The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 14, 1896, Page 1

VOLUME LXXIX.- SAN FRAN CISCO, FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 14, 1896. g . PRICE FIVE CENTS DR, NANSEN AT THE NORTH POLE, Such Is the Remarkable| Report Sent From Siberia. NOW ON THE WAY BACK. The Explorer Said to Have Found Land on the Long-Sought Spot. IS NOT GENERALLY CREDITED. Scientists and Others Who Believe It Would Be Impossible to Drift to the Pole. ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, Feb. 13.— A dispatch from Irkutsk, Siberia, thata Siberian trader named Koachlaeroff, who is acting in the capacity of agent for Dr. Nansen, the Arctic explorer, hLas stated that off Kolymsk he received in- now on hi v back. ‘When Nansen sailed on his voyage it was with the intention of devoting five years to it if nece: v. His vessel (the Fram) was pecuh ed, so as to resist the pressur fully provisioned for five tion was to penetrate the ice as far as possible and then Jet it carry him north Dr. Frithjoi Na s gained | fame as an Arctic explorer, is about 35 years of a He was formerly keeper of the Museum of Ber- gen, ed his Areti exper; ce Greeniand. Nordens- kjold had started a theory that the in- | terior of Greenland and that probal the survivors of the settlers from Iceland would be found | living there. To determine this ques- tion T ansen,accompanied by three Nor- and two Laplanders, started from in June, 1888. After terrible hard- in some places finding a tempera- ture 80 or 90 degress below zero, they suc- ceeded in crossing Greenland and reachea the western coast in September.. They | were obliged to remain in Greenland all | winter. LONDON, Exc., Feb. 13.—Relatives of Dr. Nansen have circuiated a statement | that they do not attuclr mruch credence to | the report of Koachlaeroff. | o st { RECEIVED WITH INCHEDULITY. | a mild climate, | Melville and Greely Say There Can Be No Truth in the Report. ‘WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 13.—The story coming from Russia to the effect that Nansen, the explorer, has discovered and | landed on the northpole and isnow on | his way home is received here with abso- | lute incredulity by two persons who, of all | others in the United States, are best qual- ’ ified to pass any opinion upon the proba- 1 bility of the statement, namely, Commo- | dore Melville of the navy and General | Greely of the armv. Commodore Mel- | ville said to THE CALL correspondent that | he was particnlarly confidgent the story was | without a reasonable foundation. | “The Fram,” said he, “entered the Arc- | tic to the north and east of Nova Zembla, | with the intention of forcing her way %o the | eastward to the vicinity of Bennett Island, which is. south of where the Jeannette | was crushed in theice. As the Jeannette had made 1300 miles in a northerly direc- | tion, Nansen had an idea that if he could | get into the same current it would carry him to the pole. This, to my mind.is | impossible. There is an ice-cap at the pole extending to the vicinity of the eighty-fifth degree of north latitude. { Soundings, currents and all of the ob- | served phenomena of the Arctic region assure us of this fact. | “If the Fram should have manaced to get as far east and north as Bennet Islang, | and so was seized by the current which | | asked | municate with his’ fellow-men. | an event Nansen's agent might naturally carried the Jeannette, the probabilities are, if the Ship was not crushed and sunk by the ice, as was the Jeannette, and the pro- | visions held out, that she would drift out into the Atlantic Ocean between Franz Joseph Land and Nova Zembla. If, how- ever, tlrere should be a channel north of | Franz Joseph!Land and between-itdnd the ice-cap mentioned, it is possible that the | ship may have drifted through it to the | northward of - Spitzbergen and got intoa | drift coming south along the east coast of | Greenland. If beset in ice there she may | have turned the cape and drifted around to the west coast of Greenland, eventually to be cast out into Baffins Bay and drift | southward. These are the results which | 800 years of exploration and cbservation indicate may be expected as the ending of the attempt made by the Fram.” | General Greely called attention to the fact that the dispatch announcing Nan- sen's success did not state where he was | when heard from, and this he regarded as | a suspicious circumstance. 1t would have | been easy when telegraphing the reported discovery of the pole to have stated just | where Nansen was when this trader heard Irom him. *‘As a matter of fact,”” said General Greely, “nothing authentic. has been heard from the explorer since his depart- ure from civilization. It was expected that he would touch at New Siberia Isl- ands on his way around to take on extra vrovisions and dogs for his sleds. Several parties had touched at the islands during the past two or three years, however, and they had found no evidence that Nansen had been there.”” General Greely has gone on record as’ condemning the theory upon which Nan- sen’s expedition was founded ana, like Commodore Melville, he believes the project impracticable. According to Gen- eral Greely, Nansen held that by getting into the Jeannecte’s current he would be carried north to the pole and then across it south into warmer waters again. Nansen based his belief upon the existence of such a currenton the finding of what were claimed 1o be relics of the Jeannette expe- dition which had been found on the Greetland coast, and on the theory he conceived based upop the direction of the currents and wind. Ncw, according to General Greely, the supposed relics of the Jeannette have never been authenticated as such, although it would have been easy to do so. Upon this flimsy foundation, saia General Greely, the Fram expediuion tarted. He said he did not believe that it has got to the pole, but, in view of the time since the party started, he believes that it has perished or is in great peril. The Norwegian Government evidently takes the same view, he said, for it has projected an expedition tc go to Nansen’s | relief, though no one can suggest the point where a relief expedition should be sent. ERET DS B NOT VERY AUTHENTIC. Lieutenant Peary Does Not Fully Be- lieve the Report. NEW YORK, N. Y., Feb. 13.—When Lieutenant Peary was seen to-night and whether in lis judgment any reliance was to be placed on the report that Dr. Nansen had reached the north pole and is now return- ing, he pramptly replied that what with the meagerness of the dispatch, the local- ity from which the news comes and the season, it does not seem to him as likely to be authentic. Dr. Nansen, if his theory in regard to the current be correct, Licatenant Peary says, would not be likely to ever get back in that direction. He expected to cross the pole and come out somewhere on the east coast of Greenland. If Nansen or any of his party is where it is said he is, the lieutenant thought the message should come direct from him., IO DOUBTED BY DAVIDSON. The Professor Doss Not Think Nansen Reached the Pole. “I hardly know what to think of this strante intelligence,” remarked Professor Davidson when the story of Nansen’s sup- posed discovery was mentioned to him. ““Somehow or other 1 cannot disabuse my mind of the suspicion that the thing is un- deserving of belief. If Nansen could com- municate with his agent at the mouth of the Lena, wny shouid the agent be the first to let the scientific world know of so important a watter? If Nansen really sent 4 message to the effect that he had discovered the long-sought north pole, surely he would make an authoritative statement as soon as he were able to com- In such be employved as the transmitter of the in- telligence; but it seems incredible that the agent should be allowed to figure be- - "FCHARTE ,J o L= S=" %, =, -3 BT o < Uncle Sam —“Get out, you pelican!” fore mankind as the source of the informa- tion. “Regarding the truth of the report,” continued the venerable savant, *‘I prefer to suspend my judgment for the present. If the story is true we will have evidence |of it before long, and then we can afford to believe it. There is no hurry. Asto the fact itself I am far from believing it beyond the range of possibility. Nansen's plan was ingenious, to say the least. He relied upon the current supposed to de- scend through Baffins Straits. It was, I believe, his original intention to pass | through Bering Straits to the norihward, allow his vessel to become embedded in the pole in case there should be no land of Baftins Straits. “However, according to this report Nansen has taken a widely variant course: Sailing easterly along the northern coasts of Siberia he would strike the northbound current from Bering Straits and, aceord- ing to his hypothesis, pa and leave tHe'Arctic | 2 fins Straits, as I said before. He would not, -in fact, could not navigate, striotly speaking, seeing that his vessel, imbedded in perhaps thousandas of tons cf ice, would be able to drift only.. How, then, can we believe that he could, after making his discovery, return to the Siberian coast and acquaint his agent with the facts, retiring immediately into the mysterious back- ground and allowing the agent to publish the discovery to the world? There is a hole in the saucepan somewhere. *“The route through Bering and Baffins Straits was the one which the ill-fated Jeannette would have followed. The fact of the current’s existence seems irrefuta- ble in view of the relics of the Jeannette which found their way to the coast of Greenland. Among these relics, by the way, were some which would have been of great interest to us. Some articles of clothing made in San Francisco and a bankbook issued by one of the San Fran- cisco banking-houses were a part of the important find. ““All the relics washed ashore in Green- land, so far as known, were sent to Chris- tiania, where they formed a part of a zeo- graphical society’s collection. “The Geographical Society of the Pacific naturally aesired to gain possession of those relics having a special interest for Californians. Considerable correspondence between the two sociciies took place with- out any satisfactory answer. At length, about eighteen months ago, Mr. Lund, the Swedish and. Norwegian Consul, paid a visit to his home and while there made inquiries as to the Jeannette relics. The result of his inquiries was enough to dais- gust any man living. The Christiania so- ciety, it appeared, had boxed the relics in three chests, which were placed in the charge of one of the organization’s mem- bers. This man, who was a bachelor with no immediate relatives, died shortly after- ward, and his heirs took charge of his effects. ““The relics being considered as merely a lot of rubbish and old clothes were carted off with the household debris and lost to the scientific world forever. an icetloe, and drift with the current across | there, emerging from the Polar Sea by way | FATE AGAINST THE FIGHTERS, |Peter Maher Disabled by the Blowing of Sand in One Eye. SPORTS IN THE DUMPS. —_— The Big Mill Postponed and May Be Declare¢ Off Alto~ gether. POOR PROSPECT OF A BATTLE. Many Who Went to Attend the Fistic | Carnival Are Leaving El Paso in Disgust. EL PASO, Tex., Feb. 13.—Robert Fitz- simmons and Peter Maher will not battle ina prize-ring to-morrow morning. To- night it is confidently asserted by many of the downcast sports that the proposed “mills” are off for good. This condition of affairs is not due to the efforts of the Federal, State and Mexican authorities to prevent the two men from coming to- gether, or to any inability on the part of Dan Stuart to guarantee a safe battle- ground, but solely to the fact that Maher is suffering from a temporary affliction of the eyes that would make it impossible for him to put up a decent showing in the ring. About a week ago, while taking a morn- ing spin at Las Cruces in a brisk wind, several particles of sand were blown into Mabher’s left eye, and later in the day while - kicking a football a quantity of dust was knocked into the same member. The next day inflammation set in and the services of a Jocal doctor were called into requizition. The trouble, however, was obstinate ana refused to yield to treatment and a couple 1 keep his eyes bandaged and avoid exer. cise. The party remained in the doctor’s office until Julian put in an appearance with the statement that the Australian had authorized him to make any arrange- ments he might see fit. Joe Vendig, Maher’s backer, designated Buck Connelly of Pitisburg as his representative, and the latter with Julian went into conference with Dan Stuart at 9 o’clock. The conference lasted for an hour, and at its conclusion it was announced that the fight would remain in statu quo until Monday, pending which Julian would make no claim for forfeit in behalf of Fitzsimmons, the latter holding himself in readiness to fight on Menday or before and agreeing to announce his final de- cision that day if Maher is still disabled. When the decision was announced Dan Stuart stated that he woula waive all his rights and interests until next summer if the intervening period was necessary to enable Maher to get into fit condition. Malier and Quinn expressed themselves With the agreementand the d that he was confident of hape to get inside the ropes The few that saw him, how- ever, were of a different opinion. His eyes are badly swollen, there isa continu- ous discharge and the eyeballs are dotted with white spots. The opinion late to-night is that the tight is off for good and many cf the out- of-town sports are getting ready for an early departure. No attempt will be made to bring off any of the minor fights until the big affair is settled, Stuart saying that such a move would be impolitic. Maher will remain here until Monday under the care of Dr. White and will do no more training. Outside of the news from Maher’s irain- ing quarters there was scarcely anything during the day to create even a ripple of excitement. Big cards announcing that tickets were on sale were posted about the promoter’s headquarters, but the visiting and local sports were fighting shy of put- ting up their money in speculation, and the receipis of cash in exchange for the cardboards made but a small aggregate. The arrivals up to dusk were not a twentieth of what bad been expected. The reported delegation of a couple of hundred from Mexico City and inter- mediate points dwindled down to a round dozen, and the number of eleventh hour visitors from the Eastern, Central and Southern States was also disappointingly small. Stuart and his associates, however, took this phase of thesituation philosophically and told every -inquirer that the pro- gramme would go on even 1if there were of days since the right eye also became affected. Visitors to the training quar- ters from Sunday to Tuesday noticed the trouble and regarded it as of so trifling a nature that nothing was thought or said of the matter until to-day when word was received that the Irishman was in a bad shape and that a fight to-morrow was next door to an impossibility. Telegrams were at once sent to Las Cruces urging him to come to the city by the first train. The regular daily pas- “I have only this to say about these | SeNger train had, however, nlnadx passed north pole expeditions,” said the pro- ““. tminlng-grounfi, and nothing re- fessor in conclusion. “It seems as though | Mained but to wait for the Silver City explorers would do better to give up look- | [*¢ight and to which a passenger-caboose ing for the astronomic pole beyond the 15 attached. This arnYea over the Santa polar ocean and try to find the magnetic Fe shortly betore 7 o clock, and a large pole to the northwest of Hudson Bay. |°rowd of local and visiting sports gathered That would be a discovery of incalculable | ¢ the depot to see something of the would- importance, and there is at least some champion’s condition for themselves. chance of its realization.” In this, however, they were disappointed, > for Maher, who was accompanied by his manager, J. J. Quinn, and Pete Lowry left AATSR T SOMROT BRes L the train at the smelter, three miles out. Here a carriage was in waiting, and the Mr. Grunwaldt Talks Interestingly of the Eaxplorer’s Venture. The telegram from Irkutsk, via St. Petersburg, telling that Dr. Nansen had reached the north pole and found land there, caused. much interest in this City. It was discussed by many people, and there were many who thought the story might be true. One of the best-posted men in America, probably, regarding the Sea of Kara and the icy route of the Fram from the Si- berian coast, is Constantine M. Grun- ‘: waldt, the n;'ent of the Siberian Fur Com. | Maher was considerably disheartened by pany, now here en route to Russia. this opinion, and after a conference with He has four times visited different parts | Quinn a message was dispatched to Juarez of Siberia, where his company has conces- | With the request that Fitzsimmons lnd» sions to hunt wolves, foxes and other ;3‘:‘:‘?"“ across the river as quickly as . de th o Vladivostock. Traveling by dog” téam, m:nt S v?"” ”‘f ithat ;‘ th care Maher snowshoes and in the other ways known | i8ht be able to ge ?«;ob: e ring in three only to the inhabitants of the frigid north | 48¥, but that it wou better to allow 8 5 Y .| himself & week. He prescrived a wash of 18,00 v Sing yu, h'fnj ne “;' B¢ | sulphate of zine and atropia, and advised Maher to keep away from the sunlight. It would be safer, he added, if he would party was driven to the offices in the Grand Central Hotel of Dr. 8. T. White, the leading local oculist. Aftera thorough examination Dr, White came to the conclusion that Maher wa suffering from an aggravated case of ophthalmia, czused by alkali dust entering within the eyelids, and expressed the opinion that he could not enter the ring with any prospect of being on equal terms with his opponent in the matter of eye- sight at least. but a hundred ticket-holders at the ring- side. Fitzsimmons and Julian loungea about the office during the morning and part of the afternoon, and then the Aus- tralian went down the road to Noake's blacksmith-shop,where he stripped his coat and started to make half a dozen horse- shoes. To a questioner he said he was in good wind, strong and feeling as well as ever he had in his lite, and that he intended to win the battle without being all day about lil. When the news of Maher’s disability came fo town he hunted up Julian, and the two had a long conference with Stuart. The squadron of Mexican cavalry that came up from Chihuahua yesterday was sent out in synads of six during the morn- ing, with orders to patrol the eiver to the north and westward, along the boundary line, two squads having instructions to keep well toward the country between Hatch’s Spur and Strauss on the Southern Pacific, where it was supposed yesterday that the fight would be brougnt off,” Each squad carried sufficient rations for a week, and was under orders to remain in, the field until called by Governor Ahumada. The latter remained in hisoffice at Juarez, receiving occasional reports from his lieu- tenants, who were circling about in this city until dusk,/when he crossed the river. On his way down he dropped into Stuart’s office, but the promoter was absent and, with the remark that he had no particula; business to transact, the Mexican execu- tive went his way. Adjutant-General Mabry of Texas had little with which to occupy himself during the day. He contradicted the report that a detachment of ten rangers went out on the train this morning that carried a por- tion of thering paraphernalia, but added that he was satisfied with the asdurances of the managers that no infraction of the Texas taw was intended. As to the story. that he would co-operate with the Federal and Mexican authorities and aid in pre- venting the fight on other soil, he said: “It is not within my province to do any- thing of,the kind. So long as these men keep clear of the Stite line I have nothing against them. The rangers will accom- pany the train if onc should go out, but their authority will have ended when the State line is crossed.”” At the Pierson United States Marshal Hall of Santa ¥ had his headquarters, and with him wess fourteen deputies rounded up from the southern portion of | the Territory. To-night these were given orders to report on Friday morning at day- light, the understanding being that they would scatter over the western trail and do what they could toward ‘preventing an infracdon of the Catron acton the New Mexican border. Jimmy Carroll, Fitzsimmon’s ex-man- ager, to-day garnished Dan Stuart, Tom O’Rourke and the State National Bank for $900 on account of an alleged debt due him by Fitzsimmons while he was acting as manager for the Cornishman. S NO INSTR TION GIVEN, Troops Not Ordered to Prevent the Fis- tic Encounters. WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 13.—With regard to the rumors that United States traops were being held in readiness to pre- vent the Fitzsimmons-Maher fight in the event that an attempt would be made to pull it off in the United States, it was stated authoritatively to-day that the ‘War Department had nothing to do with the matter and that no troops had been given instructions concerning it. Lo xoy STATE TROOPS ARE READY. Gayernor Hughes Will Not Pevwnit Fight- ing in Avieona. PH@ENIX, Arrz., Feb. 13.—The sole sub- ject of conversation here at present is the El Paso prize-fight; every one is talking about it. Even to the Governor takes an absorbing interest in it. Meanwhile Gov- ernor Hughes and General Schwartz say it shall not take place in this territory, if the National Guard can prevent 1t. To-night Captain Wickham, Comvany B, Pheenix, receided orders to have his company at the armory issue ammunition and to kold a dress and accouterment inspection. The Maricopa and Phoenix and South- ern Pacific railroads have announced their ability to furnish an engine and cars to carry the company to the scene, in case it is needed. Since the arrival of. Major Lewis at El Paso he has kept headquar- ters advised, in his last telegram recom- mending that the companies from Tuscon be kept at Bowie until after the tight. In response to a query sent H. B. Vance at El Paso the following was received here to- night: “I have met Dan Stuart. Knows mu- tual friends. Keep Tncson company at Bowie until I advise you. Am working with United States Marshal of New Mex- ico. - Dan Stuart has been watching Ari- zona, closely.” Responding to the Governor’s telegram assuring him that the Southern Pacific and its employes would be neld responsi- ble as accessories for conspiraey if it brought the fighters into Arizona, Epes Randolph replied that his road would in N0 way assist the conspirators. This is considered a fine point of law, and the law- yers hereare wondering it was never raised before, Testing the Coins. PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Feb 13. —The Assay Commission appointed by the Presi- dent to examine and test the weight and fineness of the gold and silver coins re- served by the mints of this city, San Fran- cisco and-New Orleans during' the year 1895 met yesterday at the mint in this city and ‘began the work required of them un- der the supervision of Director of the Mint Preston. NOW FIGHTING FOR A DELAY, Southern Pacific Forces Lining Up to Face Goebel. HIS BILL WILL PASS. Huntington’s Lobbyists, However, Think They Can Secure De- feat in the House, S0ON TO RECEIVE ATTENTION. Pending the Battle on the Repeal the Sznatorial Deadlock Remains “Unbroken. FRANKFORT, Ky., Feb. 13—For the first time during the session thirty-eight Senators were present to-day in the joint assembiy. No pairs were announced in the Senate and only one in the House. The ballot resulted in no change from yes- terday. The ballot stoo Hunter 64, Blackburn 63, scattering 9. Necessary to a choice 69. The duplicate of the Goebel bill to repeal the Southern Pacific’s char- ter, introduced in the House several days ago by Steiglitz of Louisville and referred to the Committee on Corporations, has brought the matter prominently be- fore the House and members have begun to read the masses of liter- atare sent by friends of the bill and the Huntington people. It was the pur- pose of friends of the measure to have the bill" discussed before the committee in order to facilitate the measure when it passes the Senate. Chairman Freeman said to THE CALL correspondent to-night: “I have not yet called a meeting of the committee to consider the bill, but.will do %0 whenever the parties for or against the bill desire it. I am not thoroughly ac- quainted with the bill, but the measure shall have fair and impartial consideration before my committee.” Friends of the bill in the House claim the measure is meeting with much favor, and will pass in that branch. Huntington and his manager have evidently conceded the fight in the Senate, and have been taken by complete surprise by the intro- duction in the Housé.. The bill will have to be first acted on in the Senate and then comé to the House. The Senate is ex- ‘pected to reach the bill before the week is over. The Capitol, the largest and semi- official daily’ paper of Frankfort, comes out this morning in a strong editorial, evidently. drawn by the n.aster hand of Huntington, against the bill. * Friends of the bill have gained such headway that the only hope of dereating it will be by causing delay. At every session of the Kentucky Legis- lature (as well as of other States) the friendly or hard feelings engendered on the part of those interested in the various measures proposed toward those who favor or oppose them cuts its figure in the course of everything done or sought to be done. This Legislature is no exception to that rule, and it is a very fortunate thing that Senator Goebel and others who are supdorting him have no di- rect or indirect interest in the repeal of the Southern Pacific Company’s charter, have received no retainer for in- troducing and supporting the bill and no promise of a fat fee contingent upon its passage, but are actuated only by dis- interested motives—a desire to remove the stigma and diszrace resting upon their State Legislature by undoing the wrong- ful and unjust act of their pre- decessors of the session of 1884, which made it legal and possible for a close corporation of capitalistic cormo- rants to fasten upon the good people of a large section of our country a system of thieving monopoly, as they understood it, saps the very blood of their industry and their *‘trade, the calm health of nations,” and growing more insolent and powerfgl year by year through their ill-gotten gain far from being satisfied seeks by the most nefarious methods, at which long practice has made them adepts, to virtually perpet- uate the monstrous wrong. Were it otherwise the repeal bill would certainly have strong opposition in some quarters in retaliation for the action of its supporters in the matter of the ‘‘anti-pool- room” biil introduced by Mr. Grazioni, s [ e The Steam Schooner Fram, in Which Nansen Sailed From the Port of Christiana June 24, 1893,