The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-17
WALTER WELLMANS OFFER.
He Fain Would Figure in the Search
for Andree

Tor Audrees
1t is announced seriously that King
Oscar of Sweden and Norway has ac-
cepted an offer made by Mr.. Walter
Wellman to carry a party of Swedes
with him on his projected polar ex-
petition.
The invitation was accepted seriously.
That it was extended in the same spirit
is not known. And it never viii be-
Seriousness is such an Unusual quality
in Walter Wellman polar expedition.
There is one beautiful virtue about
these Wellman polar journeys which
cannot be commended too strongly. 1t
is that they are innocent of the dan
gers of frostbite. Nobody ever had to
wear ear-muffs on one of these expe-
ditions. The crystal depths of the
white north contain no ehills for Mr..
Wellman
The ostensible design of the contem-
plated trip is to find Andree. the lost
balloonist. Mr.. Andree's chance for
having himself found is depressingly
slim.
Readers of The Times viii recall that
great big bag of gas. There is some
strange, some peculiar. some poetic
fitness in Mr.. Wellman's burning anx-
iety to find him. 1t has been said that
if Andree's balloon has collapsed, Mr..
Wellman might give to it renewed
buoyancy without overtaxing his pecu-
liarity.
hos ta1 TO ind
things before. but they have remained
unbound. On one occasion, he began to
find the North Pole, but did not get
far enough north to catch cold. That
is, Mr. Wellman stated that he started
to find the pole. OF course. this is not
conclusive evidence that he did
There can be no question that Mr.
Wellman is favorably disposed toward
a cool climate. Whether he will be able
to crafty this inclination in the sweet
bye and bye is a grave question. But
anyhow, at present he pines for Winter
weather.
He believes that a cold climate is
one of the best of climates for adver-
Using purposes. There may be a few
slow witted persons who believe sin
cerely that Mr.. Wellman is eager TO
I find Andree, but these persons are not
quaintances of Explorer Wellman. At
ter the former polar expedition of Mr..
Wellman, he needed an excuse to set
out on another, and poor Andree is that
excuse.
Mr. Wellman is one of the most ex-
perienced men in the polar exploration
business He feeds peanuts to the po-
lar bears at the Zoo on Sunday. drinks
ice-cold beer, and otherwise keeps in
training. 1t is said that he can repeat
from memory entire = chapters of
Nansen's books, and it is also said that
his letters dated at the North Pole re-
veal his intense familiarity with the
literary productions of other explorers.
His talent for producing polar litera-
ture has been so highly developed that
it is believed he can write pieces about
life in the silent north while lounging
in the shade of a blosSoming peach tree
on the banks of the Potomac in Spring.
The paper for which Mr. Wellman
writes pieces prefers that he should
produce his letters in this way, as the
last alleged Arctic expedition OF Mr..
Wellman cost that paper $4,000
At any rate, Andree's chance is slim
slim for many reasons. Night has a
way of overtaking Wellman polar ex-
petitions. and besides. they are inyarf-
ably shy on dogs. A paucity of dogs
and daylight Is what caused the RoSn-
valid Jari TO lose itself in ice.
The Rognyald Jarl was not a new
tangled sort of cocktail nor a fin de
steele julep. It was formerly a boat
Now it is an inspiration for magazine
articles at space rates.
Occasionally it has itself lectured
about-but not often.
If Mr.. Andree really wishes to be
found, he would better get as far away
from the pole as possible.
The point of contiguity between a
Wellman expedition and the pole is
usually the magazine editors sanctum,
'"steen flights up"
It's even money Mr.. Wellman couldn't
! find the pole with a lead pencil 1000
| kilometers long.