New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-15
DIR. NANSEN'S RETERN.


The voyage Of the Fran was not failure
1t is easy to call 1t one, as many are doing. But
they who do so do not justly discriminate be-
tween purpose on the one hand and hope or ex-
pectation on the other DR.. Nansen doubtless
hoped to reach the Pole. In that he has been
disappointed. He probably also expected to
reach 1t. In that he has rot attained reallza-
ton. But the ultimate failure or success Of an
undertaking is TO be judged not by the fate OF
hopes or expectations formed regarding 1t, but
by the fulfment or non-fulflment Of its pur
pose-a very different thing Dr. Nansens pur
pose was TO ntrust his ship to the currents Of
the Arctic Sea and to drift whthersoeyer they
might bear him, to make such progress toward
the Pole as favorable openings In the lce-pack
might permit, and finally to return, through
some vast circuit to the habitable zone. That
purpose he has fulfilled, exactly. entirely and
successfully. He has done Just what he set out
TO do, and has returned home. safe and sound.
1t Is to be presumed that he has a satisfactory
excuse for leaving his own ship and men and
coming home on another vessel The Fran was
all right when he left her, he says. and the men
all well, and he expects them to follow on close
ly behind him.
but what good came Of it al LAST Quoth
little Peterkln" Well, for one thing DR.. Nan
sen got nearly 200 miles nearer TO the Pole than
any one else has ever done. The statement is
made that he reached latitude Sc degrees IA
minutes north or 3 degrees 10la minutes further
than any previous expedition. II the former
part Of the statement be correct the latter is
not. The highest latitude hitherto reached was
So degrees 24 minutes 80 seconds north by the
Greedy expedition, in 1882 DR. Nansen has
therefore surpassed that and beaten the rec
ord by only degrees 40 minutes 80 seconds
That, however, Is n substantial margin. and Is
glory enough for one voyage. The longitude Of
the point reached Is not announced. and so we
cannot yet definitely mark "Nansen's furthest'
on the map DR.. hansen speaks Of ii. however.
as north Of the New-Siberia Islands. and adds
that the return south wss made by way Of Franz
Josef Land, wherefore the highest point reached
was doubtless someNl here between 40 and 40
east of Greenwich
Another result is the knowledge gained con-
corning ocean currents and the drift Of ice in
those regions Dr. Nansens own theory. which
he held In defiance of most Of the scientific
world was that from the eastern part of Nor
dcnski0ld Sea a current set Dorthwar1, carrying
the ice with it. swept straight across the polar
region, and emerged between Spiizbergen and
the western coast of Greenland. This is now
probably dsproved Al any rate, much new in
formation concerning the ocean currents in that
region must have been gained. Fresh assur-
ancc is also afforded of the nonexIstence of
anything like polar continent. No land, says
Dr. Nansen was sighted north OF the SD paral-
lei. The Greedy expedition. also, 100 degrees
or more further west. reported no land poleward.
The theory is therefore pretty we'll confirmed
1 lpt no leu ~
by scattered islands. from the coast Of Siberia
to that Of North America.
The simple fact that this expedition has been
able to spend three years in the Arctic regions
without disaster or mishap is in itself signiii
cant and encouraging. II shows that increased
knowledge of the realm of ice and the advance
: of recent years In scientific equipment have
given men greater mastery over the forces Of
Nature, and have enabled them TO gain access
to her penetralia more readily and more safely
than Of old DR. hansen himself has doubtless
come home resolved TO try again. and his eX-
ample will provoke others 10 make Ike at
Temps until not only the Pole is reached. but
every league OF the Arctic Ocean is explored and
charted For the lnnumcrable other results of
this expedition we must wait until its full tale
Is told by its leader. There is no doubt that
they will prove OF interest. and there is reason
to expect that they will prove OF great value.
Besides them, and above all, there Is the spec