New-York tribune., 1904-09-25


Of interest IN polar research One is the definite
announcement by Commander Peary that he Is
going TO start again for the North next summer
and that the keel for his new ship has just been
laid at Bucksport, Ne. Another is the second fall
OF the relief ship Frithtof 10 reach Franz JOSEF
Land from Tromsoe. and 10 get news OF the Zieg-
Ter expedition which started for that archipelago
last year third is the publication or the details
cf a plan that originated with FTenehman.
Charles Bernard. and received the formal approval
Of q number of scientific men who met IN the Paris
home Of the Prince OF Monaco last June
There have been three general modes OF attack
on the Pole The yacht Jeannette equipped oy
James Gordon Bennett and commanded by De
Long revealed the possibilities OF one Having
sailed from San Francisco IN the GUNNER OF 1879
she passed through Behrtng Strait and then Tor
few days steersd z northwesterly course She was
caught IN the ice PACK IN September or thht year
and stayed thus imprisoned until June B 1SA In
the mean time the vessel had drfted fully SIX hun
dred miles in a direction little to the north OF
westward. A long time afterward oo1ects were
found on the eastern coast OF Greenland whlch
were identified wreckage from tho Jeanhet's
That fact stin further confirmed the opinion that
there IS a movement OF ice and water which might
be utilized in Arctic exploration
Ths ice having suddenly opened and closed on
the Jeannette the ship was crushed and sank on
short notice. Still De Long and his men escaped
with provisions enough for two or three months
ana made their way toward the Siberian coast
The commander had charge Of one boat, and rnaae
e landing on tho Lena Delta He and three VINO
ware with him perished there before relief arrived
Nothing was ever heard Of the second boat COM
manded by Lieutenant Chipp. The third. with
George w Melville, late engineer in chier OF the
United States navy, was more fortunate" INC
party in II reached the Lena Delta ana most Oh oi
them returned to civilization not however uItii
after they had endured almost inconceivaole hard
ships and after heroic search for the men VINO
had embarked in the other two boats
The nroiect Of Frithjof Nansen. carried into exc
cu+,o, in 1sssss was based. in some measure upon
the experience Of the Jeanette. His SNIP ehe
Fran was deliberately forced into the pack ice II,
the vicinity Of the New Siberian ISLANDS, ana
d-ls,ed slowly westward. Eventually, the navi-
gator svendrup was able to work her out OF II
north OF Spitzbergen. and bring her honie al
safety The most remarkable feature OF TINS un-
dertaling was the audacious performance OF Nan
sen himself In 1895 When the Fran was near the
A5vbtv-hfth parallel of latitude. he left her ana
started northward the ice. with only q single
companion, Johansen- Dogs and sieoges iuiiIsleo
TRANSPORTATION for their rations 1t was 4nAfch
"a when they left the vessel On Aprn tney
reached a point which. from his ASTRONOMERS oo-
ssrvations Nansen believed TO be In lautuoe
s64 Then they slowly proceeded to tho northern
mart of Franz Josef Land where they campeo Tor
the winter In the spring OF 1886 they rcaehed
Cane Flora on the southern edge OF the archi-
Delaqo where Jackson had been wfntering in the
interest of geographical research. Jackson was an
Fnglishman who had been sent thither by Lon
Aop nsvrpaper proprietor, Alfred Harmswcrths
who aftersyard presented the ship used by Jackson
the windward. to Peary.
To n Benard and his scientific friends a repe-
,,t,on Of the voyage OF the Fran seems the most
inviting method Of conducting further research
E5a docs not talk specifically OF trying 20 reach the
Yois hut he would make elaborate study OF
/. OCEAN depths and submarns life along the route
.raversed by Nansen- NJ. Benards idea is to have
two shps moving along parallel lines. about sixty
~ .,1hrv miles apart Whatever be their start
a., nlsee the real beginning OF the exploration
,ould he near Nova Zembla. after entering the
nack NJ Benard would seek to pass well TO the
o-.buerd of Franz Josef Land. as did the Fran.
TJa ,1,ouId have the most modern instruments and
r.,,o1 wireless telegraphy for communications be-
tween his two vessels. Inasmueh as no money ap-
nars 10 be forthcoming in support Of the PROPOSE
t,on no immediate test Of the policy can be an
ticipated-
The second plan Of attack is 10 push up to con-
,,ar,s,, station In Franz Josef Land for the win
ter and then make a further venture early IN tho
,oroudng year. II here that Walter Well
on an American. made his base nearly twenty
.srs ago II was TO this locality that the Duke
., the Abruzzi directed the Stella Poiare in 1899
r,. winter quarters at Prince Rudolph ISL
and on the northern edge of the archipelago.
ReInR partially disabled himself by accident he
hsr great attempt few months later. But on
aolph Island. when the captain. Cagni. announced
,bat he had reached latitude 49, or about twenty
miles further north than Nansen had gone.
both OF the ZegIer expeditions were designed
TO utilize the facilities offered by Franz Josef