The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-08-21
TALK WITH WELLMAN
Some Of the Experiences Of the
Great Arctic Explorer.
HOPE NOT YET ABANDONED.

He Expects to Make Another Effort TO
Reach the Pole in 1s95-The Scientific
Men of the Party Made Many obserya-
tions In Geology and Natural Hlstory-A
Struggle with the Ice.
TRoMsoE, Norway, Aug 7.-(Copy-
lighted, 1894, by the Associated Press. y
Walter Wellman, with the crew Of the
crushed steamer Ragnvald Earl, arrived
here Wednesday by the fishing yacht
Berntine, Captain johnson, from North
Spitzbergen. All the members of the
party are well. Discussing the failure
of his expedition to reach the pole, Mr..
Wellman said to representative of the
Associated Press: 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
summers work and make sure of being
able to return to the coast of Spitzber-
gen earlier than intended, though the
expedition reached within a few miles
of the 9lst parallel on May IL, IL days
from Tromsoe.
1.-THE season had then changed to the
other extreme. North of the Seven ISL
ands, situated at the extreme north of
Spitzbergen as far as we could see, were
masses of heavy, unbroken ice, which
appeared absolutely impossible.
1.-THE expedition then turned its 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.
1.-THE scientific men of the party made
many observations in geology and nat
ural history. Professor Owen b. French
of the coast and geodetic survey, Wash
ington, accurately surveyed large port
of the coast.
"Among the points added to the map
by virtue of the discoveries made dur
ing this survey are Cape Gresham,
Whitney, Armour and Scott and Walsh
island. Only July /, with the seven
men and an aluminium boat started to
force my way over the pack ice. But
was Ecompelled, after several days of
fr1ghtful struggle with the ice, to give
up the attempt.
"On July 4 / started to return to
Walden island, crossing Dove bay. We
We're all compelled for hours to wade
through water waist high. The screw
ing OF the pack ice threatened to destroy
the bouts and sledges, but though they
were subjected to the hardest usage, the
aluminium boats came through unin-
jured Had it not been for the protec-
ton afforded the stores by the water
tight cases, progress would have been
impossible in pack ice where men and
sledges were half the time i'll the water
and half the time on the ice.
Crossing Dove bay, Altme, the
meteorological of the party, broke bone
of his right leg and had to be carried i'll
the boats to Walden island, which was
reached on July %. We waited fort
night in vain for open water, and on
Aug 4 decided to push through the ice.
"The attempt, which was most
dangerous one, was wholly successful,
and our four boats reached Low island
on Aug. 6, where we sighted the Bern
tine. Eventually we hired her to con-
vey our party to Tromsoe. We sailed
from Low island ON Aug. z, and reached
Danes island on Aug. s. There we
took off Professor Oyen, the geologist,
and Hyerdahl, the skirunner and
sportsman from the University of Chris
tiania and the stores which they were
guarding for us.
Though we we're unable to get 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 deter
mined to try the Spitzbergen route
again i'll 1895.