The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18

Franz Josef Land and Spitzbergen, or even
to tho south Of Spitzbcrgen, and might after
that have got into the polar current, which flows
along Greenland. He opined, however, that II
the directions OF tho current in those regions
were studied, SO far as they had been ascer-
tanned, such . course would DO found extremely
improbable. not to say impossible. Having
proved this from the Tegethoff drift and many
other circumstances, our author proceeded to
point out that the distance from the New 81
bcrian Islands TO the sOth degree of latitude on
the east coast of Greenland is 1850 miles, and
tho distance from tho lastnamcd point to
Julianehanb is 1910 miles. making to-
gcther n distance Of 1900 miles. This dis
lance is known to havo been travorsed by the
foo in 100 days, which gives a speed Of
20 miles per day Of "a hours. Tho timo during
which the relics drifted after having reached
the S0th degree OF latitude till they arrived at
Julianehaab can DO calculated with tolerable
precision, as the speed OF tho above named cur.
rent along the east coast Of Greenland Is well
known. DR.. Manson deemed It fair to assume
that the foo took at least 400 days to cover this
distance; there remain, then, about 700 days,
representing the longest possible time tho arti-
cles from tho Jeanette could have taken TO
drift from tho Now Siberian Islands TO the s0th
degree of latitude. Surprising that they took
tho shortest route. (. e., across the Pole. this
computation gave a speed of about two miles
in "a hours. On tho other hand, supposing
they went by the route south of Franz
Josef Land and south of SpitzberRcn, they
must have driftcd at much higher speed. Two
miles in the "a hours. however. comedies
most remarkably with tho rate at which tho
Jeannette drifted during tho last months Of
her voyage, from Jan. / to June IL. 1881. In
this time she drifted at an average rate Of
q little over two miles n day. DR.. Nansen
pointed out many other evidences Of a
current flowing across tho North Pole from
Boring Sea on the one side to tho Atlantic
Ocean on the other, and he arrived at the con-
clusion that the plain thing for an Arctic ex-
plorer TO do was to mako his way into the cur.
rent on that side of tho Pole where 1t
flows %northward. and. by its help, to pene-
trate into those regions which all who have
worked against that current have
sought in vain to reach. Our authors plan,
then, briefly was as follows: To havo u ship
built as small and az strong as possible, just big
enough to contain a supply Of coal and provisions
for twelve men for five years. The vessels en-
CINE was to be powerful enough to give a speed
Of six knots. but in addition it was also to DO
fully rugged for sailing. With such n ship DR..
hansen purposed to take the short route through
the Kara Sea and north to Cape Chelyuskin
10 INC now 5lDerlan lSlanuS. Arrived there,
his intention was, first, to ascertain the
as regarded currents and ice.
and then to seize the most opportune
moment to advance. rs far as possible. to
.ice-free water. Next his plan was TO choose a
fitting place and moor the ship firmly to a suit
able ice foe, and then let the leo screwes lift to-
gether. the moro closely the better. Hence
forth tho northward current would be the mo-
power, and the ship would have been trans
formed into a barrack. In this manner. so our
author believed, the expedition would probably
drift across the Pole, and onward to the sea be-
tween Greenland and SpitzbcrKen.
1t is well known that DR.. Nansen did not actu-
ally reach the Pole, but that his plan was. in
other respects, substantially carried out was
handsomely conceded by Gen. A. w. Greedy in
Hdrper's Weekly for Sept. 10. 1896, though he
the otherwise fine record OF the voyage
marred by the abandonment OF the Fran by
who quilted his comrades on the ice
beset ship. hundreds of miles from any known
land. with the intention OF not returning, but of
going to Spitzbergen. six hundred miles away,
he felt certain to find q vessel. In Gen.
Greely's opinion, Nansen, by this act, doviated
from the most sacred duty devolving on the
Of q naval expedition, and the safe
return Of Capt. Sverdrup with the Fran did not
relieve the explorer from blame.