Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-17
NANSEN'S VOYAGE.
First Reports of Success Of
Norwegian Is Confirmed.
Latest Information Says He Is Safe
and Returning from Pole.
American Experts Are Not So Sanguiae and
Doubt His Success.

London, Feb 16.-The British consul at
Archangel, capital of the Russian govern
ment Of that name, telegraphs confirming
the report that DIR. Nansen is safe and re-
turning from the North Pole.
The news of DR.. Nansen's success has
created intense interest in this city. The
report received from Irkutsk, Siberia, was
| generally discredited at first, although
more faith was placed in it than in the
| previous rumors which have reached Lon
don during the past IL mon tbs. But the
dispatch from the British consul at Arch
angel is regarded as conclusively showing
that the Norwe gian explorer is homeward
| bound, even if he does not discover the
| Pole. But, as the Archangel dispatch re-
| fers to The North Pole. hope is still enter
tanned that DR.. Nansen's journey north
may have been crowned with the highest
| success.
Dispatches received here from different
| parts Of the continent indicate that the
same interest in the news from the north
is manifested throughout Europe and it is
also generally credited at the European
capitals, although even Dr. Nansen's wife
and relatives did not believe the announce
ment which came through Kouchnareff,
the agent Of DIR. Nansen, and the man
who supplied the latter with dogs.
| houchnaretf, as announced in these dis
| patches on Feb. H. resides near the mouth
| OF the Lena river, and the people of that
| locality frequently visit New Siberia The
| information, it is understood, was brought
by some of the Yena river people from
| Ust-yansk,a lat the mouth Of the Yena river,
which falls into the Arctic ocean by sew
eral outlets in lat. 20 degrees north and
| long. l3i degrees east of Greenwich. Ust-
yacht Is one OF these outlets and it was
near Ust-yansk that the Jeanette people
who reached land came ashore.
| Later advices say that the news of DR.
| NansenS safety was sent by Kandaroff.
| the local Russian official in the Yakutsch
| region, who was a member of the Siberian
| koffs expedition.
| Dr. Nordenskiold. who is in Christiania.
is inclined to believe the news OF Dr..
Nansen's safety at any rate, even if it is
not true that he has succeeded in discog-
ering the north pole.
| According to the opinion of Arctic ex-
| perts here. when the Fran left karaza in
| 1893 she may have found the sea north
| wards free OF ice, and pushed on until she
was locked in. They add that she may
then have been allowed to drift until the
| expedition came to land around the pole.
and that Dr. Nansen and his party NAV
have returned in sledges to the Siberian
| islands.
| AT the Siberian islands, it is believed.
| DR.. Nansen and his companions may have
been stopped by the broken ice DR.. Nan
sen wrote to Baron Toll from Yugoro
straits, saying that he expected to return
to koteny. Siberian islands, where dogs
! have been awaiting him.
| Mr.. Scott Kettle, a member of the ROYAL
| Geographical society and the agent of DR..
Nansen in England, in an interview TODAY
| said he was surprised that he had not re-
| ceived a telegram from DR. Nansen: but
he thought it probable that the explorer
had returned after reaching the pole. He
added, however, that he did not know ex
| actly how DR.. Nansen would prove he had
been there except by his report and obser-
vations'
| Advices received here from Stockholm
| say that the foreign ministry has received
| promises from the governments of Great
| Britain and Russia to give all the assist
ance possible to Professor Andres pro-
| jected balloon expedition to the North
Pole
| Clements r. Markham, president Of the
Royal Geographical society is sending a
circular to Canada, with drawing of
Professor Andres balloon, asking the Do
minion authorities to take every $ tep pos
sible to have the balloon watched and re-
ported, if seen. to the British government
The Hudsons Bay company will bear the
cost of the distribution of large number
of these circulars in the northermost dis.
tricts of the Dominion.
An official of the Royal Geographical
society states that a large sum of money
has been raised to aid Professor Andres
scheme, which is thought to be feasible.