Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-16
N.xsES,s RETURN.

After n lapse OF two years and eight
months definite news has. been received
from the hansen Arctic expedition. Dr.
Frldthof Nansen. the intrepid leader OF me
erpeait,on. I'm company with Lieutenant
Hansen. has arrived at Narooe' an
island possession OF Norway's II the
Arctic ocean, the two having left hef
vessel the Fran. in March. 1895, for the
purpose- of pushing further north thah
the Fran could proceed.
The Fran entered the Kara Sea In the
fail OF 1898. and from December Of that
year to the present had not been
heard from. From time TO time reports
TO the contrary gained circulation out
they all proved 70 be without foundation
in fact. The latest one came In feo-
ruary last, and was TO the 'enect that
hansen had reached the North Pole. ana
was returning by way OF inc ne"
Siberian Islands. When this report
failed of verification. for the hrst
time dread as 10 the fate OF the OK
petition seemed to take possession OF the
public mind. aud the question OF OF
ganizlng a relief party was broacned'
The Fran was built especially for the
VOYAGE. She was provisioned for six
years. and her company consisted be-
sides DR.. Nansen, OF Captain otto
sverdrup, ships master; Sigurd Scott
Hansen, lieutenant IN the Norwegian
navy and director OF the astronomical,
meteorological. and magnetic ooserve-
tons; Henrik Blessing, surgeon and bota-
mist; Theodore c. Jacobsen. mate; Peder
Hendrikssn, harpooner; Anton Amund-
sen, chief engineer; Lars Petersen, Sc
cond engineer; Hjalmar Johannesen'
officer in the Norwegian army, fireman;
Bernard Nordahl. electrician; Ivan Mog-
stad, carpenter. and,Adolf Juell, steward
Nansen did not succeed in the GROWING
object Of his venture. that Of reachins
the Pole, and it would appear that his
experience initiates against the correct
ness OF his theory as TO tie Arctc cur
rents, and how they might be depended
upon to aid the explorer in SOWING the
mystery surrounding the Pole. TO that
extent the expedition may be set down
as a failure. His theory and expecta-
tons were that the Arctic currents OF
a current, would drift the Fran across
the Pole to the east coast OF Greenland
and were based upon personal ooserVa-
ton of Arctic conditions. and upon the
finding in Greenland waters OF what II
was contended by some. but Ia disputed
by others, was wreckage Of the jeanette
II would appear, however, that In other
respects the expedition was success
and a great achievement. Nansen reached
Sc degree, Is minutes north, which Is
90 miles from the Pole, and about two
hundred miles further north fhan any
of his predecessors had penetrated. Fro-
lessor Mohn, who IS now at Nardoe' Is
quoted as saying that the scientific re-
sults of Nansen's observations are mag
niacent. and there seems no doubt that
new. important, and extensive knowledge
has been acquired touching the geogra-
ply Of the Arctic area.
Again: Even II Nansen's theory az TO
Arctic currents has been positively dis
nroved-and we must await details before
that can be decided-certain 1t is that ne
has been In better position than any
other explorer to study those currents
and give satisfactory information re-
garding them. He can now state facts
as opposed to theory. Moreover he has
afforded another proof that with proper
eoujpment men can live q long time In
the realm of eternal ice and minimize
The danger OF mishaps.
The reports regarding the Fran are
stil somewhat confusing and the world
would be better satisfied were it known
absolutely that she and those whom
Nansen and Hensen left on board OF her
were safe. On the whole. however. there
seenos no reason to fear the contrary.
II she and her company shall turn UP all
right that consummation, together with
the individual experiences Of Nansen and
Hensen since leaving the vessel ana the
encouraging news from the Jackson ex-
petition, cannot fan TO stimulate the
MI