The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-03-14
OFF FOR THE POLE
OFF FOR THE POLE
The Walter Weilman Party Starts
For Spitzbergen on q Unique
Arctic Enterprise.
Fascinating Mystery Of the Frozen
North Likely to Soon Be
Solved.
Mistakes of Former Explorers to Be
Avoided-Some of the Novel
Features.

NEW YORK, March 1A.--Mr. Walter
Wellman, the well known journalist,
sailed on the steamer Britannia en- route |
for Spitzeer1en, from which point his
expedition will make summer dash for |
the north pole. Mr.. Wellman was ac-
companiei by three other Americans
Professor owen b. French, late of the
United States coast and geodetic survey |
and an experienced and capable scien-
tist; DR.. Thomas u. Mohun. asuccessful
Washington physician, and Charles g.
Dodge, the artist and photographer OF
the expedition. The enterprise is under
the leadership of Mr. Wellman, and the
three men named are his heutentants.
Ten hardy young Norwegians, ambi-
tious and experienced in Arctic explora-
ton. viii Join the party in Norway,
and the expedition will sail from from
soc, Norway. for the Islands Of Spitz-
bergen about the 1st of May At Danes
island, which is very near the Soth
parallel--that point of latitude so far
north that many explorers have never
reached and few have ever passed it
headquarters will be established, and
then the party viii steam to the edge OF
the great ice pack about degree
farther north. After . landing is
effected the steamer viii return to
Danes island, and about the 10th or
18th Of May the dash for the pole viii
begin.
That marvellous new metal, alumni
mum, has been utilized in the construc-
ton of .sledges, boats and other appar-
atus, and thus equipped with far lighter
paraphernalia than any previous ex-
plorer, Mr.. Wellman expects to be able
20 push on north at the rate OF from 10
70 20 miles per day. As he will have
only about 900 miles 10 travel before
the pole Ii reached, he expects to either
reach that goal or point very near 1t
in so days. He will then return 10 the
edge Of the pack in so days more, his
steamer win pick him mp, and he will
| then return home.
Mr.. Weilman has carefully studied
the great problem before him and ex-
poets to profit by the knowledge gained
by previous explorers who have traversed
the pack and to avoid their mistakes.
His early start is for the purpose of get.
ting far north before the pack begins its
drift toward the south. Away back in
1921 Sir Edward Parry pushed on north
ward over the pack at the rate Of from
10 TO 90 miles per day, bat his heavy
eqnipage compelled him to break his
loads into parts and pass from five to
seven times over the same road.
Other explorers, Handicapped with old
time sledges and boats, have been COM
PEELED to progress in the same slow
manner, but Mr.. Wellman believes that
with his light aluminium outfit retracing
his steps viii be unnecessary, and that
every mile travelled will take him q mile
farther toward the pole. AT the start
the drift OF the ice pack Will not be
against him, and when he returns later
in the season it will assist him in his
ho1neward journey.
Mr.. Wellman carries with him hi
aluminium boats and sledges-the irst
ever built in America--and tests have
demonstrated that they are by far thu
lightest and at the same time the very
strongest boats and sledges of their siz'
that the world has ever seen. The en-
tire equipment OF the party OF Ia will b.
about $500 pounds. and as 40 hardy
draft dogs will assist in carrying it, th'
average weight per man and dogs viii
be about 100 pounds.
One novel feature of Mr.. Wellmani
scheme of exploration is that Ii is strictly
newspaper expedition, and il Mr.
Wellman's plans are carried out tn.
| world will be apprised of his progress
toward the pole, thing that has nevel
before been done in the case of any pre-
| vious polar expidition. Members of hi
party will be sent back from time tx
time to the edge OF the ice pack witl
letters describing the progress of tht
expedition and ths discoveries made By
the explorers. At the edge of the ic,
| pack the dispatches will be taken OF
hoard Mr.. Wellman's steamer, which
| win return to Norway, whence TIN
world viii receive the news.
Whether Mr. Wellman's dash for th,
i pole will be successful or not remains Il
be seen, but IL his novel plan is ever
Il partly carried out he will succeed il
Preaching degree or latitude farther
| north than that reached by any previou
/ | explorer. With Wellman. Peary. Nan
| sen and possibly jackson in quest Of th'
pole this year. it seems highly probabl,
| that 1894 will mark the solution OF th'