Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1899-08-26
BACK FROM THE ICY NORTH.
Walter WeIIman and Survivors
Arrive at Norway.
NEW LAND WAS DISCOVERED.

TRoMsoE, Island of Tromsoe, Nor
way, Aug. 19.-Waiter Wellman and
the survivors of the Polar expedition
led by him arrived here last evening
on the steamer Capella, having sue
cessfully completed their explorations
in Franz Josef Land. Mr.. WeIlman
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 Port Mckinley
was established in latitude 81 It was
a house built of rocks and rooted over
with walrus hide. Two Norwegians,
Paul Bjorvig and Bert Benson. the
latter of whom was with Nansen on
the Fran, remained there.
The main party wintered in a can
discovered hut called Harmsworth
house. at Cape Tegethoff, on the
southern point of Halls island, lati-
tude So
fore the rise of the sun to its winter
height, Mr.. Wellman, with three Nor
wegians and forty-five dogs, started
north It was the earliest sledge
journey on record in that high alti-
tude.
On reaching Port Mckinley, Mr..
Wellman found Bentzen dead, but
Bjorvig, according to promise, had
kept the body in the house, sleeping
beside it through two months of Arc
tic darkness. Notwithstanding his
terrible experience, the survivor was
safe and cheerful
Pushing northward through rough
ice and severe storms, with a continu-
Gus temperature for ten days between
20 and so degrees below zero. the
party found new lands north of Free
dom island, where hansen landed in
1895.
By the middle of March all hands
were confident of reaching latitude
81 or SO, if not the pole itself.
Then began succession of disas-
ters- Mr.. WelIman, while leading the
party, fell into snow-covered
crevasse, seriously iniuring one of his
legs and compelling a 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
and the sledges destroyed. The mem
bers of the expedition narrowly es-
capped with their lives, though they
managed to save their precious sleep
ing bags and some dogs and provis-
ions
On Mr. WelIman's condition becom-
ing alarming. as Inflammation set in,
the brave Norwegians dragged him
on sledge, by forced marches, nearly
200 miles to headquarters. arriving
there early last April
Mr.. Wellman is still unable to walk
and will probably be permanently
crippled.
After reaching headquarters, other
members of the expedition explored
regions hitherto unknown, and inn
portant scientific work was done by
Lieutenant Evelyn b. Baldwin of the
United States weather bureau; DR..
Edward Holman of Grand Haven,
States coast survey
The expedition killed forty-seven
bears and many walruses.
1.-THE Capella arrived at Cape Tege-
hoff, in search of the expedition, on
July 81, last On August 9 she met
the Stella Polar, bearing the expedi-
ton headed by Prince Luigi, Duke of
Abruzzi, which had sailed from Arch
angel to reconnoiter northwest of
Franz Josef Land, and to meet, if pos
sible, the Wellman expedition.
Mr.. Wellman and his companions
found no trace in Franz Josef Land
of the missing aeronaut, Professor
Andrea.