The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-26
THECASEOFDR. NANSEN
The Charges of Mr.. Frederick
Against His Veracity.
WALTER wELLxAN's OPINIONS.
Hh Kxperissces In the Arctios Lead Hin
90 credit the NorvegiAa Explorers
stsries-Mr. Frsd~rsek's Attack on Man
ssn FAIis Flat

4
stories-Mr. Frsdersek's Attack on Man
ssn Fails Plat
wAsHSGToS. Jan. ss.-lSpecial. AS
one who has been TO some small degree In
terested IN arctic exploration, with little
experience IN the far north. have often
been asked II IL is true that in his stories
| Of his adventures in the frozen regions DR..
hansen drew the long bow" as we
would say In this country. With any one
who knows DIR. Nsnsen this question
would be unnecessary. The Norwegian
| explorer needs no defense from me or any
one else, but many Of your readers may
thank me for enlightening them as 10 the
facts concerning the charges recently made
against DIR. Nansen by Mr.. Frederick, who
was Q member Of the Greedy exploring
party. The subject is most Interesting
one, even II not Of vital importance.
Frederick, who Is said by General Greedy
20 be good, faithful fellow, but who did
not occupy a very high position in his ex-
petition, has Get forth number Of Iartic-
nlars IN which, according TO his view, DIR.
Nansen imposed upon the credulity Of his
lecture audiences. One of the charges
made against Nansen was that be had mar
rated how be and Johansen had dug down
into the earth about three feet in order TO
make the floor and a part OF the walls Of
their winter hut in Franz Josef Land,
having no other tools than pickar made
Of a walrus tnsk and piece Of the Shout
der blsde Of the same animal. Frederick
says this could not be true because the
Greely party, equipped with steel pickaxcs
and other implements, were two weeks ia
digging couple Of holes a foot square and
q foot or two deep on Grinnell Land, In
which 70 build the foundations for pendu- |
luIn instruments.
While this was no doubt true where the |
pendulum instrument was TO be placed, |
there Is difference in soils In the arctic |
regions az there Is in the temperate zones.
A losmy or sandy soil, IL wet, freezes as |
hard as granite 1t is almost impossible /
to dig into il even with the best tools.
But az the place where NanseD and johann
sen put up their winter hut the soil was
grayelly and dry. The result was that
one piece Of earth after another could be
dug and pried out. And with only the
tools mentioned by dint of hard work and
patience, the two Norwegians were able to
dig out q place about feet by 8 and
feet deep.
The Bear aud the Bird Shot.
Frederick charges that Nansen told what I
was not true when he narrated how he
shot and killed a bear which had attacked
Jobansen, having nothing but bird shot
IN bis gun. IL Is true the ice bear is a very
hard animal to kill. His hide is thick, and
ais fur acts as shield. Besides he is
eDacious of life. Bird shot is not the sort
If missile one would naturally choose to
Kill a bear with, especially IL the saving of
he life of ones companion depended upon
he effect Of the shot. But In this case DIR.
hansen had no choice. 1t happened that
be only gun within his reach was loaded
With bird shot. 1t was that or nothing.
20 he let drive at a distance Of but few
aces. He sent a charge of shot through
be bears heart-the only spot in which
hey can be mortally wounded-and the
nimal fell dead at their feet There is
lotbing improbable in this. A shot car
ridge loaded with plenty of powder is as
Elective a missile at short range as bull
et, II the right spot be struck. Its pene-
rating power Is great. The shot which
Jansen fired at q distance Of ten feet must
ave passed clear through this bear. Ev-
ry sportsman knows the force and dead
mess Of small shot wi ben used in the man.
er described In this case
Frederick attempts to make q case |
gainst Nansen by saying that IL would
o impossible for any man to swim for
ali an hour or an hour in ice water, as |
Jansen claimed TO have done in that now
Celebrated instance Of the chase after the
rifting kayaks which contained all their
rovisions and weapons. DIR. Nansen never
laimed anything of the sort. In his book
nd In bis lecture be describes the incident
n fair way. He does not presume to say
ow long he was In the water nor the dis
ance which he swan. The chances are he
vas not I'm the water mere than FIVE or six
minutes, and that be had swim Of per-
APPS 20 or 30 yards before overtaking the
title boats which were drifting away with
hat which meant life or death to the adj
epturous travellers.
An Ice WAGER bath.
That q man could live long in water
which was half filed with Ice and whose
temperature stood only little abeve the
reezing point no one questions. But that
nen can live In IL and swim In IL short
lime know, because have tried It, On
VIC occasions while In the far north, a lit
lie farther north than the spot at which
hansen had this swim after the escaping
and In weather triHe colder,
bree or four members Of my party, in
'luding myself, deliberately stripped and
plunged into the icy sen for the purpose of
aking a bath. Aorc Of rs cared 10 remain
n long tine, and tie water was ur<icni-
Ibly cold. But couple OF minutes i'm.
Dersion, or just eLouan 10 uripg about
harp reaction. was Tleasant and health
ul- None or "a SACRED any inconyen.
ence from 1t and bad no cramps There
ore there - NOTHING innrnfnrlo I'm DIR.
SaDsep's story. lilo was dressed, ana
though re had bard .sinl, ind was go
much exhausted that 1t was nearly impos.
sible for him to c.i..ib into Tie litilc to.is
after be bad reached them, bis excrtioas
bad quite az mJyh sss.s ;e:nperaturo of
The water TO do VITA H..
All Travellers IN tks a ct,os d!scoyer they
can endure eSp srrc H., e. v hlth IN tbs SO
ATTITUDES might xii i!iop. Ior instance.
the writer AMI s party wadcl In ice wa.
Ter day after day FIR no cr three weeks.
being quarter II tts ;lmc Immersed IN