The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-17
THEDASH FOR THE POLE.
Commander of the Wellman Polar
Expedition Talks About His
Summer Outing.
REACHED 81 DEGREES NORTH
And Made Some Discoveries and Some
Suryeys---lIe win Try 1t
Again.

TRoMsoE, Norway, Aug. H. Walter
Wellman. with the crew Of the crushed
steamer Ragnvald Jarl, arrived here on
the fishing yacht Berentine, Captain
johnson, from North Spitzbergen. All
members Of the party are well. Discuss
ing the failure Of his expedition to-
reach the pole, Mr.. Wellman said to q
repre- sentative of the Associated Press:
after the loss of the Ragnvald Jarl
and the consequent breaking mp of my
line of retreat, was compelled to mod
ify my plans for the summers
work and make sure of being able to re-
turn TO the coast of Spitzbergen earlier
than intended. though the expedition
reached within few miles of the 81st
parallel on May 2lst. II days from
Tromsoe The season had changed to
the other extreme, north of the Seven
island, situated at the extreme north of
Spitzbergen. AS far as we could see
were masses of heavy, unbroken ice,
which appeared absolutely impossible.
The expedition then turned its face
east along the northeast land, and
though the northeast gales broke up the
ice which had promised to afford smooth
and easy travelling. the whole northeast
land was explored
Made Interesting Surveys.
The scientific men of the party made
many interesting surveys in geology
natural history. Captain Owen b.
French of the coast and geodetic sur
vey, Washington, accurately surveyed d
large part OF the coast. Among the
points added to the map by virtue Of
the discoveries made during this survey
are capes Gresham, Whitney, Armour
and Scott, and Walsh island.
On July 1. with the seven men and
aluminium boat. started to force my
way over the pack ice, but was com.
pelled after several days Of frightful
struggle In the ice to give mp the at-
| tempt.
On July A, started to return to Wal.
den island, crossing Dove bay. We
were all compelled for hours to wade
through water waist high. The screw.
ing Of the pack Ice threatened to destroy
the boats and sledges, but though they
were subjected to the hardest uses, the
aluminium boats
Came Through Uninjnred.
Had 1t not been for the protection af.
forded to the stores by the water tight
cases, progress would have been impos.
sible in pack ice, where men and sledges
were half the time in the water and
half the time in the ice. Crossing Dove
bay, Alme, meteorologist for the party
broke bone of the right leg and had
to be carried in the boat. Walden island
was reached ON July 90. We waited .
fortnight in vain for open water, and
ON Aug. 4 decided to push through the
Ice. The attempt, which was a r1aost
dangerous one, was wholly successful
and our six boats reached Low island on
Aug. 8, where we sighted the Berntine
Eventually we hired her TO convey on,
party to Tromsoe
sailed For Home.
We sailed from Low island ON Aug
Z, and reached Danes island ON Ang. s.
There we took of Professor Oyen, the
geologist, and Hierdahl, the ski runner
and sportsman from the University oi
Christiana, and the stores which they
were guarding for MS
| Though we were unable to get al
far north as we hoped in 1894 on ac
count OF the loss Of our steamer and the
bad nature of the season, | am deter
mined to Try the Spitzbergen route
again in 1896. !,
/ Declined by Morton.