The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-14


 from lrkutsk, Siberia, says that s-
 berian trader named Kouchnareff, who
 is acting in the capacity of agent for Dr. Nansen, the Arctic explorer, has ln-
 formed the prefect of KolymslS that he
 has received information that Nansen
 has reached the North Pole, where he
 found land, and that he is now on his
 way back,
 Dr. Fridhof Nansen steamed out of
 the harbor of Christiania on his little
 S0O-tonner Tram in the spring of 1893,
 certain in his own mind that he had a
 boat under him that was to carry him
 to the North Pole. He was prepared for
 five years journey. A large part or
 this time he expected to pass in mas terly inactivity, allowing the Tram, embedded fast in the ice, carried north
 ward by the currents, to work out the solution of the problem still unsolved
 after centuries of effort. Dr. Nansen
 had with him eleven stout fellows.
 The last letter received from the eX- plorer was written on August 2, 1S93 He was then at the south end of Nova l Zembia. In that letter he spoke of certain provision depots that had been made for him. He said that he didn't expect to need them, but that if De Long 1 of the Jeannette expedition had found such stores on the New Siberian lsl-
 ands he would not have met with so
 sad fate. The last news from Nansen | in hA hn
 month, when he was reported as hav- 1 ig pushed through Yugor Strait into l the Kara Sea.
 | By Dr. Nansen's orders dogs were collected for him at the mouth of the
 Olenek River, Siberia. He did not stop
 for them. He had with him, however, | thirty-four fine Siberian sledge dogs
 which met his ship at Yugor Strait. As Ne did not stop at these new Siberian i islands he was probably caught in the ice soon after he entered Arctic waters and carried north.
 Dr. Nansen is man of striking per sonality. He is thirty-five years old, stands we'll above six feet in height. His features are of the pure Scan dinavian type. The lines of his mouth are expressive of great determination
 and resolution. His greatest feat hith-
 erto has been a trip across Greenland. This was made in 1889.
 Dr. Nansen thus describes the vessel specially built for him in which he sail
 ed in the spring of 1893: "The hull has been shaped like a shallow wide U, or perhaps it would be better to call l it semi-circle, as there are no straight lines except near the bulwarks. It will thus be seen that the vessel would
 be gradually lifted by the pressure on 1 her sides. and the bottom being more
 or less flat would be able to rest a l the ice without topping over like a I vessel of ordinary build. Her length l is 125 feet, beam S6 feet, and depth from I deck to keel, IT feet. With her heavy
 cargo she will be about 800 tons dead weight. The hull is built almost en- l tirely of oak, and is very strong. At
 the points exposed to pressure from the | ice, her sides are from thirty to thirty
 two inches thick, The hull is coated
 with ice sheathing,' composed of a l thick layer of green heart, a very hard American wood having an oily and l slippery surface. Her engines, which
 were made by firm of Norwegian en- | gineers, are triple expansion and 160 in
 dicated horse power" Dr. Nansen said
 that he and his party expected to stick i to the ship, only leaving it to make short exploring or hunting excursions. l The Fram-which translates flor ward"-has a speed Of but six miles iii l hour, and uses two and three-quarters l tons of coal a day. Everything was
 done to provide a snug and comfortable
 saloon and cabins. Her carrying capa-
 city was for 3So tors of coal and cargo,
 Her equipment and provisions weighed
 only seventy tons.
 1 The F7ram carried 3S0 tons of coal and bother fuel-petroleum for heating pur- | poses and alcohol for cooking. Nansen lighted her by electricity. He expect ed to drive his electric motor either by a windmill or 9 treadwheel worked by l four men.
 His ship carried sixty very strong l boats, fully equipped for Arctic eXplo- ration, and sledges of the same con- | struction as the ones he used in his crossing of Greenland. Each of these l boats is decked Each is 29 feet long, l feet broad, and so large that the whole crew can live in it. Dr. Nansen's eleven | l--------------------