Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-08-09
NELLMAN'S ALL SAFE
Their Vessel Wrecked, But
No Lives Lost.
GROUND TO PIECES BY PACK ICE
Five of the Explorers Now al
Tromsoe.


CHICAGO, ILL, Aug. "a cablegram
was received in this city from Tromsoe,
Norway, announcing that Captain Emil
Peterson, Engineer l.. Winship, IL.
Westfalt, mountaineer and cook, and
one sailor of the polar expedition which
left that place on May LIST, on the steamer
Ragnvald Jarl, under command IF Wal
ter Wellman, have returned to Tromsoe
on whaler.
They bring information of the loss of
the Ragnvald Jarl on May 2lth, or three
weeks after the expedition left this port.
The accident occurred soon after the
vessel hal left Dane Islands, near Spitz-
bergen.
A great field of pack ice was enooun-
tered and, despite efforts to escape, the
boat was ground to pieces. Commander
Wellman and his party had sufficient
warning of the impending destruction
TO enable them to escape to the ice with
the greater portion of their scientific
instruments, aluminium boats, provisions
and dogs.
Undaunted by the misfortune, Com
mander Wellman and the remainder of
the party, with the exception of those
who reached here to-day, resolutely set
were then within a few degrees OF the
latitude reached by Lockwood of the
Greedy expedition.
The loss Of the Ragnvald Jarl will
greatly hamper the intrepid explorer,
but it is probable that another boat will
be fitted up at once and dipatched to
the relief of the party.
wELLMAN WAS ABSENT AT THE TINE.
CHRIsTIANA, Aug. 2,-Thc fishing
vessel Malygn has arrived at TromsoC
from North Spitzbergen with Captain
Bottolofsen and three seamen of Walter
Wellman's Ragnvald Jarl aboard her
They report that after several struggles
in the ice the Ragnvald Jarl arrived Oh
May 18th at Table Isle, one OF the
Seven Islands.
The ice compelled the party to return
to Walden Iste. On May 9th Well
man set out with 10 men, 40 dogs and
provisions for 40 days. -Four days latel
: the Ragnvald Jarl was crushed by ice
and was totally lost. Only some store.
were saved.
A message concerning the disaster
was sent to Wellman, and it reached
him on Matens Island. Wellman
Dodge and two others returned to Wal
den Island. They built there soil,
house of the wreckage. The house nc
commodated the majority of the crew
and would afford ample shelter to til,
explorers should they be compelled t,
winter OH Walden Island.
Wellman departed on the 31st 70
Martens Island. The last news from
Wellman was received on juno l7th
when Winship and another lelt the oA
petition within six miles of Platen l.lo
There the party had come upon ii
impossible ice field. Wcllman wa
waiting for the opening and all wer
well.
Upon Winship's return 70 VALDEZ
Island, BottUlofsen and some other
journcyed southwark in aluminium
boats, hoping 10 meet fishing vessel.
Thus they met the Maly5n.
A new vessel will be chartered /
bring back the expedition. Mcanwhil
Wellman and his companions are cross
ing the ice, probably in tic direction D
Gillehand. The ice conditions in III
early part of the expedition were excep
tionally unfavorable.
Trygve HeyerdaAl, the young philc
sophical student who accompanied til
expedition, has gone to Danes Island /
join Peter Oyeu. the geolOgist.