The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-09
what manson Talks About.

Ones first impression of Nansen, who
will appear at the Grand Opera House to-
morrow night, is that of wonder that such
a quiet and modest appearing and talking
man should be the hero of the most sue
cessful thus far arctic exploring trip, but
your real hero does not do so much swag-
gering and posing as some others not quite
so heroic. Nansen is Morse, and his Eng
lish is tanned with it. 1t shows in his di-
rectness of expression and use of the sim
pier words of the language. In Lief Eric
sons time Nansen would have been as reck-
less Viking as any Of the old Scandi-
navian terrors of the sea- The man has
quiet earnestness about him which con-
vinces his audience from the first sentence
he speaks that the three years stay of the
Fran and her hardy crew in the frozen
north seas and ice packs was no haphazard
dash, but a cool and well planned expedi-
ton, and one which had every reason for
success from the start. DR.. hansen loses
no time after his introduction in getting
directly into his subject, illustrating it
through with stereopticon Views-over one
hundred in aIl--which form thrilling adj
junct to his lecture. He tells of the drift
ing wreckage of the American ship jean
ette which gave him the idea that there
was north of Siberia a strong northwest
current, which drifted continually towards
the northwest, passing over the polar area,
and finally drifting out and southwark be-
tween Greenland and the Island of SpitZen-
bergen. The first necessity would be ship
that could resist the pressure of the i'm
mense ice fields of the Arctic ocean, or so
pressure it would be lifted out and rest
safely on top of the ice. Though arctic ex-
perts all over the world doubted the posi-
bility of building such ship, he proceeded
with the construction of the Fran, and she
eventually justified the faith reposed in her
by her designer and crew. When first sub
tod f6p oxxrftI Of limo
ice fields there were some doubts as to the
result, but after repeated tests, to all of
which she nobly responded, the men gained
confidence in her. When DR.. hansen de-
cided a dash with sledges should be made
in a direct line toward the north pole he
chose as his companion Lieutenant johann
sen, and they took with them two sledges
drawn by seventeen dogs. The incidents of
this trip are thrilling and engage the closest
attention of his audience. He treats lightly
the dangers and bairbreadth escapes they
encountered, but such incidents as losing
his kyack, upon which was his rifle, at a
moment when his companion called for him
to shoot bear that had thrown him on the
ice and only delayed biting off his head
while snarling at the dogs that were snap
ping at his heels, were too exciting to pass
unnotced, and the audience only breathes
freely when he tells how he recovered the
weapon in the nick of time and killed the
big brute with charge OF bird shot at
uncomfortably close range. One day while
camping on the ice, about four miles off
shore, Dr. Nansen at first thought and at
last was fully convinced that he heard the
barking of a dog on shore. He awakened
his companion and told him what he heard
Johansen looked pittyingly at his chief as
if he would say, AT last suffering has af-
fected my friends brain" Notwithstand-
ing Johansens suspicion, 1t was only few
minutes when hansen shook hands with
Frederick Jackson who in command
of the Harmsworth expedition that had
wintered comfortably but few days
journey from the crude hut in which the
two travellers had suffered so much.
brilliant audience will welcome the great
explorer at the Grand tomorrow night
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