Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-22

Inherent domestic uses OF tnclr suclhl
| life. The wood thus found came from
| the Siberian coast, or possibly northern
| Alaska.
The conclusion reached by Nansen
was that n vessel might be constructed.
the shape and style of which could be
made to Withstand the fearful Ice
pressure that had invariby used UP 20
many vessels before. The foct that n
current that might possibly traverse
the region near the Pole was another
incentive. that the relics OF the Jeau-
nctte had so Travelled, SO might the
| Fran. the vessel that Nansen caused to
| be made. Some of the men learned in
Arctic matters doubted the success Of
| such n voyage. but others thought
such n project possible. As all of the
previous efforts 10 reach high north
ern latitude had failed this one seemed
the most daring and original under
taken.
"Nansen is Norwegian. and liz
gifted with n fine physique. He has
been well educated and was raised In
country whore the inhabitants are in
ured to cold weather. He Ia one OF
those men who seemed destined to ac-
complish some great results with him
there is no such word as fail" His
proposition to build suitable vessel,
sail her ms far north as possible. In
the open winter. after selling as far east
as the 10th degree east Of greenwich.
which brought him rra- the locality
where the Jeannette was crushed--and
whore she had noated after being
locked In the ice two years and where
1t had been demonstrated that n cur
rent set in towards the northwest is
one of those circumstances that DEM
onstrate that men are born for the ac-
complishment Of certain results. His
journey has been paralleled by Stan
ley's dash through the dark continent
In DDiDt of dn ring n nd pndtirn rca updpr
trying circumstances, one to experience
the most intense cold the other the
heat of the tropics. Both were SUCCESS
full and both we're permitted to reacn
the object sought for.
THE listeners to these rambling
statements will please take map of
the world. find the most northern part
of Norway. follow the const line of
Northern Shorthand on the New
Siberian Islands In the Arctic ocean
west Of Bering strait. Trace a line
east OF the Islands nearly up to the
eightieth parallel OF north latitude.
This will show them the starting point
of Nansen's exploring expedition-from
the Fran In 1893. He reached this
point near the 10th degree of east lon
Ritude and was frozen in in October of
the same year. The crew numbered
eleven persons. all hardy Mortimer.
They experienced but few disagreeabIe
results, being so well prepared against
the cold. They erected a windmill on
the ship and with storage batteries
lighted the ship with electricity during
the long winter darkness. The sun
Is never seen in the far north from the
early part of November until the mid
die of February. 1t Is one long dark
night only VIXEN the moon shines her
rays upon the desolate Arctic waste.
1T would not be possible In the limit
OF space allowed me to attempt full
. Inscription OF all details but must omit
many very Interesting facts. One
strange item OF their experience was
the extraordinary number of polar
bears existing on the Ice. This proved
a source OF fresh meat supply to the
hardy voyogets in the summer time.
Sea birds of many kinds would alight
upon their vessel. while In the pools
or water that melted around the ship,
vast numbers of small crustaceans
would be found-it is wonderful that
life exists on our globe In the most re-
| mote and unlocked for localities. The
summer heat was never great enough
to melt the water around the ship ex-
cept in pools the first year. But they
kept on drifting with the great ice
pack. and without effort on their part
reached higher degree of north iati-
tude than had ever been attained be-
fore. Some might imagine that the SUI :
| face OF the Ice would be smooth and
easy to travel upon. but such is not the
case. High winds will force the ice up
| into lanes caused by the huge masses
being forced together and ltno ridges
making travel very difficult. This is
| the greatest obstacle met with in nayi-
eating by means OF dogs and sledges on
! the Ice. This also was the reason why
the Jeannette was crushed Not 50
with the Fran; she seemed able to
| Dear any crushing she experienced but
at times they We're greatly frightened
owing to the terrible roar of the ic.
during gale of wind.
The Fran after being frozen in
November, 1893, fioated with the ice In
a northwest direction up as far norm
as "a degrees north. in the year follow
ing when DR.. Nansen and Johansen
left the vessel and took with them two
years provisions. dogs. sledges. guns
| ammunition and other necessities. iesv.
| ing their comfortable quarters on tn,
| snip, ana started out upon the dreary
waste of Ice and snow for the Pole IN
the 'th OF April they reached SO degrees
\ ana IL minutes notwithstanding n dis.
lance OF 263 miles yet UNEMPLOYED. abou,
as far as Parowan from Salt Lake CITY
| IN our own State-the most norther.
point upon the globe trodden
by the foot OF man.
The difficulties of travel in tina;
| region became so great that IL was i'm
possible To proceed farther--and n,
there lay before them the return trIr
to some locality where the vessel rnIght
De found or assistance looking Il
their return home 1t was decided TO no.
turn either 10 Spitzbergen or Fran,
Joseph Land that lay northwest nS
Their location. 1t would be lmpossihIa
to recount their trials and SUFFERING
! IRON the weather and other causes
the dreadful loneliness of their nosI.
uon cannot he imagined Being ex-
| pert naVlsators they could always Ia
cate themselves They had a silk tent
INTO which they crawed for shelter
ana when they slept they both crnwIe5
INTO bag made Of reindeer skIns-the,,
mad COOK stove aud used Kerosene oil
10 cook wtth-they seemed TO enjoy
good health and the wise seIection ~
1000 Kept on the scuivy the terror If
| Arctic travellers. Their aleds were On
made mat they could be transferred
mo kyaks or boats il they reached
water. The greatest cold exDerienoed
was 5S degrees below zero in March
1870. summer weather there is about
tnc freezing point here in Utah: . de.
grets above was considered very
warm They finally decided To return
Ia franz Joseph Land. the most south
tin point be lnS on the S0th parallel OF
nprth lautude-and hoped to reach
| lhot point In the summer of 1Sg5-but
they met with so many terrible ex.
perience that they Were compelled as
| the winter was near upon them /,
build hut on Frederick jackson island
| and pass the winter of 1886. From
| August 2Gth to Nav 18th ISqe T,ro,.