The record-union., 1899-08-29


Northeast Parts, a Success, but
the Second Not Completed, Ow-
ing to His Meeting With an
Accident.
HULL England), Aug. 29.-Walter
Wellman, the leader of the Wellman
polar expedition, who returned to
Tromsoe, Norway, August 18th, after
having successfully completed opera
tions in Franz Josefland, has arrived
here. He walks with the aid OF
crutches, his right leg, which was seri-
ously injured by a fall into a snow
covered crevasse While Mr.. Wellman
was leading his party, still being use
less The explorer was accompanied
by the American members of the ex-
pedition, who are well.
In an interview with a representative
Of the Associated Press, Mr.. Wellman
said: The object of the expedition was
two-fold-to complete the exploration
of Franz Joselfland, of which the north
and northeast parts were practically
unknown, and to reach a. high latitude,
or even the pole itself. The first OBJ
ject was successfully accomplished.
The second would have been achieved,
at least to greater extent than by
previous explorers, but for the acci-
dent to myself
Mr. Wellman recounted the starting
of the expedition from Tromsoe, June
g. 1898, how it reached Elmwood,
the headquarters of the Jackson ex
pedition, July 2Sth, and hoisted there
the Stars and Stripes underneath the
union jack, which had been flying over
the deserted settlement for nearly two
years.
The provisions left for Professor An
dree, the missing aeronaut, We're found
by Mr.. Wellman untouched.
After leaving letters about his ex-
pedition and taking a collapsible house
with him, Mr. Wellman proceeded due
east for Cape Tegethoff, and arrived
there July 80, 1898. There the party
landed all the stores, and the steamer
returned to Norway.
I'VE established our headquarters in
the little house brought from Jackson's
headquarters, continued Mr.. Wellman.
"over which flew the Stars and Stripes
Desiring to push further north with
the greatest speed, I dispatched Bald
win on August 9TH with the Nor
wegians. sledges. dogs and boats. my
self and others intending to follow in
a few days. Shortly after Baldwin's
departure / discovered that, owing to
a sudden break up of the ice, I was un-
able to proceed but I sent two Nor
wegians to inform Baldwin to build
his outpost, leave two men in charge
Of 1t and return to my headquarters"
Here Lieutenant Evlyn B. Baldwin of
the bureau told of the doings of his ex-
pedltlon. He said: September 21st
my party reached Cape Heller, in lati-
tude 81, where we decided to make an
outpost From the very outset we had
a constant fight with the high seas,
ice and wind, and there was 4 con-
tinual fog. The ice underneath US
parted with terrific crashes, leaving us
adrift on small foes. Here we built
station, and called it Fort McKin-
ley. We stocked it with blubber and
meat, and, leaving there two volun-
teers, Ventzen and Bjorvig, I started
to return October 22d to Mr.. Hellman's,
arriving there October Both in safety in
spite of great hardships, cold, darkness
and ice. The party spent the winter
comfortably in Harmsworth house,
which was completely buried in snow.
They killed many bears. Mr.. We1lman,
February Is, 1899, with Norwegians
with sledges and dogs, started north"
Mr.. Wellman, continuing, said: Feb
ruary 26, 1899 I arrived at Fort Me-
Kinley BjOrvig, rifle in hand, stood
at the mouth of the snow tunnel lie
wrung my hand and with tears in his
eyG, said:
Poor Ventzen is dead.
"Of course you have buried him."
said.
NO. Bjorvig replied he lies there,
pointing to the hut I have kept MY
promise
1.-The two men had made a compact
that in case of death the survivor
should keep the body until help came.
In the little hut the quick and the dead
had slept side by side through two
months of Arctic darkness.
"Bjorvig said he had managed to
keep up his spirits by reciting Ibsens
poetry.
1.-THE next day we gathered stones
and under these we buried our dead
comrade. A few fitting words were
spoken as we stood around in 70 de-
grees of frost. After a delay of ten
days, the party. including Bjorvig,
pressed north in sledges and by march
until we reached 81 degrees, east of
Rudolph Island
1.-THE prospects We're then most reas-
suring. We had three months of the
best season before us and were conf
dent of reaching 81 degrees. Though
we had suffered from cold we were all
in fine form.
"Then a seemingly trivial accident
turned the advance into precipitate
retreat. While struggling with the
sledges in rough ice, my right leg was
bruised and sprained by my falling into
a hidden crevasse. For two days,
went on, and. unless other circum-
stances had not occurred I should have
passed onward so far that I would
never have been able to return alive.
At midnight March 22d, we were
awakened by the crushing of the ice
under our feet. Tt swayed and deep
crevasses yawned about us. Several
dogs and sledges were crushed. In
the darkness and storm it was impossi-
BILE to see a path of safety. Expecting
to be overwhelmed at any moment by
u 1o1 Go1x \ 11f