Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-10-15
sron,Es OF NANsnN's CREW.
Polar Hears Too Familiar when
the Fran Was Frozen In.

Polar Hears Too Fnmaiinr "he"
the Fran Was Frozen In.
AS Is only natural. all the people OF
Tromso lake The liyeiicst interest In
the Manson expedition. more especially
as three men uf the ships complement,
viz. Pilot .lakobscn and two sailors.
belong to this port. SO any OF the
Fram's men who happens to he about
in always surrounded by II knot of
cagcr listeners. 10 whom lie has to re-
count his adventures, often illustrating
his meaning by rough sketch with Il
piece OF chalk or n pencil. The men
are all good nnturcd fellows. ana seem
willing enough to talk, ana many Is the
excited discussion as To whether the
Fran should have entered the Ice
north or south of the New Siberian
islands. and so forth. Here are some
Gf the yarns which have delighted the
'tromso people:
In the perpetual darkness of winter.
In, the desolate polar regions. we could
hardly sec our hands before our faces.
One night. when the whole ships COM
pany We're snug below, we suddenly
heard the dogs barking most furiously.
II was Ship Carpenter Mogstads
watch. so he went up on deck to see
II anything unusual was going on. but
rs he could see nothing. he went down
below. again. concluding that the dogs
We're Just barking for the sake OF bark
ing, as IL their wont. However. the
noise was repeated ut intervals. 40 he
went up on deck again. and. taking
lantern, saw that several OF the AMI
mails had disappeared. and that some
others We're overheard on the Ice.
Mogstad called out for Henriksen. and
they both let themselves down on to
the Ice from the deck of the ship.
,l,t. al,Tt hn
ICE surface. They walked OF little
distance from the ship. to see II they
could find any tracks.
AS they We're searching about. with
no more formidable weapon than
small lantern between them. all ut
once a polar bear sprnnE up before
them. Then there was Il race between
the three-the men and the bear-to
the ship. Mogstad. II bit more light
footed than his mate. reached the
Fran first. hut fell down twice on to
the Ice as he was climbing up her side.
At the second fall he could not help
putterIng to himself. "Now the bears
Got you. my friend" But despair
steadied his nerves. and he managed
to hoist himself snfely up behind the
ships bulwarks. He had hardly got
on board. however. when he heard his
comrade call out. and saw that the
bear had got hold OF him and had bit
ten him. But Henriksen, who is II big.
powerful. resolute fellow. dealt his as
sailant such blow on the head with
the lighted lantern he was carrying.
that the brute. half stunned and half
scared. let go Its prey. and Henrikscn
seized the opportunity to skip up the
Fram's side. The bear rcvenged itself
by seizing one OF the dogs. On II
closer investigation being made. 1t was
found that the bear had paid two Wis.,
Its to the ship during the night. creep
ing In through an open port holt. and
had carried OF a dog leach time.
One day. when Nansen and Johansen
had to pass along a somewhat narrow
path they We're suddenly attacked by
n bear. JOhansen. who IL a man Of no
ordinary strength. caught hold of his
enemy's throat with grip of iron.
and held him at arms length till Nam
sen was able TO get his rifle and lay
the bear low. North of 81 degrees no
animal life was found to exist. and this
would seem to cast some discrcdit on
the hitherto prevalent theory that If
sufficiently high altitude could be al
tained. one would come to dry land
and open water. because birds are to
be seen flying toward the extreme
north. This northerly flight OF the
birds Is now believed to be attributed
to their having lost their way or being
blown out OF their course. One day at
81 degrees latitude n seal was per-
ceived from on board the Fran with
Il founder in Its mouth. On the ap-
proach OF the vessel the seal went up
away over the ice. A founder was
also observed at about eleven miles
from Bear island. The depth of the
water In the extreme north also seems
to indicate that there can be no land
near. Soundings taken at 81 degrees
latitude gave depth of from 1910 to
1880 fathoms (2,4OO to 2.SOO meters).
and farther north the lead reached
even greater depths-as much as 2.1S6
fathoms (4.OOO meters,. 1t is snid-Lon-
don Standard.