The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-29
THE POLE IS HIS MECCA
WELLMAN TO START TUESDAY
ON AN ARCTIC TRIP

His Plans Contemplate a Stay of One
Winter in the Frozen North. Tbeu
Dash for the Pole in the EARLY
sprfng-search for Andree One
Of the Objects of HIS Expedition
Scientists to Accompany Him.
correspondence The st. Paul Globe.
WASHINGTON, May 26. Walter
Wellman, the newspaper correspond
eht and Arctic explorer, will sail on
the steamer Lain on Tuesday next for
the first stage Of his new attempt to
reach the north pole. He will go TO
London and thence to Norway wbanca
be expects to start northward about
the 10th of June
His point of departure will be from
soc, on the northernmost coast of Nor
way. From Tromsoe he will go tn
Archangel, Russia, where a pack of
Arctic dogs are awaiting him. care
fully selected by the same Russian ex-
pert VINO lifted out DR.. Nansen's party.
for oraught purpose on long stretch
1t Is necessary that these dogs should
De trained as carefully as horses for a
race. They are toughened to expos
ure by being compelled to sleep in the
snow all winter on the borders of the
Arctlc sea, In temperature of from
~ to SO degrees below zero, and thew
are prepared for their priyations bv
being made to subsist on a very low
diet while they are being exercised In
pulling loads.
MI. Wellman's ship will be the FIRTH
Jof, pronounced by the managers of the
Norwegian Lloyds the fastest and
strongest ice steamer in Norway. The
snlps company will consist of nine
men, seven Of whom will make the
maj dash for the pole. Four of the
seven are AmericansY the other three
are Norwegians, whom Mr.. WelIman
takes with him free of charge nv an
arrangement with King Oscar of swa-
oen' VINO is an enthusiastic friend Of
exploration.
The Americans are Prof. Harlan or
Columbian university in this city, who
will be the physician Of the party nm
oer the auspices Of the United States
coast survey; Lieut.. Baldwin, of the
weather bureau. who will serve as
meteorologist. geologist and botanist.
Dr. Edward Holman. Of Grand Haven.
Mich, medical officer and naturalist
and Mr.. Wellman himself. who will Ill., ha
leader and director of the entire ex-
petition. Prof. Cope, of Columbian mi
verslty, will go along as far as Franz
loser Land, to make some Important
geodetlc observations
In selecting Norwegians instead Of
1 Ma,l TO accompany his party, Mr..
WeLrnan adopts a different course
from Lieut.. Peary. But experience has
proved to him that Norwegfans are
!nuch more hardy, understand travel
ing through the frozen zone in all its
technical details quite as well as the
Esk1mos, and have vastly greater cour-
age, intelligence and persistence.
From Archangel. the expedition will
sail through the floating ice for Cane
Flora, IN Franz Josef Land, where il
expects to establish supply station.
Leaving couple of men in charge of
thls, the seven Adventures will push
on through the archipelago to the
north end Of Franz Josef Land
They will winter somewhere between
81 and 80 degrees north latitude, in a
hut built of stone drift-wood. waIrus
skin and ice, and living on the game Of
the country, which is said to be very
abundant Before the middle of Feb
| ruary, the long Arctic night will be
over, and the dawn will be light enough
to permit of further travel
Mr. Wellman has allowed himself
about sixteen weeks between February
and June for his journey of 1000 miles
between his winter station and the pole
and back again. He has not dared to
allow longer period, because soon
after the first of June the snow in that
region begins to melt enough to make
travelling through it extremely hard.
Although it will be practically day
tlme through all this part of his trip,
the days will be marked off from the
nights by calendar of the party's
own making, the day being devoted to
travel and the nights to sleep. Allow
ing an average of nine hours, travel
every day for liz days, the party could
make one mile an hour and accomplish
their round trip between their winter
station and the pole with a little time
to spare. But, undoubtedly, having all
their supplies carried by dog-sledge
and being themselves on ski, they will
be able to make much better progress
than this, and allow literally for all
sorts Of delays and for a sufficient stay
at the pole, if they reach it, to make
valuable observations.
Altogether, Mr.. Wellman has decided
to devote about one year and a half
to his expedition. Whether he finds
the pole or not he feels that he may
bring news Of the fate of the explorer
Andree. If Andree is still living he
expects to fird him in Franz Josef Land,
toward which his balloon was heading
when it was sighted two days after it's
assent. That Andree has persisted Mr.
Wellman is forced reluctantly to be-
lieve, but the one chance of his being
alive rests upon the fact that he knew
of the use of Cape Flora as a supply
station, and that he may have sue
ceeded in reaching that point and keep
ing himself from starvation and freez-
ing.
A good many explorers and geograph-
ers, professional and amateur, have
commended the Wellman plan of ex-
ploration. committee of the Nation
al Geographic society, consisting of
Gen. Greedy, Commodore Melville and
Profs Simon Newcomb, c. Hart Mer-
Ram and G. K. Gilbert examined the
prospectus some time ago and on their
recommendation the society gave the
expedition its formal approval.