EXPLORED THE ARCTIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 971, 14 May 1930, Page 9

EXPLORED THE ARCTIC

DR. NANSEN DEAD AT 69 YEARS OF AGE IN SCIENCE AND POLITICS United P.A.—"By Telegraph Copyright Reed. 9.35 a.m. LONDON, Tuesday. The death has occurred of Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian scientist and explorer. A survey of the life of Dr. Fridtjof Nansen is essentially associated with tli e most romantic aspects of Polar explorations. Thirty years ago he was the hero of a great adventure, holder of the record for the “Farthest North.” ancl thousands acclaimed him in all parts of the world. His very presence

the sight of him reminded people that courage, heroism, and fortitude under suffering were still extant. Since then he had come and gone unnoticed, until comparatively recently, when he came back once more almost unheralded and propounded a plan under the auspices of the: German AeroArctic Society of flying in a Zeppelin over the North Pole. Dr. Nansen was a native of Christiania and was 69 years of age. His education was acquired at the university in his home city and later in life he studied zoology in Greeland, taking up the position, on his return, of cura-. tor of the museum at Bergen. His iirst Polar expedition was undertaken on the Fram in 1893. After passing the north coasts of Europe and Asia, lie put his vessel in the pack ice off the New Siberia Islands, and in 1895 made an unsuccessful dash for tho Pole. His Arctic observations, which he published in “Farthest North” and elsewhere proved of great value to science. About 1905 Dr. Nansen was active in politics ancl was closely associated with the separation of Norway and Sweden. He was the first Norwegian Ambassador to England, was in 1920 director of the international scheme of repatriation. As High Commissioner of the League of Nations and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1921-22, he had carried round the world a message of peace, which had included sympathy, understanding, charitableness, and more than all, of kindliness even if understanding failed. Dr. Nansen was the author of many publications upon Arctic conditions and adventures and upon hunting and sport in wild Norway.