June 21, 1889.] 



SCIENCE 



477 



terials employed in construction, their application and uses. In 

 the fourth year, studies in the properties of materials are continued, 

 and contracts, specifications, superintendence, and the details 

 connected with the practical work of the architect, are considered. 

 Throughout the whole course there are lectures and exercises in 

 the history of architecture, as well as in the history of painting and 

 sculpture, the aim being to make the students familiar with designs 

 and styles which they might never even see in the daily routine of 

 an architect's office. 



The future of the department of architecture in Columbia Col- 

 lege promises to be unusually brilliant. The trustees of the college 

 have recently established a two-years' fellowship in architecture, 

 which is the most valuable prize now open to architectural students 

 in America. The conditions under which this will be awarded 

 have not been decided as yet ; but it will doubtless be a travelling 

 fellowship, open to all the graduates of the department, thus en- 

 abling the recipient to pass two years in travel abroad. The in- 

 come amounts to $1,300 for the two years. New York will soon 

 possess, in the Museum of Architectural Casts now being prepared 

 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the finest collection of archi- 

 tectural models in the world. No part of this collection is yet in 

 place, though a portion of it has been received at the museum, and 

 the promises of the museum authorities indicate a collection of e.\- 

 traordinary value and interest. With this collection within easy 

 reach, Columbia College will stand easily in the front rank of archi- 

 tectural schools in this country, and will compare favorably with 

 the best in Europe. Each year witnesses some new improvement 

 to the department, both in the way of teaching and in the appara- 

 tus. The schools of architecture in this country are limited in 

 number, and it will require hard work on the part of the others to 

 keep abreast with Columbia. Barr Ferree. 



HANSEN'S EXPEDITION ACROSS GREENLAND. 



Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, whose daring expedition across the in- 

 land ice of Greenland excites so much well-merited admiration, 

 gives the following description of his dangerous trip : — 



" In the beginning of May, 1888, myself and the companions 

 whom I had selected, Lieut. Dietrichson, Capt. Sverdrup, Mr. Chris- 

 tiansen, and the Lapps Samuel Balto and Ole Ravno, were ready 

 to leave Christiania. After having reached Scotland, we sailed on 

 the Danish steamer ' Thyra ' for Iceland, whence the Norwegian 

 sealer ' Jason ' took us across Danmark Strait to the east coast of 

 Greenland. The ' Jason ' is a wooden steamer with full rigging. 

 She is built for navigation in the ice-covered polar seas. Her bow 

 is strengthened in order to withstand the heavy pressure of the ice 

 setting along the east coast of Greenland. I hoped to find the ice 

 sufficiently loose to permit us to reach the mainland by means of 

 boats in the beginning of June. On June 11 we sighted the coast 

 north of Angmagsalik, where Capt. Holm's expedition wintered in 

 1884-85. We approached the land to within forty miles, but here 

 our progress was stopped by the ice. As it seemed to fill the sea 

 as far as the coast, I did not feel justified in an attempt to force a 

 landing. For this reason we staid on the ' Jason,' which went seal- 

 ing in Danmark Strait. After the sealing was finished, — about 

 the middle of July, — we approached the coast of Greenland for a 

 second time. At this season the belt of ice was not by any means 

 as extensive as it had been in June. On July 17 we approached 

 Angmagsalik to within twelve miles, but we were again arrested 

 by a heavy pack. As I supposed that we should be unable to ap- 

 proach any nearer the coast, I resolved to leave the steamer, and 

 to attempt a landing. We left the ' Jason ' with two boats, which 

 were about twenty feet in length. Besides the boats, we carried a 

 tent, two sleeping-bags made of deer-skin, and five long and narrow 

 sledges for carrying provisions, ammunition, instruments, etc. 



" In the beginning we made fair progress, as the ice was suffi- 

 ciently loose to permit our boats to pass between the floes. Eventu- 

 ally we had to cut off a projecting point, but no serious obstacles 

 were met with. At a few places we had to drag the boats over a 

 floe, butour progress warranted the hope that we would reach the 

 mainland on the following day. The farther we progressed, how- 

 ever, the closer the ice was packed, and the oftener the boats had to 



be dragged over the ice. On one such occasion one of our boats 

 was stove. She was unloaded as quickly as possible, and the 

 necessary repairs were made. Thus four hours were lost. When 

 we were ready to start, we found the ice so closely packed that we 

 had to drag the boats continually. Travelling was made still more 

 difficult when heavy showers of rain set in. We were thoroughly 

 tired out, and it was necessary to encamp on the ice in order to re- 

 gain strength to await the loosening of the pack. While we were 

 encamped, the current carried the ice rapidly southward, and the 

 distance to the coast was rapidly increasing. When it cleared up 

 again, we discovered that we were about fifteen miles south of 

 Sermilik Fiord. We endeavored to reach the coast ; but travel- 

 ling was extremely difficult, as the ice consisted of small and 

 closely packed floes. Besides this, the current continued to carry 

 us southward, and it seemed that the distance which separated us 

 from the coast was continually increasing. Thus the day was 

 spent. The weather was fair, but the current thwarted all our en- 

 deavors. At one time we were close to the shore ; then the cur- 

 rent carried us far out into the sea, and we felt the heavy swell of 

 the ocean. One night, when sleeping in our tent, we felt a heavy 

 swell, and the small floe on which we had pitched our tent was 

 subjected to heavy pressure. On the next morning we saw that 

 the floe was cracked near our camp, and that we were close to the 

 edge of the pack near the open sea. The boats were made ready, 

 and preparations were made to leave the ice. At night we had 

 approached the edge of the pack still more closely. The sea 

 washed over our floe, the size of which was rapidly decreasing. 

 We knew what was before us. In order to be ready to take up the 

 struggle with full strength, I ordered everybody to turn in. Sver- 

 drup was ordered to watch, and to call all hands when it should be 

 necessary to leave the floe. Sverdrup, however, did not call us, 

 and when we arose on the next morning we heard the breakers at 

 a long distance. During the night our floe had been so close to 

 the sea that one of our boats was threatened by the waves ; but all 

 of a sudden it was drawn towards the land, and entered the pack- 

 ice. 



" After a few days the current carried us so close to the land, 

 that we were able to reach the coast. On July 29 we went ashore 

 near Anoritok in 61" 30' north latitude. During our twelve-days' 

 stay on the ice, we were carried southward sixty-four miles. On 

 the whole, the weather had been fair. Now we were on shore, but 

 far southward from the point where I had hoped to reach Green- 

 land, and where I intended to begin my journey inland. Therefore 

 we had to go northward along the coast, as I was unwilling to 

 change my plans. 



" We started on the journey along the coast in the best of spirits. 

 Whenever the ice was too close to the shore, we had to cut our way 

 by means of axes, and we succeeded in making slow progress. On 

 July 30 we passed the glacier Puisortok, which is so much feared 

 by the East Greenlanders. On a point at the north side of the 

 glacier we fell in with a party of natives who had visited the west 

 coast on a trading excursion. This party, who were travelling in 

 two women's boats, had met another party travelling in two boats, 

 who were going southward on a visit to the west coast. We 

 pitched our tent alongside their camp, paid them a visit, and were ■ 

 kindly received. On the next day we travelled in company with 

 the first party northward, and reached the island of Ruds. The 

 Greenlanders let us take the lead, in order to make use of the clear 

 water made by our boats. In the afternoon rain set in. The 

 Eskimo pitched their tents, while we continued our journey. Every- 

 where the ice lay close to the shore, and huge icebergs were pushed 

 into the sea by the glaciers. At Tingmiarmiut we heard the dogs 

 of the Greenlanders howling; but we had no time to spare, and 

 continued our journey. On Griffenfeldt's Island we were overtaken 

 by a northerly gale. At Akornarmiut we fell in with a new party 

 of natives. They, however, were extremely timid, and as soon as 

 they saw us they took to their heels, leaving behind their tents and 

 one dog. We succeeded, however, in making friends with them 

 by giving them a number of trinkets as presents, and on parting 

 we were sincere friends. Numerous kayaks accompanied us when 

 we continued our journey. 



"Finally, on Aug. 12, we reached Umivik, whence, under the 

 existing circumstances, I intended to start on my trip across the 



