Evening star., 1896-02-14
ABOUT NANSEN'S ATTEMPT
Gardiner G. Hybhard Talks of the Rsport
From Siberia.
Lieut.. Pearyl Expresses His Doubt
Judge D2IS and Others In
.
clined TO BE skepticnI.

Judge Dsk and Others In
cIined to Be skeptica1.
Mr.. Gardiner "a. Hubbard. president of
the National Geographic Society. was asked
today by a reporter for The Star if he
thought the arctic explorer Nansen had
reached the north pole, as the dispatches
yesterday appeared to indicate. Il do not
think he could have possibly done that"
said Mr.. Hubbard. but he has probably
been heard from. The news came from a
remote part of Siberia, from two men who
were employed by Nansen, and it wouldn't
be probable that it would have been sent
abroad if nothing had been heard from the
explorer. 1t is probable that Nansen simply
ffoated out and then fioated back again.
The reported discovery by DIR. Nansen of
the north pole. telegraphed to yesterdays
Star, is much discussed in the press and
the general opinion seems to he somewhat
skeptcal, without denying the possibility
of the truth of the report.
But this report is held to at least indf-
cate that DR.. Nansen is safe and is re-
turning. The English Royal Geographical
Societys officials consider it strange that
they should have received word, as DR.
Nansen promised that the society should
have the very first news, and they have
as yet received nothing.
The news which was telegrap..ed from
Irlkutsll Siberia, was received there from
list Yacht, at the mouth of the Yana
| river.
The Yana river falls into the Arctic
degrees north and longitude 137 degrees
east of Greenwich. Ust Yacht or Ust
Yansk is one of these. In fact, list or
COST is the Russian name for the mouth
nj CT ;.,
more than hundred miles from Liakovis-
| land. which is one Of the New Siberian
Islands. The mouth of the Yana is con-
siderably over a hundred miles east of
the Lena delta
The Inflated Jeannette was crushed in
the ice in II degrees 10 minutes north lati-
tude and 100 degrees east longitude, June
d. 1881. This point is to the northeast
Of the New Siberian Islands. Those of
the expedition who reached land came
800 miles in boats and sleds to do it, Their
point of arrival was west and north of
Ust Yansk.
Lieut.. Pcnry Expresses Doubt.
When a Herald reporter saw Lieut.. Peary
last night in New York. and asked him
whether. in his judgment, any reliance vas
to be placed on the report that Dr. Nansen
had reached the north pole and is now re-
turning, he promptly replied that what,
with the meagerness of the dispatch, the
the season, it did not seem to him as like
iy to be authentic.
Dr. Nansen, if his theory in regard to the
current be correct, Mr.. Peary said, would
not he likely to ever get back in that din &C.
tion. He expected to cross the pole and to
come out somewhere on the east coast of
Greenland.
THE most probable report was that
which appeared in September last, which
said that ship supposed to be the Fran
had been seen in the ice off the east coast
of Greenland. If that report was true and
If the ship seen then was Nansen's We will
probably not get any news from him Until
next summer AS to the drift theory, 1
have no opinion to express, l have been
so much preoccupied with my own methods
that l have not given consideration to the
theories of other explorers. If Nan5en, or
any of his party, was where 1t is said be
was. why did not the message come direct
from him? Nansen is certainly a very
plucky explorer.
Thinks the News Not Probable.
Ex-Judge Charles P. Daily, the president
of the American Geographical Society, in
discussing the dispatch respecting the re-
ported outcome of DIR. Nansen's expedition
in search of the north pole, said:
THAT is very startling news, and. if true,
is the most important discovery that has
been made in ages. 1t is possible that it
is true, but 1t is not probable, 1t is most
singular that the news should come from
1rkutsk, and l shall wait for further in
formation before l accept it fact. Yet
1 have always felt that the north pole
would be discovered some day. and DR..
Nansen is we'll calculated to make the dis
covery. What inclines to doubt the
truth of the dispatch is my belief that We
should have had the first news of Nansen
from Cape North or Hammerfest."
George c. Huribut, the librarian of the
American Geographical Society, said:
What makes me doubt the truth of the
story is that it is too early to hear from
DIR. Nansen. He himself expected to be
away for five years, and he has not been
absent three years, and yet the dispatch
reports him on his way back.
Lieut.. Brainard's Disbelief.
DR.. Nansen, according to Lieut.. D. L.
Brainard. United States army, who accom-
panied the Greely expedition. seems to
have disregarded, or, at all events, taken
his chances on one important factor, the
battling and uncertain nature of the cur
rent flow. about which nothing is definitely
known. 1 believe that not only will the
Nansen expedition prove failure, but that
| it will end in disaster. think 1t doubtful
whether DIR. Nansen will ever be heard
| from. l think that he has had too little
experience to cope with the difficulties he
will inevitably encounter, and especially
with the Ice"
TARIFF SETBACK