Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1892-02-06 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

THE PROJECTED POLAR EXPEDITION.  Dr. Fridthof Naasen has arrive tin London with the object of giving a series of lectures on Polar expeditions, the proceeds of which Dr. Nansen intends to devote to the great expedition to the North Pole on which he means to start next year. It was at first arranged that the expedition should be purely Norwegian, and that no money should be sought for outside of Norway. But, as is not surprising, Dr. Nansen finds that the undertaking is likely to cost more than was expected, and it is not improbable that he may apply, among others, to the Royal Geographical Society, of which he is a gold medallist, for a contribution. Dr. Nansen means to leave Europe about January, 1893, and make direct for the mouth of the Lena, in Siberia. It is possible that he may take the Kara Sea route to Siberia, but the probability is that he will go by Behring Straits. Dr. Nansen is confident that a. current sets from the coast ef Siberia directly across the Pole to the north coast of Greenland, and that it is the continuation of this current which flows down the east coast of Greenland. Various objects have been discovered on the Greenland coast which it is believed could only have been floated from Siberia or the sea to the north of it. Dr. Nausea expects that his expedition will be away between three and four years, as the progress will be necessaii,7 slow, and, moreover, the current is believed -•,-; oscillate. Ili s svcially-constructed vessel is now nearly completed. Its net tonnage will be about 250, and Dr. Nansen is confidsnt that it is indestructible by any amount of ice-nipping. The accomtnodation on board will be ample for the 12 men who will compose the expedition. Provisions will be taken for six years, and care will be taken to select these in such a form as will give the greatest amount of nourishnumt with the least bulk. Of course it is expected that a certain amount of fresh meat will be obtainable in the form of seals and bears, if not of birds. If Dr. Nansen takes alcohol in ally form it will only be in the medicine chest, or as fuel, and even on the subject of tobacco lie has notions which may not be quite agreeable to his men. Everything, of course, will be subordinated to tha maintenance of the members of the expedition in the greatest possible vigour and to the accomplishment of the great object in view. Arrangements will be made for utilising the engine for the production of the electric light. A balloon will also b-s taken, and the gas required to work it will be taken in storage cylinders. Tents will also be taken for use in sledging expeditions, and boats to lie utilised in the unfortunate contingency of the ship's having to be abandoned. Dr. Nansen talks el Lis expedition in a sober and businesslike fashion, and has certainly the faculty of inspiring others with confidence in his success. If the results are favourable it is possible that when Dr. Nansen returns from the North Pole he will be sent by Baron Dickson, of Gothenburg, to spend at least a year as near as he can get to the South Pole. Dr. Nansen attributes the failure to obtain the necessary funds In Australia to bad management on the part of those who took the enterprise in hand, and never succeeded in enlisting public interest and support.  A New York telegram repotts that M. Edouard der Reszke, while playing in "Melisto" on Monday night, severely burned the side of his head when in the act of drinking the fiery draught of Bacchus. Baroness Bettina Rothschild, wife of Baron Albert Rothschild, and daughter of Baron Alphonse Rothschild, the head of the famous Paris house, is, says a Vienna telegram, lying at the point of death, owing to a cancer in the breast. She is only 33 years of age. The East Kent coroner on Tuesday held an inguest at Ripple on the body of George }right, an army pensioner, who cut his throat in a despondent mood while suffering from influenza and bronchitis.—Tkip jury found thhat deceased committed suicide while temporarily insane.