Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-08-19
Survivors of the Wellman Polar
Expedition Reaches Tromsoe,
TrOmsoe Island, Norway.
ARRIVE ON the STEAMER CAPELLA.
DR.. Walter Wellman Has Discovered
Important New Lands and Many
Islands Near Franz JOsefland.
Grim story of an Arctic Tragedy-A Tenn
perature of between 40 and 80 De-
grees Below z, ro- New Lands
North OF Freedom Land.

TRoMsoE, Island of Tromsoe, Nor
way, Aug. 19.-Walter Wellman and
the survivors of the polar expedition
led by him arrived here Thursday
evening on the steamer Capella, hav-
ing successfully completed their ex-
plorations in Franz Josef land.
DIR. Wellman has discovered inn
portant new lands and many islands.
The expedition brings grim story
of an Arctic tragedy. In the autumn
of 1898 an outpost called Fort Mckin-
ley was established in latitude 81. 1t
was house built Of rocks and rooted
over with walrus hide. Two Nor
wegians, Paul Bjorvig aid Bert Bent
sen, the latter of whom was with Nan
sen on the Fran, remained there.
The main party wintered in can
vass covered hut called Harmsworth
house at Cape Tegethoff, on the south
ern point of Halls island, longitude
80.
About the middle of February be-
fore the rise of the sun to its winter
height, Mr.. Wellman with three Nor
wegians and As dogs started north. 1t
was the earliest sledge journey on
record in that high latitude.
On reaching Fort Mckinley Mr.. Well
man found Bentsen dead, but Bjorvig,
according to promise, had kept the
body in the house, sleeping beside it
through two months of arctic dark
ness. Notwiths anding his terrible ex-
perience, the survivor was safe and
cheerful.
Pushing northward through rough
ice and severe storms, with a continu-
Gus temperature for ten days between
40 and so degrees below zero, the
party found new lands north of Free
dom island, w here Nansen landed in
1895.
By the middle of March all hands
were confident of reaching latitude 81
or ss, if not the pole itself.
Then began succession of disas-
ters. Mr.. Wellman, while leading the
party, fellinto snow covered crevasse,
seriously injuring one of his legs and
compelling retreat.
Two days later the party was arous-
ed at midnight by an ice quake under
them due to pressure In a few mo-
ments many dogs were crushed and
the sledges destroyed. The members
of the expedition narrowly escaped
with their lives though they managed
to save their sleeping bags and dogs
and provisions.
On Mr. Wellman's condition becom-
ing alarming, as inflammation set in,
the brave Norwegiaus 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 proba bly, be permanently
crippled.
After reaching headquarters other
members of the expedition explored
regions hitherto unknown, and i'm
PONNd hlllC hOIh Wdb uOut Dy
Lieut.. Evelyn i. Baldwin, of the United
States weat her bureau, DIR. Edward
Hoffman, of Grand Haven, Mich, and
A. H arlan, of the United States coast
survey.
The expedition killed Al bears and
and many walruses.
The Capella arrived at Cape Tegethoff
in search of the expedition on
July 81 last. On August o
she met the Stella Polar bear
ing the expedition headed by Prince
Luigi, duke of A Abruzzi, which has
sailed from Archangel to reconnoitre
northwest Franz Josef land, and to
meet, if possible, the Wellman expedi-
ton.
Mr.. Wellman and his companions
found no trace in Franz Josef land of
the missing aeronaut, Prof. Andree.
--
Guerin RefuseT 10 Surrender.