New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-14
NANSEN'.S OWN STORY.
SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES OF THE
HARDY ARCTIC EXPLORER.
THE FRAN IN THE ICE GRIP-HAIRBREADrH Es-
cApEs-rIFE IN WINTER QUARTERS

cAPEs-rIFE IN WINTER QUARTERS
pr. hansen IN The London Chronicle
Az early "a October the Ice pressuros began 20
be tremendous and continued throughout inc
yas principally due 10 the tidal current ana that
the Ice periodically Parted and packed tose.her
again twice In The At IN" spring tides
when IL would often lift the vessel several iee''
only let II drop back again o or aS In he
any other vessel this pressure or
Ioiest cxpcctations. and was superior TO all pres
sure The ice piled Itself up and crashed aga h
IN voin There was n sound OF the yieiding
OF ,irnhcrs or wood The noise oil tne zee cruS h,
orainst nor sides often rose 10 such a ptch that
~, od M, hear each other speak as We sat In
The saloon II was particularly awk"aId io ,h rs
declarations.
SAFE AS IN FORTRESS.
4, dee, "a long as the crew were unaccustomed
~ his the found the scene so Interesting tnat
they remained deck to watcn u, p %owever had
the pressure was We felt as saie as III, IN ,orr
ress and the Fran was , o, the severity Of the
Polar winter. IN ,,ai. and continued
,.anr, low throughout the winter. During many
weeks quicksilver was trTzy" zero In spite
~ ,b,s and although with this temperature mere
was often wind WE tS IN our good wooien
"",hIng with covering OF Wind-proo, ma. ana,
outside The Fran was 80 we e ,emneriures we
the cold Una, EYE saloon until the New Year
All the were In excene d u ne are ali agreed
w VINO ,h %. Polar Sea healthy place especially
with such capital produeed BY means OF the
The rIsc'a and quite fulfilled our expectations
There was ,n NO. electric light all the time and We
then had to content ou''e' WIN
LIFE on BOARD.
On the whole time passed as pe shs bas, OF az
isrms with his neighbor and dd his duty with
viii Care OF course taken to T hanr
beayv on our hands. For those who were not con- IN,
tinualy occupied In sc,snI abndant entertainment
M can a, library ga mes, music various kinds Of
YORK etc. n ana comp Complained of in ali Arctic
neditons For us who had charge OF me scen,n S
observations there The T Franz ' in fact constituted
get of the best kind for scientific nyesti
cations ., al NJ that we should bring home such
abundant and valuable materiu as ic" e~P'"''''
before us have dohe'
DEPTH OF THE POLAR SEA.
In the sea near the Siberian coast and north nth,
rard ' 70 70 degrees north latitude FOUND only
war nconsiderable depthsess than ninety faith
Sms li,.e s0" with o. astonishing rapidy and
found the north OF TINT TO DE o me- as
he entire Polar basin should be considered as asa
contnuaton OF the deep channel WHICH rans
soI,lherren and Greenland. This discovery OF
i!an Polar has sin OverthrOws however, All ear!e
theories based upon shallow ROAR ora. ~. .,,o
numerous bottom samples brought 10 .ne sui ne
In our soundIngs, always found renar k' III,
nh.ence Of organic life a fact which VIII propaply
lead Ia some alteration OF our views Win isst.u
10 bottom deposits The temperature ana sal'n n.y.
NJ he sea also prove to:be very dinerent from w
onnno.i.ons of most scientific authorities. iounu
nont,s.r below the cold ce-w0ter covering the sur
facs or the Polar Sea, n deep iaysr oi w.'nJ ,s
and salter water. originating propaoy h ' "na
S,ream its temperature being as mucn as one
Segre" above freezing point Below TINS. indsea
Tho water was somewhat colder. but we, CONSUMER
ally warmer than Is generally SUPPOSED
FOX TRACKS DIscovERED
When we arrived at IS degrees north latitude on
w OK "a o,,r establishment We came upon TWO
TnW tracks This seemed to Imply that we wee
10 some land: but nothing OF the KIND was Wis.
now most hindered our progress were the cracks
and channel. In the ice. In that lew temreratuTs
,h.v u,ere as rule covered with thin sheet -
t.e' ,r,ch made IL impossible to use our kayaks
T., ,gstting across We were therefore often com,
PEELED to go round OF many miles ana h %0u,I
81 this kind The further south we came the
more of these there were. ana tney sreatiy mn
dnrad nur advance: while provisions were dwin-
,,,,c and The dogs had to be killed one after an
",hssr. o. iced the remainder. Some OF the dogs at
1rst svi,ced great aversion to eating their COM
nanions: but as their hunger increased ana they
got nothing else to eat, they gradually became SO
~ - from n az soon n dog was Killed
DEATH AMONG THE DOGS
Their rations had to be gradually REDUCED 20
Tho smaiiest possible amount, SO As 20 make nns
iitti. ne had 20 far enough. and keep them alvs