Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-14
DR.. NANSEN GETS HOME SAFE
Has Been -Four Degrees Further North
Than Any Other Explorer.
FAILED TO QUITE REACH THE POLE
Abandoned the Fran Last Fail and
Took TO the Ice nnd Was
Eventually Picked Up by
steamer Nindwurd.

Nansen, i am home safe aiter fortunate
expedition"
MALMO Sweden, Aug 13.-The news
paper Dagensnyheler has received communi-
cntiuns from Or. Nansen and Lieutenant
schuttansen from the island Of vnrdoe
These communications state that they
abandoned the Fran in the autumn of 1895
and resorted to the ice The steamer Wind
ward. carrying supplies to the Jackson
Harmsworth expedition, picked them up
near Franz Josef land. They expected that
the Fran would eventually drift to the
east coast OF Greenland.
DR.. hansen failed TO reach the north
pole but be touched point four degrees
nearer than any other explorer has done.
The steamer windwaId took letters for
NRnsen when 1t started to the relief Of the
jackson -Farnsworth expedition, Mr..
jackson expected to find Nansen and was
convinced that his idea OF drifting across
the pole in the ice was iInpracticable He
also convinced that Nansen would re
turn In the direction of Franz josef land.
-FOUR DEGREES FROM THE POLE.
VARDOE, Norway, Aug. 13.-Dr. Nanson
left the Fran on March IA 1885 in S4
degrees of north latitude He traversed the
polar sea to q point sc degrees ia minutes
north latitude, situated north of the New
Siberian islands. No land was sighted north
of 80 degrees of latitude or thence to Franz
Josef land where he passed the winter,
BuDSlsting on bear S flesh and whale hlubber
Dr. NHnsen and his companions are in the
best Of health The Fran is expected at
Vardoe, Or Bergen, shortly. She stood the
Ice well. There were no sick persons aboard
when Nansen left her.
DR.. Fridtjof Nansen. the Norwegian sci
enlist, now 36 years of age, sailed from
Christiania on June "a, 1893. on a voyage
of discovery to the Arctic regions with the
intention of reaching the north pole If
possible. He embarked on board the three
mRsted schooner Fran, which was provided
with 16O-horse power steam engine. She
was OF 800 tons burden, and her sides were
so constructed as to force all ice meeting
Inc vessel 10 pass under it, thus preventing
all ''pinching" and screwing. The Fran
was launched at LAurvig, near Christiania
on October 26, 1892. The Norwegian Par
hament gave DR.. Nansen about s52 OG0 in
aid of his expedition. Additional funds
Were forthcoming by private subscription
including one Of over $4,000 from King
Oscar The Fran was in every way ad-
mirably equipped. and had crew of twelve
men, all of whom occupied the cabin
which measured only thirteen feet square
and which was heated by means of an Eng
llsh petroleum stove. which consumed three
iltres OF petroleum day. The Fran GNur-
ward had enough fuel on board TO last
eibHt OF nine years, and she also had Ii
b1ary, consisting Of LOCO books.
DR.. Nansens plan was to make for the
New Siberian islands, and thence sail di-
reotly north until the Fran should be i'm
bedded In the ice. lie proposed then 10
drlft along with the ice, following the west
coast of any land that might be met A
dispatch was received from the doctor at
Nardoe on August 23 1888 written in the
AuEorski straits, on the second day of that
month announcing that the expedition
nhout to sail into the Kara sea, and that
the FRAN had so far behaved splendidly
DR.. Nansen entered the University of
Chfistlana in 1880 and in 1882 went as q
passenger ON the sealing steamer Viking to
11enfnark straits and the east coast of Green
land. II Is believed that this VOYAGE laid
the foundation for the ambition of his life
namely that of discovering the north pole
On MS return from Greenland, he was ap-
pointed curator of the museum at Bergen
and held that position until 1855, when he
led small expedition TO Greenland and
crossed the southern portion of that coun-
Try from the east coast TO Godhead-on the
west coast, whore the party wintered and re
turned to Norway in June 1899
In September, 1889, Or. Nansen married
Miss Eva Sars youngest daughter of the
late professor Of zoology at the University
OF christina Mrs. Nansen has all along
had supreme faith in the return Of her hus-
band She has a powerful musical voice
was q professional singer before her mar
riage and has since appeared before the
public on various occasions DIR. and Mrs
hansen have one child, a daughter
The Windward OF the Jackson Farnsworth
expedition which has brought DR. Nansen
10 that island left Vardoe for Franz josef
land III order 10 bring back the British ex-
pedition on June rs last
OUTLINES HIS PLAN.
In an interview with DIR. Nansen previous
TO his departure the explorer was quoted as
saying; Having considered former expedi-
tions their outfits and their routes / have
made up my mind TO build little ship, make
her ms strong as possible and just large
enough 70 carry provisions for twelve men
Tor i've years. When l arrive al New Sber-
ian islands l~will examine the currents and
the Ice conditions and select the best mo
ment for start for the further north
Through iee-tree water, which ] think will
he In August In the commencement of
September DeLong wrote in his log that
while the expedition drifted in the ice north
of Bennett island they saw a dark water
sky II Is sky which shows the reflection
of water all around. II must consequently
be possible to cover considerable distance
in thai direction before get fastened in
the ice and drift with the current which
will probably bring us out in the sea be-
tween Greenland and Spitzbergen. We will
then have 10 come down far as the eighth
latitude. and II will be summer we will
have 10 let the ship loose and get home II
however, the ship should have sunk before
the time mentioned. the expedition will not
be lost, aR we would put up tents and get
out siedEes, as have done before. Had the
Jeannette expedition had sufficient prov-
slnns and bad they remained ON the ice the
expedition would have had different result
How long do ! think the expedition will
last? Well, ] should think the expedition
could safely reach the Greenland sea in
about two years, which will he equal 10
drifting two miles each twenty-fuur hours
The Jeannette drifted the last day she was
afoet much more II we take provisions
for five years ! should think We would be
safe.
NOT COLD AT THE POLE
do ] think il too cold 10 remain at the
north pole during the winter No / do
not ] don't think there is such intense
cold there as in the northern part OF ST.
IBERIA or in the northern part of western
Greenland. We must remember that the
pole is probably covered by from which
there win be much less cold than from the
fat land of northern Asia. The regions
around the pole have probably compare
lively mia winters and cold summers "
The dimensions Of the Fran were
Length. 1s5 feet; heaIu. 3G feet: depth, from
Keel 10 deck IL feet, With her cargo she
Was about S0p TINS dead weight and her
hnll WAS built almost entirely OF oak ana
~ The strongest manner possible. At the
points exposed 10 pressure from the ice her
hioeA We're from thirty 10 thirty-tWo Inches
thlrk, Aid her huh MnR coated on the out