Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-16
STORY OF NANSEN.
ENTIRELY NEW DETAILS ABOUT
HIS GREAT JOURNEY.
lie Describes the Life on Board Ship.
The Fran Lifted Ont of the Ice
Just rs Her Frame Bcgnn TO
Crack.

OF November "a. Sd. and 18th. His narrative
supplies many interesting details not
hitherto made known about the various
phases of his journey. Here are ex-
tracts
"On the whole. the time passed as plea
sanity as possible on board. Every man
was on the best of terms with his neigh
Dor, and did his duty with will. Care
was, of course, taken to provide occu-
patton. but even without this time did
not hang heavy on our hands. For those
who were not continually occupied In
scientific observations and investigations
there was abundant entertainment In "A
capital library, games, music. various
kinds OF work. etc: and | think hardly
any OF us greatly felt the monotony COM
planned of in all Arctic expeditions. For
US. who had charge OF the scientific OBJ
servations. there was more work than
we could get through with. The Fran,
in fact. constituted an observatory OF
the best kind for scientific Investigations
OF all kinds: and It is. therefore. scarcely
10 be wondered at that we should brinf
home such abundant material, as few
expeditions before us have done.
Lieutenant Sigurd Scott-Hansen was
responsible for the meteorological. mag
netic, and astronomical observations,
which. / venture to say, are exceptionally
complete. DR.. Blessing undertook the
greater part of the botanical nvestiga-
tons and observations Of the aurora
boreals, and also. Of course, his physi-
illogical and medical observations, when
are by no means unimpOrtant In addi-
ton TO these, geological researches were
made on board, soundings. determine
ton Of the temperature. and the salinity
Of the sea water. observations OF the at
mospherical electricity, and much be-
sides.
THE speed at which we drifted was
continually changing, and our course. In
consequence was not a straight line.
Sometimes We drifted forward. but at
others we went back again, and. were our
course 10 be marked on a map as IL ac-
tually was. 1t would be such confusion
Of loops and knots that no one would be
able 10 make anything Of IT. As we
expected, we drifted most In a north
westerly direction in the winter and
spring. while northerly winds stopped US
I'm the summer.
PUTTING THE FRAN TO THE TEST.
ION January 4 and 5. 1885, the Fran
was subjected TO the greatest pressure
we experienced. Before we set out on
our expedition the great Arctic authority,
Sir Leopold McClintock, gave it as his
opinion that the Fran would be able TO
withstand the ice pressure in the summer,
but that If she were exposed to 1t in the
winter he believed the probability OF her
being able TO stand the pressure, or raise
herself was very slight. Other Arctic
authorities expressed themselves yet more
strongly, saying that IT was an impossi-
bilty for any ship TO stand the Ice pres
sure in winter. Now, however, the Fran
was not only 10 be exposed TO winter
pressure, but she was then fast frozen in
Ice Of over thirty feet in thickness, a fact
OF which had previously ascertained the
truth by boring.
ACROSS this ice immense masses Of
ice came gliding with irresistible force
against our port side. The pressure was
tremendous The ice piled itself up above
the gunwales and high up the rigging,
threatening II not to crush her, at least
TO bury her. Scarcely a man On board
believed she could live. the necessary
provisions. canvas kayaks. cooking uten-
sis. fuel. tents, hand sledges. and ski
were all brought i'm safety onto the ice.
All hands We're ready 10 leave the snip,
and no one was allowed TO sleep unless
fully clothed.
"But the Fran proved to be stronger
than our faith IN her. When the pressure
was at It's height. and for the first time,
her tirnbers and beams began 10 creak;
she broke loose and was slowly lifted up
out Of the icy berth In which she had been
fast frozen.
at was u triumph BY putting together
..--.. meet ,,ocuflfliffec 4 could hardly
imagine a more dangerous position for a
vessel. and after that experience ! con-
slider the Fran to be capable Of anything.
Notwithstanding the most careful eXaIni-
nation. we have not yet been able 20 dis
cover a single crack, single splinter DIS
placed In her.
after this II became comparatively
quiet as regards the pressures, and we
drifted on rapidly in n northerly and
northeasterly direction"
THE sLEDGE EXPEDITION.
DR.. Nansen tells how he happened In
February. 1885, 70 leave his ship ana SET
out by sledge for the highest northing ne
could make: ,..,.,
"As now thought I could assume win
certainty that the Fran in snort TIME
would reach her highest latitude nor'h OF
Franz JoseTs Land, and as early as the
following summer would, as our plan pr
supposed. be near the sea north OF Spi'A-
bergen. | thought the time had come W
carry out new plan which L had loi
some time Overwhelmingly, 70 exam
inc the sea north of the Fram's course.
This could only be done by a sledge eZ-
pedjtion. which could not reckon upon
Getting back again TO the Fran, as the
chance of refinding a vessel drifting in the
ice was small. AS a journey OF this klnd
might appear 10 be fraught with some
risk. should unforeseen hindrance5 be met
with. | felt that / could not take the re-
sponsibility OF sending any one else, ana
therefore decided to 20 myself although
there was no lack on board OF those VINO
were more than DESTROYS or going. /
chose as my companion Lieutenant JONAH
sen. who gladly accepted the offer or go
ing. The command Of the remainder OF
the expedition on board the FRAN iei'
in Syerdrup's hands.
81 OF course, felt some hesitation IN
thus leaving my companions and placing
the responsibility for their well-being and
safety in the hands of another; but with
the perfect confidence that | had in
Sverdrup's capability as leader and
power of overcoming difficulties. ] had no
fear OF his not bringing all hands safely
home. even should the worst happen ana
they had TO abandon the Fran, an event,
however, which | deemed highly improba-
BILE.
"All the winter had been busy making
preparations for this expedition. l had
had new, strong sledges made on board.
specially calculated for being drawn by
dogs over uneven ice. Next. l had made
two kayaks twelve feet in length, and
so roomy that they could each carry a
man, with provisions for four months.
as well as some dogs on the deck. The
framework Of these was made of BAN
boo, and covered with canvas. When
completed they weighed about forty
pounds each. The provisions, which con-
sisted exclusively OF the best kinds OF
dried and greatly condensed articles OF
food-chiehy dried meat. dried fish.
steam-cooked oatmeal. biscuits. butter.