The Saint Paul globe., 1896-08-14
NANsEN FAILED IN HIS AT
TEMPT TO REACH THE NORTH
AXIS.
He BROKE ALL RECORDS.
NEARER TO 1T BY FOUR DEGREEs
THAN ANY OTHER Ex-
PLORER.
PICKED UP AT FRANZ JOSEF LAND
Nansen Left the Fran I'm the Autumn
of 1895 and Took to the
Ice.

densgang, daily newspaper Of this
city, has received the following tele-
gram from DR.. Nansen: Home safe
after fortunate expedition.
MALMO, Sweden, Aug. 13.-The
newspaper Dagensnyheter has re-
ceived communications from DR.. Nan
sen and Lieutenant Schotthansen
from the island of vardoe. These
communications state that they
abandoned the Fran in the autumn
or 1895, and resorted to the ice. The
steamer Windward, carrying supplies
TO the Jackson-Harmsworth expedi-
tlon, picked them up near Franz Jo-
sef land. They expected that the
FRAN would eventually drift to the
east coast of Greenland. DR.. Nansen
tailed to reach the north pole, but he
touched a point four degrees nearer
than any other explorer has done.
The steamer Windward took letters
Tor DR.. Nansen when it started to the
relief of the Observation-Disclosures ex-
petition, as Mr.. Jackson expected to
IND Nansen and was convinced that
his idea of drifting across the pole in
the Ice was impracticable. He was al
SO convinced that Nansen would re-
turn in the direction of Franz Josef
land
VARDOE, Norway, Aug. 1S.-Dr.
Nansen left the Fran on March IA.
1888, In "a degrees north latitude. He
traversed the Polar sea to a point Sc
degrees IA minutes north latitude. sit
uated north of the New Siberia ISL
ands. No land was sighted north Of
oz degrees of latitude, or thence to
Franz Josef land, where he passed
the winter, subsisting on bears flesh
and whale blubber. DR.. Nansen and
his companion are in the best of
health. The Fran is expected at Var
doe or Bergen shortly. She stood the
Ice well. There were no sick persons
aboard when Nansen left her.
Or. Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian
scientist now thirty-six years
OF age, sailed from Christiana
June "a. 1893, on VOYAGE VOYAGE
OF discovery to the Arctic re-
g1ons and with the intention of reach
ing the North pole If possible. He en-
parked ON board the three-ma sted
schooner, the Fran, which was proyid
ed with a 160-horse power steam an
CINE. She was of 800 tons and ner. sides
We're SO constructed as to force all ice
meeting the vessel to pass under If
thus preventing all 'tpinching., The
Fran was launched at Laurwik. near
ChriStiana, on October 26. 1892 and the
Norwegian parliament gave DR.. Nan
sen about $4,000 in aid Of his expedi-
tlon. Additional funds were forthcom-
ing by private subscription. Including
one of over $4,000 from King Oscar Tho
Fran was in every way admira blv
equipped and had a crew of twelve men
all OF whom occupied the cabin which
measured only fifteen feet square and
which was heated by means of an
English petroleum stove which cons,1m-
ed three litres of petroleum a day. The
Fran forward) had enough fuel or
board to last eight or nine years.
DR.. Nansen's plan was to make For
the New Siberian Island and thence
sail directly North until the Fran
should be imbedded in the ice. He then
proposed to drift along with the ice
foIlowing the West coast of any land
that might be met A dispatch was
received from the dictor at Vardoa On
Aug. 70, 1898, written in the Yugorslxi
Straits, on the second day of that
month, announcing that the expedition
was about to sail into the Kara sea
and that the Fran so far had behaved
splendidly
In 1888 DIR. Nansen led a small ex-
pedition to Greenland and crossed the
southern portion of that country from
the east coast to Godhaad on the west
coast where party wintered and re-
turned to Norway in June, 1889. In an
interview with DR.. Nansen previous 70
his departure the explorer was quoted
as saying: Having considered former
expeditions, their outfits and their
routes, I have made up my mind to
build little ship, make her as strong
as possible and just large enough to
carry provisions for twelve men for
five years. When I arrive at the New
Siberian islands I will examine the
currents and the ice conditions and
then select the best moment for a start
for the north through ice-free wafer