POLAR EXPLORER'S DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15234, 22 February 1913, Page 2 (Supplement)

POLAR EXPLORER'S DEATH.

1 _. ■. j v NAN>SEN'S COMPANION. '2sss ]. • | \ ATTACK?!) iY A BEAR. i& ■-•-,.- -._.;•: •• ■; = . -.-f'r-Hi'.;, 1 jCA-'PTAINi /HTJXMAja' JoHAXSEK,. Who. fcajj taken part in many Arctic expeditions and j was with. Captain Amundser> hi- itejiffljv ffill j tarctic last year, has died .■ id "fiaeie'' '■"'" 'ci; ; o'inj?tances;;'.afc Christ.i«s>i«- y-g dead ~1 ■ ,iyi- : -<-' was found in the street •v, „ *- t J ■ ■ ? «j- -j. '. fine - N ~->-', - companion xav i : .• ;(- la ,, , : sledge, e*ye ■■-. .iu/tu. -.•$ f-om {;,„ Fram in 13'' > ,i iA'/tifc-; a uudertalttn when it was i<L\i\;.i\ ik<\\, the 'iram was nai ■"■' being carried towards the Pole, but p^.j ; ' i it. / The chance of again finding the Fra,? \ J'-ras so small, and the journey appeared to ' ■ be fraught with »ach risks. that, as Nanion : , •■ said, ' he; 'tould not take the "res^nsibifii-s ; '•' of sending anyone else,; and therefore 0,- ; v derldtd'-.'i^-go himself. He chose as {,'" j. .-.Tohaneen, " whv gladly ■■{~,;..... I oepted offer of: g'lng." a thriUl|4-;JM \-. f acc«u?- ; i.of tut (>.<?, ventures on *Jh M ■^b^S.fef'l { was given by /.Ncuisen hi the special" narra". J tive he wrote on his return. /*b sav? I weight thoy fad left their worm ; H t- $$£ •., ■. ihg on boa,-- ;i: ■:,■ ■Fram, ''a p<vcescinjr wa ' : ' were. subs/.*;'',_;■'"■:•.''-",.vto repent cii "'■.-<> '*■:■. Naneeri'-psbit'*: •:■.■ i. — . -■.-- 1 Jf . "For ffbe-yi ,x,tii"<je/weoks the ture ccniainvl at about 40deg. below i^ With such a'temper? ,'buro v,o o:\ti. felt ■ fft' bitterly. i:old in: our good, bur too %Mi ~ woollen clothing, whi-'i, owirj. to ' ' perspirat/ion of the body, was 'gradually '" transformed .into an icy coat of mail, .■■ ft ~- was worst with our outer woofr-n. jackets ; " which became covered with a thick layer ;■ of ice; which it-took us fully an hour to"' f thaw every night in our sleeping bag,.and ' not until :; we had lain, with/ chattering teeth " for about an hour and a-half did "we begin ">'*"■■ to feel at all comfortable. A few minutes 1 after, got out of,/our sleeping bag in '- the morning our clothes were again trah». ..' ' formed info ice, a.nd I scarcely think tLt ■ eitliisr Johinsen; or J will ever wish for a 4,; repetition of those days." . ~ - ;,. \ Adventure with a Bear. " ' / [; h ■Once they both had a narrow escape •■ from a bear. ; They were about to cross a ■ i' channel/in their kayaks, and Nansen wai '*'( busy with on© of these on tha edge oi a'.., j : floe when:— . -, : !'.,'■ "Suddenly I heard a noise behind me, and,'turning, saw.,lohansen on'his hack, :" with a bear over him, and holding the bear ■ ' by the throat. I caught at my gun,- which.'/,. lay on the fore-deck of mv kayak, but at -■'•' !' the same time the boa'j elid into the water, fffl and the gun with it. By exepfcinjj•all,my.--l: ; :f? strength I hauled the heavily-buift' kavak, ? i-o up again, ■' but while;» doing so •I :■ heard Johansen quietly remark,/ You must hurry; '•', up if you don't vranii to be too late.' At I'fh last I got the gun out of its case, arid as I ' turned round I found the bear was just in front of me. • In the: hurry of the - moment .':.'..-' I had cocked th<i right barrel, which 'was '{)■; • loaded with' shot, but the 'charge took/;? effect behind the? ear and the bear fell '.";- dead between us. The only %?ound Johan- "' ; sen had received wsis a slight -scratch -on'-* H> ' back of one hand, and we \fent on onr H|. way well laden with fresh bear's flesh." : «..fl|| Another time the/ kayaks, with all the % ■.' provisions, guna, ammunition, and every-Ifl thing, broke- adrift; and Nansen had. to , 5f swim through the icy waters after them.Y:^ ' It-was a'strugglo/for life, but fortunately M Nansen prevailed. The explorers ~had*tb- -.■;.- 1 camp during /the winter, /and' ever.tuilly I;s* | found others the south, coast of Ftana -$$ .■■ Josefs Land. , , t - •' , lister Johansen, accompanied thy Prjacj.'-/ I of, Monaco, Bruce and Tsachsen Arctic ex- '■'■'; ' peditions, and Went with Captain Ai&mid-1| 1 sen to the AntostJc, where he.was .1 part-; ner with Lieutenant Prestrud in the expe-'v ! dition to King. Edward VII. Land. ■ Be ■ - was 45 years of age. > :' -.:'" ;; :V- : ; ■ ' ■-■V ..':'. ....•'-.-',-/ ■■'.-■ 1- ...':" ■■- ■ ■■»■: ■: :i':i:: . '■ '■'. - : ■.■■.-.-.;;... ■-..■,- .T'.'-R'&''3'.i4M