The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-08-20

Leaves the Boat to Explore Regions
Unknown-Loses His Bearings.
LONDON, Aug. 17.-The Chronicle,
Saturday morning, publishes the story
of Fritjof Nansen of his expedition to
the Arctic sea. DIR. Nansen arrived at
Vardo, Norway, Thursday, and says:
"The Fran left Jugor strait August 4, 1893
We had to force our way through much ice
along the Siberian coast We discovered an
island In the Kara sea and great number OF
islands along the coast OF Cape Cheljuskin. In
several places We found evidences Of o glacial
epoch, during which northern Siberia must
have been covered by an island to great ex-
tent.
I'VE passed the New Siberian islands Sep
tember 90 We made fast to a foe In latitude
76 degrees so minutes north, and in longitude
1877 degrees 81 minutes east We then allowed
the ship to be closed in by the ice.
"As anticipated, we were gradually drifted
north and northwestward during the autumn
and winter from the constantly exposed and
violent ice pressures, but she (the Franz
surpassed our expectations, being superior to
any strain. During weeks the mercury was
frozen. The lowest temperature was 62 de.
grees below zero Every man on board was
In perfect health during the whole voyage.
I'VE saw no land and no open water, except
narrow cracks, In any direction As antici-
pated, our drift northwestward was most
rapid during the winter and spring, while the
northerly winds stopped or drifted us back.
ward during the summer On June 10, 1894,
we we're 81 degrees 50 minutes north.
"On Christmas evening, 1894 latitude SO de.
grees north was reached, and few days later
SO degrees "a minutes. the farthest north lati.
tude previsously reached by man.
ION January 4 and s the Fran was exposed
to the most violent ice pressure we exper-
fenced She was then firmly frozen in ice of
n ~ hirl.p hfa
foe was overridden by great ice masses, which
were pressed against the port side with ir-
resistible force and threatened to bury, II not
to crush her. The necessary provisions with
the canvas kayaks and other equipments, had
been placed in safety upon the ice. Every
man was ready to leave the ship II
necessary, and was prepared to continue
with the drift, living on the foe But the
Fran proved even stronger than our trust in
her. When the pressure rose to the highest
and the Ice was piled up high above the bull
warks, she was broken loose and slowly lifted
out of the bed in which she had been frozen
but not the slightest sign of q split was to be
discovered anywhere In her After that ex.
perience considered the Fran almost equal
to anything in the way Of ice pressure. After
ward we experienced nothing Of the kind, but
our drift was rapidly continued north and
northwestward
LAS now with certainty anticipated that
the Fran would soon reach her highest lsti-
tude north Of Franz josef Land, and that she
would not easily fail to carry out the pro.
gramme Of the expedition, viz: to cross the
unknown Polar basin, decided to leave the
ship In or der to explore the sea north Of her
route Lieut. johnson volunteered to join me
and could not easily have found q better
companion In every respect The leadership
Of the expedition on board the Fran left to
Capt Severdrup
ION March 8 we reached 81 degrees 4minutes
north johnson and left the Fran on March
IA, 1895, at SO degrees 50 minutes north and loe
degrees 81 minutes east Our purpose was to
| explore the sea to the north and reach the
highest latitude possible. and then to 60 to
| Spitzbergen, via Frans Josef Land, whore We
| felt certain to find a ship We had twenty
| eight dogs, two sledges and two kayaks
| for possible open water The dog food was
calculated for so days. and our provisions for
| 100 days. We found the ice in the beginning
tolerably good travelling and 30 made good
distances, and the Ice did not appesr drifting
much. On March 22 We were at eS degrees IL
minutes north. Although the dogs we're less
, enduring than We hoped. still they were toler-
ably good, The ice now became rougher and
the drift contrary. On March s6 We had only
reached IS degrees 10 minutes north, and on
| March 20, IS degrees 50 minuteA
"On April we began our march towards
Franz Josef Land On April 10 our watches
OF the days march. After that
date we we're uncertain Is 70 our ionsi'
tude, but hoped that our dead reckoning wss
| fairly correct A We came south We me,
many cracks which greatly retarded oul
| progress The provisions were rapidly de-
creasing. The dogs were killed one after the
| other to feed the rest
ION July S2 We continued our Journey
over tolerably good snow On July 20
when about ss degrees north. we sighted
unknown land at last but the ice wai
| everywhere broken into small foes, the
| otaph hot xyoa bafn ad dvvith had L.
| In which the use of the kayaks was impos
| sible. We therefore had to make our way by
balancing from one ice piece to another, an6
| we did not reach land until August 6, at 81 de
| grees SO minutes north, and about So east Ion
| gitude
| ION August 26 we reached a spot In the 81:
north and So east evidently we'll suited &c
| winterng and 1t is now too late for the voy-
| age to Spitzbergen. considered it wisest tc
| stop and prepare for winter. We shot bears
| and walruses and built hut of stones earth
| and moss, making the roof Of walrus hide tiec
down with rope and covered with snow. We
used the blubber for cooking, light and heat
| The bear meat and the blubber were our only
food for ten months The bear skins formed
our beds and sleeping bag, The winter, how
| ever, passed we'll and We were both in perfect
| health Spring came with sunshine and with
| much open water to the southwest
I'VE hoped to have an easy age to Spitz
| bergen over the foe OF ice and the open water,
| we were oDllged TO manufacture new cl0tneS
from blankets and a new sleeping bag of beal
skin Our provisions were raw bear meat ant
| blubber
| "On May 10 we were at last ready to start
| We came to open water on May % in 81 de.
| grees minutes north latitude, but we're re-
| tarded by storms until June g. little south
| Of 81 degrees we found land extending west
| ward and open water which reached west
| northwest along it north coast But we pre-
| ferred to travel southwark over the ice
| through a broad sound.
I'VE came on June l2 to the south side of the
the island and found much open water trend
| ing westward We sailed and padded In this
direction in order to proceed across to Spitz
bergen from the most westward cape, bu,
Payers map was misleading"
| DR.. Nansen then tells of his accidental meet.
| ing with Capt. Jackson. in command OF the
British north pole expedition on June II three
miles out on foe, S S E of Cape Flora
Nansen remained at Jackson's quarters about
six weeks till the steamer Windward arrived
| with supplies for the English expedition
I'VE left Franz Josef Land In the steamer
| Windwar, on Aug =, and had short and very
| pleasant passage, thanks to the mastery way
! In which Capt Brown brought his shtI