Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-24
A Belief in Norway That the Brave
Explorers Are Lost.
DETAILS EAGERLY SOUGHT FOR
1t is Possible That Only the Vessel
is Missing.
PERSONNEL OF THE PARTY

LONDON, July 24.-Carl Siewers writes
to the Standard that lIe is in receipt of
advices from Norway that leave little doubt
that the Wellman arctic expedition is lost.
Experienced shippers just returned from
Spitzbergen seas express the same opinion,
and Col. Fielding. who accompanied Capt.
Mares expedition in 1873, shares this belief
The Pail Mall Gazette is in receipt of
similar advices from Tromso, all confirming
the general belief in the fate of the expedi-
tion.
Members of the Party.
The American north pole expedition in
command of Mr.. Walter wellman left
Tromso. Norway. on board the steamer
Ragnvold Jarl for the island of Spitzbergen
on May "a last. The expedition, among
other members. included Astronomer Owen
b. French of the L. S. coast and geodetic
survey; Thomas b. Mohun, a well-known
medical man of Washington, and Mr.. Chas.
Z. Dodge. a photographer and artist of the
Z. .. Navy Department In addition the
eApedition included Mr.. Westfall, a Swedish
member of the party; Franklin. an Ameri
can athlete and skater; Wenship an Eng-
nsh engineer; Oyen, a geologist from Chris
uana' Anne, meteorologist; Hyerdahl and
Jueii' SKI runners and sportsmen from the
University of Christiana and Cant Hen
dcrson Of Aalesduun the executiva oftioar
ana Ice pilot. The members of the expedi-
tion had with them fifty dogs, six aluminium
siedges and boats combined
Nothirg definite has been heard 30 81,
expedition sin ce 1t touched at Danes Is,and
OH tne northwest coast of Spitzbergen
where Prof. Oyen. the geologist. was Ieft
ms o. ~ companion being a Cog, to await
the return of the expedition and euard ,h,
Provis on depot established Mt that place
Inc professors stores consisted only of
enough meat and flour for eight men for
six months. A0'
Possibly Only the Vessel Lost.
On July Prof. Oyen was seen by the
crew of the yact Saide Of the royal Yacht
squadron. and they left him some fresh
supplies. Later the yacht made a search
Tor the expedition. but found all the rou,es
badly blocked with ice. An experienced
wairus hunter. Capt. Johannessen, was also
seea by the Sai1e, and he expressed the be-
iief that the Ragnvold Jarl had been crush
so sa py Ice and amour ced his intention OF
searching for the members of the expedi
tion In direction northwest Of Spitxbereen
SO sooE as the Ice permitted. The Wellman
eNpeoItion was particularly well fitted out
Tor exploring without the aid of a shin 40
II is hcped that the reports received in Lon
aon may simply amount to the loss of the
Ragnvold Jarl. and that the members Of
We,,e@ xVe ,expedltion @ Wiil be rescued alive. The
eiinan expedition was distinctly a sledg-
ing expedition the steamer being only cal
culated upon to carry them as far as tha
ice. wnere the real arctic journey was to
Mr.. Wellman's Plans,
Mr. Walter Wellman is a well-known
newspaper man Of Washington. ID. c. He
made no appeal to the public or to private
individuals for funds. preferring TO earn
the entire cost Of the expedition. which 4.
estimated at about $4,000 Prof. Oven.
the French astronomer of the party. was
detailed for the duty by the superintendent
or the coast survey. Mr.. Wellman was 10
take what he considered the true high
way to the north. which Is carved out OF
tne Ice by the influence Of the gulf stream
In the Norwegian sea. He calculated that
at the rate OF twenty miles q day one could
easily march from Spitzbergen to the pole
within a hundred days. and that is what
he expected to be able to do
Opinions of Arctic Shippers,
LONDON. July 24.-Arctic shippers re-
port that the foe Of pack ice and its densf-
.ty this summer would prove Irresistible to
any vessel. however strong. They believe
that the Ragnvold Jarl has been crushed
In the ice. and express the belief that there
is a remote chance that the members Of
the Wellman expedition have been saved
by managing to get upon an ice foe. I'm
which case they believe that the explorers
are in most dangerous position, and they
add that 1t is most probable that the Rag
nvold Jarl was crushed without warming
Should the forebodiEgs of the arctic skip
pers prove true, AMI IL tbA Ragnvold Jarl
was crushed without war mhg, it is prob
able that the members of the expedition
were unable to take any large quantity of
supplies with them Upon the ice foe, even
supposing that they had succeeded in es-
Gaping thereto.
When questioned in regard to the effec-
tiveness of the aluminum boats in such an
emergency, the arctic captains expressed
the belief that they would be of no use in
such pack ice as was flowing this summer
Mr.. Fflden, the owner of the yacht Saide
has received news of Prof Oyen's distress
from Capt. Johannessen Of the sloop Anna,