New-York tribune., 1900-11-21

Nansen did not aim primarily reach the
Pole He wanted TO study certain features OF
the polar basin. He had 2 suspicion that there
was a steady surface current moving from the
reEion around the New-Siberian Islands toward
Greenland which might possibly carry him
further north than any one had ever gone before.
And the soundness Of this theory was demon
etrated by experiment. though IT took over three
years TO do ii, TO say nothing OF months OF
preparation. Foreseeing that his stay in the
Arctic regions would be long one, Nansen
equipped himself with apparatus for the ac-
QUESTION OF a variety Of scientific DATA anu
material Such portion of the latter as he did
Tot feel competent to digest himself he COM
mitted on his return specialists for scrutiny
comparison and report
His first task after coming home was to
satisfy the curiosity Of Christendom with
popular narrative concerning his adventures
This object was attained more than three years
ago by his "Farthest North" He next under-
took TO prepare for publication the scientific re-
suits Of his exploration. In this more serious
work he is still engaged. The first volume. an
imposing folio. contains five papers. These are
by Colin Archer builder of the Fran on her
design and construction; Professor ]. F. Pom
pecki Of Munich on the Jurassic Fauna of Cape
Flora Franz Josef Land: DR. A. G. Nathorst'
on the fossil plants of the same region DR..
Nansen and Robert Colett. on the birds en-
countered during the voyage, ana Dr u u
Sars Of Christania, regarding the invertebrates
(crustacea) found in the Polar Sea by the
Fran.
Nanseu's own keen observation and notable
accuracy together with the emnence OF the
men whose co-operation he enlisted in this CO.
lossal enterprise were guarantee of the thor
ouebness with which the work would be done
The first volume justies this faith ana Is
gratifying assurance regarding the others Be
frg aware" says the editor, that this Will prop
ably. for a series of years hence, form stand
ard work as regards our knowledge OF the polar
basin / am trying TO make all the information
as trustworthy as possible by giving the orig
tnal observations and material in full so that
the reader may be able to judge FOR hlmseH
how far the results or conclusions drawn are re-
liable or to draw his own conclusions
The few fossil remains OF animal and veg
etabe life brought back by Nansen were Sc
cured by him during his seven weeks stay at
Jackson's headquarters. DR. Reginald Koett-
litz geologfst of the Jackson party, had pre-
yiously explored the region and he assisted
Nansen in his search Cape Flora forms the
western end of Northbrook Island, and is stu
ated in about latitude so north and longitude
80 east The tip of the peninsula is a fiat topped
plateau Of basalt. or lava, almost entirely COW
cred with ice The basalt rises in steep cliffs
in tiers. or terraces that probably represent
lava flows of different periods. Below the basalt
and near sea level were beds of clay, clay sand
stone. argilaceous limestone, and mari. Dr.
Koettlitz and Professor Nathorst assign these
to the upper jurassic or lower cretaceous geo.
logical periods Some of the fossils came from
these clays and some from between the layers
of lava Few were found in stu. The majority
were picked out of the debris of weatherworn
and crumbling rock.
All of the fossils of animal forms were mol
iusks. The bivalves, lamellibranchs. says
DR.. Pompeckj. were SO badly damaged by at
triton that the species could not be recognized.
and scarcely the genus. The brachiopods were
mostly in fragments, but specimens of lingula
and discina were identified. The cephalopods
were in the best state OF preservation. These
included the tapering mollusk the belemnite and
the spiral. spike-sheed ammonite At least
twenty-six species were distinguished alto
gether. and the uninterrupted fragments may
have represented more Seventeen of the species
are new for Cape Flora Ten have been identi-
fed elsewhere, but at least five seem to have
been entirely unknown hitherto
The fact that these organisms were marine
shows that at the time when they were deposi-
ted the site Of Cape Flora submerged In
sncient oceans. whose outlines may not have
coincided with those of the polar sea to-day
The which left the clay below the basalt
is called the "Bajocian" by DR.. Pompeckj,
whereas he attributes the specimens found be-
tween the tiers of lava later inundaton,
the "Callovian." Both Of these are recognized
in the jurassic fauna of the Old World Fos-
sis Of the Bajocian have been found as far
north as latitude IS in Greenland, but those of
the Callovian only in latitude -. They are now
shown 10 exist in the southern edge of Franz
Josef Land. in latitude so. The occurrence of
true European species, like lngula and discina
ct this point says DR.. Pompeckj, proves unde-
niably the connection Of this ancient Arctic Sea
with the western European sea of the Ba iocfan
period and especially with the Bajocian sea of
Yorkshire and England generally" Thus the
finding Of fragments Of shells of q few mollusks
affords additional information as to the extent
Of ancient seas
The fossil plants found at Cape Flora are less
numerous and more imperfect than the repre-
sentatives OF the faula Of the region Nansen
says that the ice cap here is pierced by several
basaltic projections or 'nunataks" On one Of
these, buried in shale. Jackson and Koetlitz
found soma vegetable remains one day in JULY
1896. They told Nansen, and he examined the
spot TOO There were bits of charred and half
petrifed confer. and impressions Of gingko
leaves and ferns. Nansen imagined that the
shale may have belonged to a lower bed. from
which 1t was lifted by a dyke" IT then ba
came weather worn in its new situation so that
IT was almost entirely gone when It was dis
covered.
Newton and Teall. English naturalists. after
studying the ground. reached the conclusion
that the Franz Josef basalts belong to the Ter
tiary period. like those of Scotland. Nathorst
argues to the contrary. Except for some specf.
mems found at Cooks Rock and Cane Stephen
whose age cannot be determined all plants ar
Cape Flora belong to the Upper Jurassic. or
oeos marking the transition therefrom TO the