The San Francisco call., 1896-06-17
NANsENS POLAR EXPEDITION.

The Explorer Likely to Pay for an ''Un-
equaled Latitude" With His Life.
The continuing interest," of the unsolved
polar mystery has been strikingly illus
trated by the eagerness with which the
press of the world has caught at every
word that seems to indicate the success
and safety of the brave Norwegian in his
dangerous drift-voyage toward the north
pole.
DR.. Fridtjof Nansen, born in 1861, be-
came famous by crossing, first of all men,
the inland ice of Greenland in 1888 from
Umivik, "a deg. 45 min. north, on the east
coast, to Kangersunek iord, fifty miles
south of Godthaab. Later he conceived a
novel and dangerous plan for polar work.
Ignoring the accepted rules OF ice naviga-
tion-of avoiding besetment and following
the protected lee of land masses = he
decided to put his ship into the ice
to the north of the New Sibe-
rian Islands, whence he believed that
he would be carried by ocean cur
rents across the pole to the Spitzber-
gen Sea. His steamer, Fran, 125 feet
long, with an oak hull 80 inches
thick and sheathed with greenheart, was
built so as to rise under ice pressure, as
lie claimed. The crew of twelve was pro-
pected, by a drift of a little over two
miles per day, to reach the Atlantic in
two years. No explorer of experience in
dorsed the plan; but with undaunted
courage Nansen sailed on June "a, iS93
and, entering the Sea of Kara, was last
seen to the east of Nova Zembla in Sep
tember, 1898. He visited neither the
Tatmur peninsula nor the New Siberian
Islands, as events have since shown.
February 13, 1896, dispatch from Ir-
kutsk, on the authority of Konchnareff, an
agent of Nansen, stated that the explorer,
having reached land masses at the north
pole, was now returning. Two days later
dispatch from Archangel confirmed
the first report in general terms only.
From the beginning no credit was
given to these dispatches by any
Melville, Schutze. Dali and the writer were
strenuous in disbelief, but the story was
credited by scores of people both in Europe
and this country, who did not find it pc
culiar that story from the center of Asia
was confirmed from the north of Eurone,
nor were surprised that such news came
from the Siberian Ocean in midwinter.
Through the Norwegian press Nansen' S
relatives announce their disbelief IN this
rumor.
AS to the drift relics found on the west
coast of Greenland, which we're relied on
by Nansen as practical proof that his
theory OF a drift voyage was correct, it
may be said that Melville, the man best
qualified to speak about the Jeanette
denied at the time their genuineness, and
endeavored without avail to have them
brought to this country. The writer pub
licly called Nansen's attention to this
question, which for the first time seems
to have created doubts in his mind. Nam
sen made efforts to find the relics for v r
lfcation, but they had disappeared in toto
While Nansen's journey is exceedingly
dangerous it would not be astonishing if
he was able 10 return from his ship. if it
was lost south of 81 deg. north, to the
Asiatic coast. but if he really approached
the north pole, as is possible, before his
vessel was destroyed, it is safe to say that
he will pay for an unequaled latitude
with his life and carry the secret of his
well-earned success to his grave.-Nationa al
Geographic Magazine.