The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31
HANSEN IN THE FAR NORTH.
VIVID DESCRIPTION or THE FRAAT's
PERIL IN ICE.

Sound OF the Crushing Fioes no Great That
Those on board the Vessel Could Not
Hear Zach other when speaking In Ordi-
nary Tones-Ths OncominE Polar twilight.
DIR. hansen told a very largo audience in the
Brooklyn Academy OF Music last evening the
story Of his journey "farthcst north" and
OF the drift of his ship, tho Fran, across
the polar sen with tho ice foos. He
appeared Under direction OF the Brooklyn In
stitute OF Arts and Sciences, and many OF Brook.
lyn's leading citizens occupied chairs on tho
stage. Mayor Wurstcr welcomed the explorer.
DIR, hansen said that he got from an American
expedition the idea that the polar ice driited
from tho region north OF Siberia and the Behring
Strait across to the waters north Of Greenland.
1t seemed to him n simple idca TO set a ship
adritt north Of Siberia and lot her go
with the ice. Tho Frnn-whosc maine
means forward"-was built for the purpose.
and with his comrades he SGT or on the long
drift. DIR. Nanscn illustrated his lecture with
sterc pticon viows of the course of the Fran
and Of some OF the incidents in the life of hi,
comrades on the ice foes. He showed
q map bearing the limo he had drawn
across tho Arctic regions before sailing. indi-
eating the course he expected the Fran to take,
and another line, which was almost parallel to
1t, showing her actual course. Her progress was
only at the rate Of two or three knots q day. the
backward.
Or. Nhnscn remarked; " there are no germs to
bother you AND you don't even catch cold"
Speaking Of the regularity Of the life the
devoted themselved to reading during even.
ings, he said that some Of his men learned
than they, eyer had learned on land. Or
work they had enough while the Fran driftcd,
second hour throughout the whole three years,
as well as collections of flora and fauna to ma c.
light; DR.. hansen said hat il was as IS if magma.
ton had painted it ALA drcamland of color
soms nnfno% en' f fs1a d TSsro him ari wa an
Grange and wonderful, the ice glisten.
strange. with an enormous ring around 1t,
la,itudesi There were wonderful streaks of
soS3 81 m a%s NJ "Yos 1s's stand IS sewi Ia % ea SnS
nary as anything YOU can dream. Ana suddenly
II fades. away into ordinary, peaceful moon
It happens that one longs for the %restful. peace.
fullife OF these icehound regions"
and d. S S'n sha ic as'G at dHe q 9im as0 b jes RRFessp "e
under the Fran held his auditors ali but
t S5s ;thls sSvo and Rim w 4 stor he had ,6 finished .
as they did on several other occasions when
in the simple. str ightforward way in which he
pefiences in which danger 81 tn threatened al his
party, o., as in some instances, was such that
= y oSt' v ! as IL ho o"h III anu ludi VI
his single companion on the slelgo jour.
n snys,v after tie b he h%g left the :. ship, wsre
At one time. when the Fran was in the ice
pressure, the noise OF the crushing ice was
Spe king in an ordinary voice. They had to
shout. Once they heard the ships frame creak.
dressel for immediate escape.
Finally DIR. Manson gave the order to aba don
the ship. Everything had been prepared for
such action ana the company IN tde ready for tho
and ,kyack, for home; Bu; tho ship held
satisfied from then on that the Fran Would
60 through safe, to the end. On board the
on the whole, and had some good card
games at which DR.. Nanscn showed them to his
audience commented on the splendid features
AMI physical appearance of the men thus pic
DR.. n ,ns,n sketched with a simplicity that
only intensified the thrilling, nature Of the ad-
h Eia sYsss as no noG snet9ric would ;aT be likely to rd do,
the Fran with JohGnnsen, hs only
d" f inE PMhish they ,Sn str ,hl! their lGnf hlsh rssef i:tit aqs.
81 IA. or 2GO statute miles from tho Pole, and
on the return from which to Franz josef Land
coats behind, 70 get ii, Of the Weight,
in the outer layers of their clo'hing, there
freezing and transforming their ,IothGs to icy
ment and sometimes hurt the wcnrers. In this
way the two men lived for months, while the
Dr.. HH a nSs inat''n Believer svSaS she 8n would t"G 'g i"kS.
Mending time was VIII t they dreaded, he said.
for that meant that one OF them must SILVER for
an hour and n half in one suit OF undercloth-
sufficiently warm for the ice to melt,
SO that when it WAS put OH. again
the wearer really had wet rags for clothes, and
those TO lie In all night. The temperature was
Ito, mot the best TO dry clothes in" he re-
1t WAS after he and Johannsen had been out
alone our months that they saw land first, and
although 1t was Recovered, 1t was dearer to
them, he said, than the sight of any land on the
face OF the globe. 1t looked near enough to be
reached the next day, but it took them four
" teen days TO get to IT. over the ice.
and open water. The hardest work Of all the
two remaining dogs when it became necessary
to quit the ice and sail in the kyacks over The
open water hOmeward. Neither man coulG shoot
his own; each had to lead the others away and
kill it.
The sight Of the first Arctic flowers, after ar.
irving al. the rocky land for which they had
been. heading. DR.. Nansen said, WAS o sensation,
after ice and snow had been the only things
had built their nut for the wi Winter the bears
fool by coming around to look at them.
Bear and wilrus meat was their only foo
i ESrie months IN d; aad b they fo Tsr9 obliged m to seek @a.
casionally. although the bears were, plentiful;
Onco DIR. Nansen heard Johannsen shout, and
looked around to see him prone. with n bear
leaning over him. Johannsen's hand on its
what Johannsen had shouted. But DR.. Nan;
sens kyack. with his gun in IL. had
slipped from the ice into the water. and
T. took a1s him nr.b a HI, long time to 2ob get 1t
said when the doctor didn't come to his
aid Immediately WAS that il he didn't get his
gun quick it might be 100 late.