Ludwig Hansen (1871 - 1955) - Biographical notes

  Amundsen/Fram - first successful expedition to reach the South Pole - 1910-11 Fram

Seaman and ice pilot with Arctic experience. A skilled tin smith who made paraffin tanks for use on sledging journeys. Paraffin was used as fuel in the recently developed Primus stoves used on the expedition. It has a tendency to evaporate in dry climates (known as creep), screw capped tanks will not seal well enough to prevent this. One of Hansen's solder sealed tanks was found 50 years later with the contents still intact.

Landmarks named after Ludwig Hansen

Feature Name: Hansen Spur
Feature Type: ridge
Latitude: 86°13´S
Longitude: 159°33´W
Description: A spur, 8 mi long, descending from the NW side of Nilsen Plateau of the Queen Maud Mountains and terminating at the edge of Amundsen Glacier just E of Olsen Crags. Mapped by USGS from surveys and USN air photos, 1960-64. Named by US-ACAN for Ludvig Hansen, a member of the sea party aboard the Fram on Amundsen's Norwegian expedition of 1910-12. This naming preserves the spirit of Amundsen's 1911 commemoration of "Mount L. Hansen," a name applied for an unidentified mountain in the general area.