Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-18
DISCOVERED NEW LANDS
Wellman, the Arctic Explorer, Returns to
Tromsoe, Norway.
Met With Several Serious Mishaps, In
Guiding Personal Injury In
an Icequnke.

A dispatch from Tromsoe, Norway, yes
terday. says: Walter Wellman and the sur
Vivors of the polar expedition led by him
arrived here this evening on the steamer
Capella, having successfully completed Their
explorations in Franz Josef Land. Mr.
Wellman has discovered important new
lands and many islands.
The expedition brings a grim story OF
arctic tragedy. In the autumn of 1895 an
outpost, called Port Mckinley. was estab-
lished in latitude 81. 1t house built
of rocks and rooted over with walrus hide
Two Norwegians. Paul Bjoervig and Bert
Bentzeen, the latter of whom was with
Nansen on the Fran, remained there.
The main party wintered in canvas
covered hut, called Harmsworth House, al
Cape Tegethoff, on the southern point OF
Halls Island, latitude so. About the mid
die of February, before the rise of the sun
to its winter height, Mr.. Wellman, with
three Norwegians and forty-five dogs, start
ed north. 1t was the earliest sledge jour
ney on record in that high latitude.
On reaching PORE Mckinley, Mr.. Welman
ing to promise, had kept the body in the
house, sleeping beside it through two
months of arctic darkness Notwithstand-
ing his terrible experience, the survivor was
safe and cheerful.
Pushing northward through rough ice and
severe storms. with a continuous tempera-
ture for ten days between ~ and 80 de
grees below zero, the party found new
lands north Of Freedom Island. where Nan
sen landed in 1895. By the middle of March
all hands Were confident of reaching lati-
tude 81 or So, If not the pole itself.
Then began a succession of disasters. Mr..
Weliman, while leading the party, fell into
a snowcovered crevasse, seriously injuring
one of his legs and compelling a retreat.
Two days later the party We're reused at
midnight by an icequake under them, due
To-, ,.-,,f- doc
were crushed and the sledges destroyed.
The members of the expedition narrowly
escaped with their lives, though they man
aged to save their precious sleeping bags
and some dogs and provisions.
On Mr.. Welman's condition becoming
alarming as inflammation set in, the brave
Norwegans dragged him on n sledge. by
forced marches, nearly POO miles to head
quarters, arriving there early last April.
Mr.. Wellman is still unable to walk and
will probably be permanently crippled.
After reaching headquarters other mem
bers of the expedition explored regions
hitherto unknown, and important scientific
work was done by Lieut.. Evelyn e Bald
win of the United States weather bureau,
DIR. Edward Hofma Of Grand Haven, Mich,
and a. Harlan of the United States coast
survey.
The expedition killed forty-seven bears
and many waruses.
The Capela arrived at Cape Tegethoff, in
search Of the expedition. on July p last.
bearing the expedition headed by Prince
Luigi, Duke of AbruZzi, which had sailed
from Archangel to reconnoiter Northwest
Franz Josef Land and to meet, if possible,
the Weliman expedition.
Mr.. Wellman and his companions found
trace in Franz Josef Land of the miss
ing aeronaut, Prof. Andree.
The expedition headed by Walter Well
man left Tromsoc, Norway, June =, 1898.
It's object was to explore Franz Josef Land
and to reach the pole if possible.
The National Geographical Society of
Washington co-operated in the expedition.
The party included Prof. j. IL. Gore of
Columbian University, Washington, who
went to Franz Josef Land to make impor-
tant pendulum observations; Lieut.. E. B.
Baldwin of the United States weather bu-
reau, who had served as meteorologist on
a previous Peary expedition: Querof Har-
Ian of the coast survey and DR.. Edward
Hoffman of Grand Haven, Mich, physician
and Zoologist.
Walter Wellman, the commander of the
expedition, is native of Ohio and was
formerly a newspaper man in Washington.
He has long been interested In arctic ex-
ploratdons. In 1893 he started out to find
the north pole, but his ship, the Ragnvald
Karl, was crushed in the ice, and he had
10 at1Jrr