The morning times., 1896-04-12

Early in September. while bearing east
from the pole and about q hundred miles
away, DR.. Nansen came upon that remark
able people whom be has called the Nor
| desians. Their land is Norlesia. He says:
''It was MONDAY on the 9TH of September
when the Fran ran upon an immense floe
in latitude 81 degrees, 21 minutes and II
seconds. longitude 61 degrees % min
utes and 3 seconds east. We We're max
ing very slow progress.
There was heavy lift at moment
when we had been grinding along this
field for half an hour and as looked out
] was surprised TO see over the ships bow
apparently about a mile away a beauti-
full city. 1t giistened and cleaned in the
sunlight as nothing ] had ever before seen
anywhere. ] soon discovered that it was
built entirely OF ice.
There Were tall spires OF churches and
towers and minarets, and, as ] afterward rd
discovered. there We're slender columns and
fine lace work and arabeSque. the most
delicate traCery in some OF the edificeS. 1t
was wonder to me how they kept their
work so marvcluusly intact while other
ice all about the country melted down and
ran away in little rivulets TO the great
lake near the city as the sun comes 10 the
zenith every day.
Il have not learned exactly how the
feat is accomplished, though it is surely
by some application of electricity, OF which
/ found they make such use that our
wisest experts seem to know nothing at all
OF this strange and beneficent force.
The place was in an immense depression
f.I,f NV;
every point. took some measurements
while there, and found several of these
peaks to be more than five miles high
taller than Mount Everest in the Hima-
layas. But they We're rather declivities
down from the ordinary surface of the
earth than elevations above it.
81 am inclined to think there was at one
time some terrific tremendous volcanic
action here, and this may have been the
crater left after the boiling molten stream
from the center OF the earth had ceased to
flow.
GREAT HEAPS OF ASHES.
This belief is strengthened by the fact
that 1 found upon the edge of the mountain
ridge as / went down numerous pieces of
lava. scoriate, and occasional deposits that
must have been at one time great ash heaps
smoldered down from the flaming masses
thrown up from the bowels of the earth
and gradually burned out here.
Additional proof of the volcanic nature
of This region was found in the frequent
slight earthquake shocks felt while / was
there. We remained a little over a month,
and | made frequent visits TO the sur
,J1- o
many tremors of the earth. but they came
often so slight that no one was disturbed
by them.
II counted 20 in one day, during which
attended particularly to this: My atten-
ton was called by the unusual number before
break kfast. This was September 13. Then
there was not another for a week. when
there was heavy and most dangerous
commotion. Small articles We're thrown
from their places in many houses, and
one or two of the fragile minarets OF the
churches were broken off.
II was told. however. by the citizens
that there never had been single serious
accident from an earth tremor. as they call
them regularly, instead of cart hquake, since
the founding of the city, 733 years ago.
There have been thousands and thousands
of them. and the people there pay no more
attent ion to them than we at home do to
rain and snow.
They are the regular thing and expected
at any time. l am not sure that they are
not largely due to electrical disturbances,
and some of their scientists believe that
these displays are necessary to the growth
of crops and the proper ripening and har-
vesting. They are not sure, of course, just
what the relation Is.
''The whole region tributary 10 the city
is about 500 kilomesers wide by 500 long.