The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-17
WILL TRY IT IN '95.
A Thorough Test Of Aluminium Showed
IL to, BE All That Was Claimed
For IL.
Bv The Associated pysss.

TRoMsoE, Norway, Aug. IT, Walter
WellmAn, with tho crew OF the crushed
steamer Ragnvald Jarl, arrived here by tho
fishing yacht Bertine, Captain johnson.
from North Spitzbergen. All the men,
bers Of the party are we'll. Discussing the
failure OF his expedition to reach the pole,
Mr., WellmAn said:
After the loss of the Ragnvald Jarl
and the consequent breaking up Of my
line of retreat. was compelled to modify
my plans for the summer werk and make
sure Of being able to return to the coast of
Spitzbergen earlier than we intended,
though the expedition reached within q
few miles of the slst parallel on May IL,
ii days from Tromsoe.
"The season had then changed 10 the
other extreme. North of the Seven islands,
situated at the extreme north Of Spitzber-
gen, SO far as we could see, were masses of
heavy, unbroken Toe, which appeared alb
solutely impossible.
'The expedition then turned it's face
east, along the northeast land, and though
the northeast gales quickly broke up the
Ice, which had promised to afford smooth
and easy travelling, the whole northeast
land was explored.
"The scientific men of the party made
many interesting observations i'm geology
and natural history. Professor French
accurately surveyed q large part of the
coast Among the points added TO the
map by the virtue Of the discoveries made
during this survey are Cspes Gresham.
Whitney, Armour and Scott, and Walsh
island.
ION July I, with seven men and an
aluminium boat, started to force my way
north over the pack-ice, but was com
PEELED, after several days Of frightful
struggles with the ice, to give up the at
tempt.
A Disagreeabls Fourth
"On July 1 started to return to Wal
den island, crossing Dove bay. We were
all compelled for hours to wade through
water waist high. The screwing Of the
pack-ice threatened to destroy the boats
and sledgcs, but though they were sub
jccted 20 the hardest usage the aluminium
boats came through uninjured. Had it
not been for the protection afforded the
stores by the water tight aluminium cases
progress would have been impossible in
pack-ice, where men and sledges were half
the time In the water and half the time
on the ice.
Crossing Dove bay, Alme, the meteor
ologist of the party, broke a bone In his
right leg and had TO be carried In the
boats to Walden island, which was reached
on July ~.
"We waited fortnight In vain for open
water, and on Aug. 4 decided to push
through the ice. The attempt, which was
a most dangerous one, was wholly success
full, and our four boats reached Low island
on Aug q, where we sighted the Bertine.
Eventually, we hired her to convey our
party 10 Tromsoe. We sailed for Low
island on Aug. z, and reached Danes
island on Aug. 8. There we took of Pro
fessor Oyen, the gcologist, and Hyerdahl,
the ski runner and sportsman, from the
University of Christlania, and the stores.
Though we were unsuccessful in get
ting as far north as we hoped In 1894, on
account Of the loss Of our steamer, etc,
and the bad nature Of the season, am
determined to try the Spitzbergen route
again in 1895"