.
sit is quite generally understood
among Arctic experts that the alleged
discovery of Jeanentte relics on the coast
of Greenland was due to a foolish prank
OF some person connected with the naval
vessel which visited Greenland the sea-
son of their discovery, and that the gull
ty parties after finding their hoax taken
seriously We're afraid to confess the truth.
Consequently the basis of Nansen theo-
ries, SO far rs it was formed by these fic-
titions relics, is of little weight.
''That drift from the Behring Strait
region might in the course of years find
its way out by the passages bewteen
Iceland and Greenland is entirely posi-
Bile, as the incident Of the Alaska THROW
ing stick proves, but the particular ill.,
stance is due to the special circumstances
or seat OF the case, temporary winds.
currents, 60, i'll all probability, and
there is, as yet, 10 evidence of any per-
manent system of drift. If such systam
existed, it would be incom phehensible
why nothing Las ever been found of the
MULTITUDE OF WRECKS
which have been known to drift into the
polar basin from the Behring strait re-
gion and of nothing has ever turned up.
With every wish for the success of his ven
ture. Nansen's attempt must be regarded
as rash in the extreme and his success
more than doubtful
DR.. Dali is presented abov as dis
crsditing the long accepted statement
that relics from the Jeanette, the Arctic
exploring vessel which sunk on June 10.
1881, north of the New Siberian Islands.
had been picked up several years later on
the southwest coast of Greenland
According to DIR. Dali, the story was
invented by persons who, when they
found that their joke was taken serious
ly. kept SILENT thinking that it would
compromise them to tell the truth.
1t is well known that dou BITS as to the
genuiness of the relics have been express
go, but has any one seen a convincing
REPUTATION of the cireustantial storm of
their discovery and subsequent fate?
II they were found, as has been describ-
ed in much detail, the fact is a very in
teresting and important incident in
coansography. The evidence
EOR THEIR GENUINENESS
has been accepted as satisfactory by prob
ably all the leading Arctic authorities in
Europe. Mr.. Clements Markham in The
Sun on Sunday and Judge G. P. DAILY
this morning mention the story without
discreditiug it, Statements that the rel
les were fraudulent are hardly worthy of
credence as long as such statements are
as vague and unsatisfactory as NanseD's