New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-07
DIR. NANsEN'S LECTURE.
,,,r ExpIORER's VIVID DESCRIPTION
OF THE JOURNEY IN THE FRAN


TENED WITH RAPr ATTENTION TO
THE STORY OF UNPARA-
LEIl.ED HARDsHIPs IN
"FARTHEsT NORTH"
r, an audience that almost filed the big audi
,or,oro Of the Metropolitan opera House hansen
the Arctic explorer described yesterday AFTERNOON
tho drift of the Fran for three years throush u'o
,ce.coyered polar seas, and his own famous dash'
with Lieutenant Johansen for the North foie ne
repeated the lecture In the evening.
All the world has read Of and mas taken 'iitei e''
IN that expedition into the silent regions OF the
North undertaken by the courageous NoTwe6'a''
but the opportunity 10 hear from MS own ups ',e
story Of his marvellous journe!ihes Was TAM" ''N
vantage Of by more representative auue'ioe r''
has gathered together in this city In a long whie'
Patches of students grouped together In di1erent
norts of the theatre; men and women who are well
known in Ncw-Yorks social and professional CIR
cles men and women whose names are profni-
nenflv associated with the scientific ana educauoha
development Of the city, were includcd among inc
large number of people who for two hours listened
uitb tho deenest attention 10 Dr. Nansens descrip-
tIons Of his experiences in penetrating to the nigh
est point yet reached by Arctic explorers. Ut
hansen illustrated his lecture with stereopticon
views REPRODUCED from photographs taken by NM
self and comrades, ard now and again. When
particularly striking picture would he thrown upon
,bo screen or when he spoke of the happy ending
NJ some seemingly insurmountable difficulty. there
would be ? burst Of applause from his auditors.
but for the most part DR. Nansen was heard with
n quiet inentness that manifested greater degree
of interest and appreciation than louder uenloh-
STATIONS could have done
APPEARANCE OF THE MAN.
Az Nansen emerged from the wings Of the stage.
NJ the very minute appointed for the beginning OF
his lecture. he impressed one immediately as being
worthy of all that has been written Of his com
handing personality. Standing for moment in
front OF the footlights while he acknowledged the
cordial and enthusiastic reception given 10 him, the
mans Indomitable character was at once apparent.
Considerably more than six feet In height. 1.-the
and slender yet firmly knit and broad shouldered.
ne seemed as muscular and as physically strong
as any Of the od-famed Vikings of his race The
blue eyes, the light hair, the sharply cut and long
features that have typiied the Morse sea kings for
ages belong 10 him
Nansen speaks with very little foreign accent.
His command of English is almost astonishing. and
his voice is deep and resonant-such voice as one
would expect such man 10 have. There was not
one word that he uttered yesterday that could not
be instantly understood and heard by his audience
In all parts OF the great house.
Despite the admiration his exploits have earned
for him. and the adulation he has received. one Of
the foremost Of Nansens characteristics is his
natural. unaffected modesty. Through the whole
course of his lecture this trait was noticeably dis
played. His part in the expedition, and in
the hardships that were endured when. with Jo-
hansen he set to reach points more Northern
than the Fran could ever attain, was consistently
subordinated to the achievements of his compan-
ions Never once did Nansen speak OF himself as
one to whom the credit Of the success OF the eX-
petition due. Always and with the most
afectionate references to his felow-explorers he
alluded to himself unit Of band of men who
had accomplished and suffered much.
ALWAYS PERFECTLY AT EASE.
From the moment that he stepped upon the stage
Dr. hansen was perfectly at ease. and while intro
ducing himself as IT were to the audience. he
stood with his hands casped behind his back, and
spoke in a clear and musical voice that was pleas
ant 10 every
1T seems to strange he began. that so
many people should here TO listen to man
who has been In regions where there was so little
TO be seen but ice and snow. 1t is like man who
lives in a valley, and who is anxious to mount the
peaks what is beyond and get glimpse OF
the of the world. That is the beginning of an
explorer / wish give you glimpse Of the
Northern part of the world. II has always been
the desire of men 10 penetrate into the Northern
regions possibly because there were met the great
est difficulties in the way of success. 1t has been
believed that ships would be crushed in the ice and
TO the first voyagers in the Northern regions this
actually happened. and they were forced TO leave
their boats and travel on the ice BY reading the
history Of Arctic discovery came to the conclusion
that. In order to make successful tour in the
Northern regions ought to find some other
means of penetrating into that unknown land. /
must confess that my first Idea OF how 70 accom-
plish an extensive trip there gained from
American expedition-that of the jeanette 1t
would be possible discovered TO use the forces OF
nature. against which the first explorers had
fought. and gain from them an actual advantage.
/ gained the idea that the foes OF ice drif,ed tow
ard the North from Behring Strait and the north
ern Siberian The drift of the jeanette, az
well Of the relics from her. which
found the southwestern coast OF Greenland.
proved my theory to be correct. l reasoned that
they could have only followed the drift OF the Ice.
Now. my Idea was to build a ship sufficiently strong
TO sustain the pressure Of the ice and drift with it.
1t was not the main object, at least to reach the
North Pole: that Is. the mathematical point where
the axis of the earth has It's northern extremity.
In my opinion. that is Of small consequence. The
real object the exploration 70 the polar regions
and from them to carry back scientific operations
and observations for the aid Of humanity and the
scientific world. The principal thing the build
Ing Of ship strong enough 10 withstand the pres
sure. and II may be said here that 1t had always
been contended that this impossible. Explor-
ers said ship might Withstand the pressure Of the
summer season, when the ice was soft and yield
Ing but fl could never withstand the terrible grind
Ing Of the ice pressure in winter when the ice was
as hard marble"
AIDED BY PICTURES.
Having thus far entered into explanation. Dr.
Nanscn proceeded with his lecture proper which
as has been said. illustrated by stereopticon
pictures which were thrown from the lower circle
on 10 huge screen. that almost hid the drop cur
tain. How thoroughly Nansen is a leader OF men
was demonstrated once twice In the afternoon
when IL was necessary to give instructions for the
lowering or turning the lights of the theatre.
HIS orders while by no means given harshly,
YET conveyed In a tone OF iorcible command that
tlcited comment from those in the theatre.
DR.. hansen began his story with a description
or the Fran, and then, by rapidly successive illus
tratons. he gded over the scenes Of the departure
from Norway. until the stout little ship was i'm.