Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-18
His Voyage to the
Arctic Regions.
DISCOVERED NEW LANDS
But Had a Most Hazardous Trip and
Returns to His Home a Cripple
A Grim Story of Tragedy is Re-
lated By Him.

Tromsoe, Island of Tromsoe. Norway.
Aug. 17.-Walter Wellman and the sur
vivors of the Polar expedition led by
nlm' arrived here this evening on the
steamer Capelle, having successfully
completed their exploration in Franz Jo-
SET land. Mr.. Wellman has discovered
important new lands and many islands.
The expedition brings a grim story of
Arctic tragedy. In the autumn of 1898
an outpost called Fort Mckinley was es-
tablished in latitude 81. 1t was a hut
built of rocks and rooted over with wal
rus hides. Two Norwegians, Paul Bjor-
Wig and Bert Bentzen, the latter of whom
was with Nansen on the Fran, remained
there. The main party wintered in a can
~Vas-covered hut named H~armsworth
house, at Cape T%egethoff, on the south
ern point of Halls inlet. About the mid
die of February, before the rise of the
sun to its winter height, Mr.. Wellman,
with three Norwegians and As dogs, start
ed north. 1t was the earliest sledge Jour
ney on record in that high latitude. On
reaching Fort Mckinley, Mr.. Wellman
found Bentzen dead, but Bjorvig, accord
ing to promise, had kept the BODY in the
~DAS ANNpAA16 IL IlIOusu liz Two
months of Arctic darkness. Notwith-
standing his terrible experience, the sur
vivor was safe and cheerful.
Pushing northWard through rough ice
and severe storms with a continuous
temperature of 10 days between 40 and
80 degrees below zero, the party found
new lands north of Freedom island, where
Nansen landed in 1885. BY the middle Of
March all and were confident of reach
ing lQfifl6a 81 m W IF mot tho noJa ;fco1f
Then began a succession of disasters. Mr..
Wellman, while leading the party, fell
into a snow covered crevasse, seriously
injuring one of his legs and compelling q
retreat. Two days later the party was
aroused at midnight by an icequake
under them, due to pressure. In a few
moments many dogs were crushed n
their sleds destroyed. The members of
the expedition narrowly escaped with
their lives. though they managed to save
their precious sleeping bags and some
dogs and provisions.
On Mr.. Wellman's condition becoming
alarming, and Inflammation having set
in, theb brave Norwegians dragged him on
a sledge, by forced marches, nearly 200
miles to headquarters, arriving there
early last April.
and will probably be permanently Grip
pied. After reaching headquarters, other
members of the expedition explored re-
gions hitherto unknown, and important
scientific work was done by Lieutenant
Evelyn Baldwin of the United States
weather bureau; DR.. Edward Hoffman of
Grand Haven, Mich, and A. Harlan of
the United States coast survey. The ex-
petition killed Al bears and many wal
ruSes.
The Capella arrived at Cape Tegethofe
in search of the expedition in July last.
One morning she met the Estella Polar
bearing the expedition headed by Prince
Luigi, duk of Abruzzi, which had sailed
from the Archangel to reconnoiter north
west of Franz Josef land and to meet, if
possible, the Wellman expedition.
Mr.. Wellman and his companions found
no trace in Franz Josef land of the miss
ing a%eronaut, Professor Andre.