New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-26


concerning The Arctic exploring party lod 10y
Mr. Walter Wcllmin. which left this country
some months ago bound toward tn" Norlh foIe
bv way Of SpiiZbcrgrn Experts in Norway ana
England declare that thor" Is liitl" hope Of nS
safety. unless It's members abandoning lh"Ir
wrecked ship. have been able 10 get upon some
huge Held ~ floating ice from which ihry may
De- n, s,ucl. or which may carry them 10 me
~hur. Of Spizbcrg"n or other llnd. All Inc d'-
tails II The Information on which hes" gloomy
commissions are based are not yet revealed. Inc
belief seems 70 be-. however. that the pack lee
this season proved too strong for Inc snip III
which the adventures went North and crushed
II in lts mighty grip: and that thus deprived
- ship and has" 81 supplies. III" explorers nave
persisted But II may we'll be- That too gloomy
a Wow Is taken ~ me case. and iha', even
though the ship b. lost. the men mr." SIM SAFE
and we'll supplied with stores Il food Indeed.
these pcsslml~iic experts di~crolit ih'ir own
oululon~ hv being ridlculously cocs>urr that
Dr hansen. his comrades. anl mi, SNIP are also
lost though any Ideas concerning th'i" present
Whereabouts must be- pur" gurS>Work ana mat
Lieutenant PcIry will return In Srp;"'nb ~ after
sailing 10 The Pole across an open S"a though
~ a matter ~ fact his is a land expedition. win
no ship 10 sail in
The latest news direct from Mr. Wcllman
was received here fortnight ago The yacht
Sadc brought 10 TromS0c dispatch from hlhl'
dated M Danes Island. on III" northwest coast
Of Sptzhcrgcn. on May 10 Mr.. Nrllmnn said
they had reached that point IN six days from
Troms0c an unsurpassed record: had met win
little Zee and were all we'll They wer" setting
ont on that very day for III" Seven Islands.
The Sadie nftcrward sighted MIR W'llmans
ship. stuck In the lee. bur II did not appear 10
he in serious danger. the ccpack being only
temporary What has occurred since then is
matter II conjecture. But no reason yet ap-
pears why the men conll MOI hay" LETT III"
ship supposlng It to hr hoprlrS>ly crushed. in
sicgcs or boats. with both Of which they were
amply equipped, aud made their way 10 the
coast Of Spitzbrrgrn only few miles distant.
Moreover. we should wait for positive proof
before believing that the ship has been crushed
The Ragnvald Jarl was particularly sianrl
little steamer. built expressly for work In seas
wher,. lcchocs abound, and the pilot. Emil
PcdcrSrn was a man Of much experience in
Arctic navigation.
Mr. Wcllman'S plans are also To be considered
He did not intend 10 remain on or near the ship
Leaving Danes Island. he proposed tO steam
northward 10 the edge of the permanent ice
pack There he would disrmbark. with boats.
sleigcs dog teams. etc. and set ont over the
Tee fields. sending the ship back to Tromsoc
whence newly coalcd. It would return To The
nclghborhood Of Danes Island next fall 10 pick
the party up Whatever. therefore, has become
of the ship since they left IT, the explorers. I'M
conscious of it's fate may be- far away on the
lee fields on their way toward The Pole; or now
returning from their quest, for they expected
to start back about July -. Their landing on
the ice to br made In about 81 north lati
indie. or between 800 and 600 miles from the
Pole. From the middle Of May to the middle
OF July they expected to travel northward nj
the rate Of 10 miles a day. AT that rate in
sixty days they would reach the Pole; and sixty
days more would bring them back again at the
middle Of September
If the belief IN The loss Of the expedition rests
merely upon reports Of the loss Of the Ragnvald
.Jarl it is not we'll founded There is no proof
that the ship is LOST nothing but conjecture
based upon observations Of the cctlOw n points
remote from that where ii Is supposed Ia be-.
and upon the fact that II has not returned 10
Troms0c promptly rs was expected 6ut
even the latter consideration proves nothing.
for Mr. Wellman mt one time planned 10 have
the ship remain m Danes Island and not return
10 Tromsjc M all and II may be that ut the
last moment, he decided upon thar course. On
the other hand. the ship may be lost.
and yet the explorers not only be safe but
entirely successful In their daring quest. All
that remains to be done In such Il case Is TO
send another ship to Danes Island in mid
September TO take the place and do the work
OF the one that has been lost There should be
little trouble In getting up such an expedition.
since Mr.. Wellman made no call upon others for