The evening world., 1894-09-27
FROM The ARCTICS.
Members of the Wellman Expe-
dition Arrive on the Spree.
Their Story Of Hardships and Mis-
haps in lev Regions.
Already Forming Plans for An
other Attempt.

The steamship Spree, which arrived at
Quarantine last evening. had among
her passengers the following Arctic ex-
plorers: Prof. Walter Welman, Prof
O. b. French, Of the Coast and Geodetic
Survey, Of Washington who was astro-
nomical observer of the party; Dr.
Thomas B. Mohun, medical officer, and
Charles c. Dodge, artist and photog-
rapher, all OF whom reside in Washing
ton, ID. C.
They left here last March bound for
the North Pole via Norway, and have
been gone a little over six months.
Prof. Wellman, who was in charge of
the party, gives the following ac-
count of the expedition:
I'VE left the town OF Thomso, in Nor
way, May /, on the steamboat Rang
valid Jarl, with twenty-five persons, all
told, sixteen OF whom belonged to the
expedition and nine to the crew. We
reached Sptzbergen, which is in latitude
79.i5. May 7. There we deposited a
large quantity of provisions. leaving in
P[S was t sdv tSs se00
May 10, finding open water on the
north coast of Spitzenbergen,. the Jarl
was headed for the southern island, loo
battles with the ice we reached Table
Island, May II, and were then in lati-
tude $685. or within $50 miles of the
North Pole, or about 14O miles south OF
Brainard expedition. We had advanced
! thus far in eleven days from the time
we left civilization, having covered as
much ground in that time as other ex-
| petitions had in months or even years.
ised to be q favorable one, and We hoped
our Journey, over the ice pack, to the
northeast Storms set in on the 18th.
and vast quantities Of broken Ice went
drifting past. On the nth the Jarl
the eighty--frst parallel, and was then
driven back by the floating ice, through
which no steamer. though she were as
large as the Spree, could have forced
"Finding what appeared to be a per-
fectly safe anchorage on the shore OF
ship May "a. We were fourteen men
having three aluminium boats, five
aluminium sledges and forty-tive
10 the skrnr be norb
ern shore of northeast land. where the
ice though exceedingly rough in places
was yet practicable as a road.
crushed by the ice. Fortunately mos
Of the stores were saved. Notwith
="
of our line of retreat, we decided tC
go on.
After exploring most of the coas
of the northeast land, we found the ic'
thrown up in hopeless confusion In ev
cry direction. We made an effort will
one boat and picked crew of eight mel
to advance to the north, but so rough
was the ice that after four days of in
describable effort, we found that w
had advanced less than four miles. Th
same conditions of ice existed as far a
= the eye could see.
Further progress being impossible
4 we made out way back. through man.
1 dangers and difficulties, to Valdez
= Island, often wading in water up to on
waists. one member OF the party, MI
, Alme, the meteorologst, broke one o
his legs and we had to drag him owe
, the ice and slush In the boat.
{ mo change occurring in the extremel
. unfavorable nature of the season, whc
might give us an opportunity to sti
\ work further north, we set out Aug.
{ to fight our way through drifting ice I
4 the mainland of SpitZbergen In thi
4. We were successful. After a hard struG
: | gle of four days we reached 10y
4 Island, and there found a Norwegia
$ hunting sloop, the Berentlne. which W
= hired to carry us back to our head
= quarters at Danes Island. After tina
Il Aug. To-"
l. Prof. Wellman looks well and heart,
y and Is already making plans and pref
+ arations for another expedition nel
ii