The evening world., 1894-07-24
Experienced Men Believe that
Their Ship Was Crushed
by Ice.
BUT ONE HOPE IS EXPRESSED.
That the Explorers May Have Bess.
Able to Find Refuge
on Land.


LONDON. July 2i-CarI Sisvveru
writes to The Standard that he In in
receipt of advices from Norway thas
leave little doubt that the Wellman
Arctic expedition party is lost,
Experienced shippers just returned
from the sptzbergen seas express IT,
same opinion. and Col. Fielding. whe
accompanied Capt. Naress expedition in
1875. shares this belief
The Pail Mall Gazette is in receipt Of
similar advices from Tromsoe. all con.
frining the general belief in the fate Of
the expedition.
The American North Pole Expedition.
n command Of Walter Weilinan. OF
Washington. left Tromsoe, Norway. on
noarT the steamer Rasnvold Jari, for
last. ."
The expedition included among other
members Astronor1er Owen B. French.
81 the United States Coast and Geodetio
known medical man Of Washington. and
charles G. Dodge, a photographer and
artist; Of the United States Navy De-
In addition, the expedition included
Mr.. Wastfalt. a Swedish member Of the
party; Franklin. an American athlete
n anor. skater n; Wenship. an English engi-
anna Anne, a meteorologist; Hyerdahl
ana Juell, ski runners and sportsmen
rom me University OF Christiania, and
ecutive officer and ice-pilot. The mem
hers Of the expedition had with them
hity dogs: six aluminium sledges and
boats combined ~"
Nothing definite has been heard OF the
ssNpeu,tlon since It touched at Danes
Isiand, on the northwest coast of Spitz-
pe,seh, "here Prof Oven, the geologist.
dog. to await the return OF the eSpedi-
non and guard the provision depot estab-
Iished at that place. The Professors
s snmr t consisted SISTED only OF enough meat and
nour Tor eight men for six months.
oll July Prof: oven was seen BY the
rev o, me yacht Saide. OF the ROYAL
ZACH Eacht Squadron, and they left him some
Iresh supplies. Later, the yacht made
a, search for the expedition. but found
al! the routes badly blocked with ice.
an experienced walrus hunter, Capt
and he expressed the belief that the
Ragnvold Jarl had been crushed nv ins
ana announced his intention OF search
ing Tor the members OF the expedition in
u direction northwest from SpitzberRen
so soon as the ice permitted
The Wellman expedition was particu.
larry well fitted out for exploring with
that f the ara reports s reeeveG n nsssS
may simply amount to the loss OF the
Ragnvold Jarl and that the members
OF the expedition will be rescued alive
The Wellman expedition was distinct
lvely sledging expedition. the steamer
heing only calculated upon to carry them
as Tar as the ice. where the real Arctic
journey was to commence
The Ragnvold Jarl was a vessel of
ISs tons, and was built especially for ice
work She was handled by one of the
pest ice-pilots known.
Danes Island to the edge or the ice
PACK. prooably between 80 and 81 degrees
north latitude, and there Mr.. Weliman
was TO disembark vita fourteen men,
tifty dogs and six sledges. The steamer
was then to return TO Danes Island,
ana the expedition was to push onward
in sledSes drawn by dogs over the ice.
A novel feature of the Weiiman ex-
petition was the use of aluminium in the
construction OF its boats and sledges.
Three small boats were constructed Of
this metal and were built on the lines
Of the surf boats OF the United States
l.ife-Saying Service. thus securing great
strength with extreme lightness. The
boats had sledge bottoms. In order that
they might he used on land as we'll as
on water. In the same manner the six
sledGes, also constructed of aluminium.
could. If necessary. be converted into
boats. These sledges were calculated
to carry loads of 500 hounds each.
Mr.. Wellman also took with him a
So; OF aluminium bridges In order to cross
the ridges or hummocks which rise TO
the height OF twenty or thirty feet when
the icetields collide.
The total weight or boats, sledges. In
struments, clothing and fuel taken by
the Wellman sledgng party amounted
to. according TO programme. $500
pounds, Mr.; Wellmsn, in an interview
In London shortly before leaving that
city, referring to the chances of the
expedition, said:
THE only thing thai we feel certain
Of is that we shall return-not only to
SpitzberSen in September, but to
Norway and TO America before Thanks
giving Day"
Mr. Wellman was a well-known news
paper man. OF Washington, ID. C. He
made no appeal TO the public or to pri-
Vdte individuals for funds, preferring 10
earn the entire cost OF the expedition,
which is estimated 10 he about $4,000.
Mr.: ,Wellmsn was to take what he con.
considered the true highway" to the
north that carved out OF the ice by the
influence OF the Gulf Stream In the Nor
wegian Sea. He calculates that at the
rate OF twenty miles day one could
easily march from Spitzoergen TO the
Pole within a hundred days, and thai V
whar he expected to be able to a.
z