The times., 1899-08-29
WALTER wELLMAN's RETURN.
Prevented From Carrying Ouf His
Plans by His Injuries.

Plans by His Injuries.
HULL. England. Aug. 2S.-WaIter Well
man. the leader of the Wellman Polar ex-
pedition. who returned 10 Tromsoe. Nor
way, on August IT, after having success
fully completed explorations in Franz
Josef Land. arrived here today He walks
with the aid Of crutches. his right leg.
which was seriously injured when he fell
into a snow-eoyered crevasse. st-ll being
useless. The explorer was accompanied By
the American members of the expedition.
who are well. In an interview Mr.. Well
man said:
The object of the expedition was two
fold. to complete the exploration OF Franz
Josef Land, of which the north and nosth-
east parts were practically unknown. and
TO reach high latitude. or even the Pole
itself. The first object was successfully
accomplished. The second would have been
achieved, at least to a greater extent than
by previous explorers, but for the accident
10 myself"
Mr.. WeIlman recounted the starting OF
the expedition from Tromsoe. June 26 1893.
how it reached Elmwood the headquarters
of the Jackson expedition. on July %. and
hoisted there the Stars and Stripes under
meath the Union Jack The latter had been
flying over the deserted settlement for
nearly two years The provisions lefs foF
Prof. Andree were found by Mr.. Wellman
untouched.
After leaving letters about his own exps-
dition Mr. Weliman proceeded due east for
Cape Tegethoff. arriving there on July SO.
1898. There the party landed all these
stores and the steamer returned 20 Nor
way.
I'VE established our headquarters in the
little house brought from Jackson head
quarters" continued Mr.. Neiiman. "over
which flew the Stars and Stripes Desiring
TO push farther north with the greatest
speed. / despatched Baldwin on August 5
with the NoTwegians. siedges. dogs. and
boats, myself and others intending to fol-
low in few days Just after BaIdwin's
departure l discovered that, owing to a
sudden break up OF the ice, was unable to
proceed. but I sent two NOrwegians to build
his outpost and leave two men IN charge
of it and returned to my headquarters"
Here, Lieut. Evelyn B. Baldwin, OF the
United States Weather Bureau, told Of the
dOings of his expedition. He said: "Oa
September u my party reached Cape Heller
in latitude ST. where we decided TO make an
outpost From the very outset we had a
constant fight with high seas. ice. and
wind. and there was a continual fog The
ice underneath US parted with terrific
crashes. leaving US adrift on small foes
Here we built a station and called 1t Fort
Mckinney. we stocked II with oiuob1r and
meat and leaving there two volunteers.
Yentzen and Bjoervih, started to return
on October % to Mr. WeIlmans headquaT-
ters. arriving there on October 80 in safety.
in spite of great hardships. cold, darkness.
and ice"
TIE party spent the winter comfortably
in Harmsworth House. which was complete
Iy buried in snow. They killed many bears.
On Christmas Eve MFR. Weilman was nearly
killed by a bear which attacked him. and
had actually struck Mr.. Weilman's shoulder
and knocked him to the ground, when the
dogs rushed up and drove on the bear Mr..
Wellman. on February 1S 1899 with three
Norwegians, with sledges and dogs. started
North.
Mr. Wellman, continuing. said: ''Febru-
airy 90. 1889 / arrived az Fort Mckinley.
Bioervih, rife in hand, stood at the mouth
of the snow tunnel. He wrung my hand
and. with tears in his eyes, said. Poor
Ventzen is dead. "a