The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-30
NANSEN Is A HERO

Cleveland, O., Nov. 26-The men who
! in this decade are making the history
which will live for hundreds Of years
may not all have been brought from OBJ
scurfty to the search ing light of motor
iety, but of the men who have establish
ed themselves most surely in the front
rank of those whose names will go march
ing down the ages F.ridtjof Nansen, the
Norwegian explorer, has already receiv1
ed all the honors possible for the natios
of the eartn to bestow upon a recogniz-
ed hero.
Had Columbus been received upon the
return from his explorations Of the
western hemisphere, as the nineteenth
century accords was his due, he would
have been given such receution as met
Nansen when he returned from his voy-
age in search Of the North Pole. And
could the nineteenth century have REIN
carnation of Columbus to pay tribute
to no more decorations and ovations
could be bestowed upon him than 1t is
given to his peer from Scandinavia.
Nansen is the hero Of the day. He
is the most prominent man before the
educational, the scientific. the geograph-
ical, and the social world. His achieve
ments are the talk of the hour, and this
not SO much because of the greatness OF
the life in all particulars.
Nansen is only thirty-six years old in
calander years-a mere boy In enthusi-
asm and in unspoiled outlook on life, but
in experience ouder than many men of
twice his years. He is a vertiable foot
ball player in appearance-broad should
cred, deep chested, tall, measuring two
inches over six feet. He is ov the blonde
Scandinavian type, with plenty Of yellow
hair, and light mustache, outlining a
sensitive mouth. His eyes are blue, and
while the have always worn far-away
expression. have taken on a distant
piercing look since his experience in the
polar regions.
In 1893 Nansenfitted up ship known
as the Fran to cary out theory FORM
ed after studying the position Of articles
from former expeditions picked up on
the ice that the ice foes drift across the
North Pole, and that an object would do
this IL embedded in the Ice To demon
strate that the North Pole is no surround
ed by land and that, even If years were
necessary, snip would float across this
region carried in the ice drift, Nansen
gathered about him twelve men who
were willing to trust their lives to him
in the ice for a number OF years. The
Fran was equipped with all OF the mod
ern Improvements. Having been buils
in peculiar egg-shaped forb, calculated |
70 allow her TO rise above the foes, she |
was fitted with everything to make thir- |
teen men comfortable, and Nansen him. |
self has given the best story of the III |
terror equipment. but few writer's have
dwelt AZ length upon the home-like COM /
fort OF the saloon. Nansen carried a IL |
brary Of no mean dimentions. all the men
being scientific students. he electric /
lights were only one OF the modern con- |
veniences. and ali the outfit was on an
electric light plane. The motors were |
run by windmill set 10 after they had /
become fastened in the ice. The walls /
OF the cabin were hung with ph0togra phs /
thciinss, and paintings OF home scenes.
AS the time Wore on and the scenes |
OF the north were caught in the camera /
and were done in wafer color or pastel I
the saloon took on the appes rance Of a
studio. The provisions were plentiful.
snd the menus given by Nansen in his
diary are as varied and artistic as II
served in the midst of a country Of |