LATE CAPTAIN JOHANSEN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 51, 1 March 1913, Page 6

LATE CAPTAIN JOHANSEN.

WITH AMUNDSEN IN THE ANTARCTIC. Captain Hcjalmar Johansen, who had taken part in many Arctic expeditions, and was with Captain Amundsen in the Antarctic last year, recently died under tragic circumstances at Christiania. His dead body was found in the street. Johansen acquired fame as Nansen’s only companion for 1 1 months on the perilous sledge expedition northwards from the Fram in 1895—an expedition undertaken when it was found that the Fram was not being carried towards the Pole, but past it. The chance ol again finding the Fram was so small, and the journey appeared to be fraught with such risks that, as Nansen said, he could not take the responsibility of -sending anyone else, and therefore he decided to go himself. He chose as bis companion Johansen, “who gladly accepted the offer of going.” A thrilling account of flic adventures on the journey was given by Nansen. To save weight they had left their warm fur clothing on board the Fram, “a proceeding we wore .subsequently to repent bitterly,” Nansen proceeded For about three weeks the temperature remained at about Kkleg. below zero. With such a temperature we often felt bitterly cold in our good, but too light woollen clothing, which, owing to the perspiration of the body, was gradually transformed into an icy coat of mail. It was Worst with onr outer woollen jackets, which became covered with a thick layer of ice which it took us fully an hour to 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 after we got out of our sleeping bag in the morning our. clothes were again transformed into ice, and I scarcely think that either Johansen or 1 will ever wish for a repetition of those days . —Adventure With a Bear.— Once they both had a narrow escape from a bear. They were about to cross a channel in their kayaks, and Nansen was busy with one ol thesb on the edge of a floe when— Suddenly I heard a noise behind me, and turning saw Johansen on his back, with a bear over him, and holding the bear by the throat. I caught at my gun, which lay on the foredeck of my kayak, but at the same time the boat slid into j the water, and the gun with it. By exerting all my strength I hauled the heavily-built kayak up again, but while doing so 1 heard Johansen quietly remark: “You must hurry up if you don’t want to bo too late.” At last I • got the gun out of its case, and as 1 turned round I found the bear was just in front of me. In the hurry of the moment I had cocked the right barrel, which was loaded with shot, hut the charge took effect behind the ear, and the bear fell dead between ns. The only wound Johansen had received was a slight scratch on the back of one hand, and we went on onr way, well laden with fresh bear’s flesh. Another time the kayaks, with all. the provisions, guns, ammunition, and everything broke adrift, and Nansen had to swim through the icy water after them. It was a struggle for life, but fortunately Nansen prevailed. The explorers had to camp during the winter, and eventually found others on the south coast of Franz Josef’s Land. Later Johansen accompanied the Prince of Monaco, Bruce and Isachsen expeditions, and went with Captain Amundsen to the Antarctic, where he was a partner with Lieutenant Prestrud in the expedition to King Edward VII. Land. He was 45 years of age.