The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-22
NANSEN TELLS HIS STORY.
EETIR NEW DETAILS lB0UT
his GREAT JoURNEr.

ne Describes the Life on Hoard ship-The
FRAN Lined Out or the lee Just ms Her
Frame Began 70 Crack-DoE Didn't Like
to Eat Doc at First-Batties with WAL
rue and Bsar-Liro without soap-E.t-
Ing and Sleeping Through the Winter.
Or. Fridtjof Nansen has written for the Lon
don Chronicle n detailed story Of his wonderful
Arctic journey, which appeared in that news
paper in Its issues Of Nov. 9, 3, and 4. His mar
ratiye supplies many interesting details not
hitherto made known about the various phases
of his journey. Here are extracts:
LIFE on THE FRAN.
"on the whole, the time passed as pleasantly
as possible on board. Every man WAS on the
best Of terms with his neighbor. and did his
duty with y will. Caro- was Of course taken to
provide occupation, but even without this time
did not hang heavy on our hands. For those
who were not continually occupied in scien-
ltiao observations and Investigations there was
abundant entertainment in a capital library,
games, music. various kinds of work, DC;
and ! think hardly any OF us greatly felt
the monotony complained of in all Arctic
expeditions. For us who had charge of tho
Epcientino observations there was more work
Shnn We could get through. The Fran, in fact,
constituted an observatory of the best kind for
scientific Investigations Of all kinds; and it is
therefore scarcely to be wondered at that we
should bring homo such abundant material IS
few expeditions before us have done.
Lieut.. Sigurd Scott Hansen was responsible
for the meteorological. magnetic. and astronom.
ical observations. which, venture to say, are
exceptionally complete. Or. Blessing undertook
tho greater part of the botanical Investigations
and observations of the aurora borealis. and
also. Of course, his physiological and medical
"a 49, H. 80.
tant. In addition to these. geological researches
werc made on board. soundings. determination
of the temperature. and the salinity OF the sea
water, observations OF the atmospherical cleo
tricity. and much besides.
THE speed at which we drifted was continu-
ally 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 to be marked on a map as 1t
actually was. 1t would be such q confusion of
loops and knots that no one would be able to
mako anything of it AS We expected. we
drifted most in q northwesterly direction in the
winter and spring. while northerly winds
stopped us in the summer.
PUTTING THE FRAN TO THE TEST.
o Jan. 4 and s, 1895. tho Fran was sub
jected to the greatest pressure we experienced.
Before we set out on our expedition the great
Arctic authority, Sir Leopold McClintock, gave
st as his opinion that the Fran would DO able to
Withstand the ice pressure in the summer, but
that IL 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 impossibility for any ship 10 stand the
ice pressure in the winter. Now, however, the
Fran was not only to be exposed to winter pres
sure. but she was then fast frozen in ice of over
so feet in thickness. q fact of which l had pre-
viously ascertained the truth by boring.
Across this ice immense masses of ice camo
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 4 man on board be-
lieved she could live. The necessary provisions.
canvas kayaks cooking utensils, fuel, tents.
hand sledges, and ski were all brought in
safety onto the ice. All hands were ready to
leave the ship. AMI 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 its
height. and for the first time. her timbers and
beams began TO creak; she broke loose and was
slowly lifted up out of the icy berth in which
she had been fast frozen.
1T was a triumph. BY putting together tho
very worst possibilities. l could hardly imagine
a more dangerous position for a vessel. and
after that experience ! consider the Fran TO be
capable of anything. Notwithstanding the most
careful examination. we have not yet been able
to discover a single crack. a single splinter dis
placed in her.
After this it became comparatively quiet as
regards the pressures. and we drifted on rapidly
in a northerly and northeasterly direction"
THE sLEDGE EXPEDITION.
DIR. Sansen tells how he happened in Febru-
AIRY, 1898. to leave his ship and set out by sledGe
for the highest %northing he could make:
| now thought l could assume with GER
tainty that the Fran in a short time would
reach her highest latitude north OF Franz
Josefs Land, and as early as the following sum-
mer would, as our plan presupposed. be near the
sea north of SpitZbergen. l thought the
time had come to carry out a new plan which
] had for some time entertained, namely.
TO examine the sea north OF the Fram's
course. This could only be done by a sledge
expedition. which could not reckon upon get
ting back again to the Fran, as the chance OF
rehnding n vessel drifting in the ice was small.
AS a journey of this kind might appear to be
fraueht with some risk. should unforeseen
bindrahces be met with, | felt that I could not
take the responsibility of sending any one else,
and therefore decided 10 go myself. although
there was no lack on board of those who were
more than DESTROYS OF going. ] chose as my
comranlon Lieut.. ,Johansen, who gladly ac-
ceptsd the offer OF going. The commpud Of tho
rcmGirder of the expedition on board the Fran
Ileft In Sverdr ups hands.
81 of course felt some hesitation In thus leav-
ing my companions and placing the RESPONSE
bility for their wellbelng and safety in the
hands OF another: but with the perfect CONF
dence that l had in Sverdrup's capability as a
leader, and power OF overcoming difficulties. l
had no fear OF his not bringing all hands safely
home, even should the worst happen and they
had to abandon the Fran. an event, however,
which | deemed highly improbable.
Al the winter l had been busy making
preparations for this expedition. ] had had
new, strong sledGes made on board specially
calculated for being drawn by dogs over tho
uneven Ice. Next I had made TWO kayaks, II
feet in length, and 80 roomy that they could