The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-09-29
THE ELUSIVE NORTH POLE.
WALTER WELLMAN'S PROJECT TO
WIN HONORS.
To Sail for the Arctic June Is, 1S9S-
Hansen Approves of the Plan-Icn
Men i'm the Party.

RESPONDENT has reached Washington
from Europe, having gone across the
water to arrange for another attempt
at the north pole. He went to Nor
way and Russia and consulted DIR.
hansen. arranging for Il steamer and
Il large number of Siberian draught
dogs. Mr. Wellman describes his pur-
poses and aim as follows: J.,
THAT the effort to reach The uITh
pole will go on till the feat is accom-
plshed may be taken for granted.
Leaving out of the discussion the
question whether it is of any practi-
cal value to do it, man set out long
time ago to achieve this thing. and he
will never stop until he has succeeded.
Nations have engaged in the friendly
rivalry of an advance toward the pole.
and the world watches with keen in
terest every step nearer the goal. The
Englishmen, Norwegians and Amer
lea have been conspicuous in this race
and next year at least three eNpedi-
tons will be in the field-Captain
Sverdrup of Norway, in the Fran,
and Lieutenant Peary, of the United
States, on the west coast of Greeland,
and myself in Franz Josef Land.
my plan is very simple one. All
the details of it | submitted to Dr.
Nansen in Christiania few weeks
ago, and he approved them in the
main and made some suggestions, of
which you may be sure | shall make
good use.
although my own experience has
been valuable, | really had not decid-
ed to make the attempt until DR.. Nam
sen gave me so much encouragement.
y
and not above giving help to such a
humble member of the guild of arctic
enthusiasts as myself.
1--WE shall sail from Bergen. Nor
way, in stanch ice steamer, June Is,
next year. The expedition party will
be composed of ten men-two or three
Americans and the remainder Norwe-
gians. Several of the hardy fellows
who were with me three years ago al
ready have volunteered their services
At Capt Flora, in latitude so degrees,
where Mr.. jackson made his head
quarters, we shall establish a supply
station, leaving two men in charge.
The remainder will push on next Au
tumn, with sledges, dogs and small
boats. as far north as we can go be-
| fore winter sets in. Probably we shall
reach Cape Fligely, the furthest point
! touched by Payer quarter of a c-u-
fury ago. though we may be able TO
! considerably further. No one knows
how far north the land of Franz Josef
| Archipelago extends: but it is beliCy
ed to 90 as far as the eighty-third par
| allel
! wherever we winter we shall find
plenty of game for food and fuel for
ourselves and the dogs. This is one
great advantage Franz Josef Land has
over North Greeland as point of &C.
parture for q polar party. In north
ern Greelnrd there are few seals, and
consequently few ice bears. There are
few or no walruses. In Franz Josef
Land all these are plentiful. When
we come to winter we shall profit by
the LESSONS which Nansen and johann
sen taught all arctic workers-that
one may winter wherever he car find
game and has Il gun and cartridges.
As DR.. Nansen modestly said to me,
of course YOU can winter there. You
will have tools to throw up your hut
with. and many other REQUESTS. ,Io-
hansen and | had not even piclaN
or shovel.
EARLY in 1899 we shall, if everything
goes right, set out upon our journey
toward the pole. There will he five
or six men and sixty dogs We shall
90 equipped for journey of 100 or 10
davs Tbe fovoraEIa season for sIedu-
mo over tbe ice of the Arctic sea is
in the spring. while the cold is still
great and there is light to travel by.
In summer the ice breaks up consid-
erably, leads or channels are numer-
Gus. and worse than all, the snow is
~ s,ri,u TX 70 IN daoraes helo,, zarc
Tobr-tha surface is hard and sIe,,u.
mo at lis hest IN. Nonsen's odvirp
to ma is to .st,rt os carly ne noseihIe
e,.on hoforo tba eun raturns While
Il yin NOT ho pleasant to crawl ont ~
snm,, ,,i,ter!s nest obont tbe middle
''''S '''''' ~ 49,