Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-08-24
BACK FROM THE ICY NORTH.
Walter WeIIman and Survivors
Arrive at Norway
NEW LAND WAS DISCOVERED.

TRoMsoE, Island of Tromsoe, Nor
way, Aug. TO- Walter Wellman and
the survivors OF tho Polar expedition
led by him arrived here last evening
on the steamer Capella, having sue
cessfully completed their explorations
In Franz Josef Land, Mr. Wellman
has discovered important now lands
and many Islands
The expedition brings grim story
OF Arctic tragedy In the autumn OF
1893 an outpost called Port Mckinley
was established In latitude 81. 1t was
u house built OF rocks and rooted over
with wAlrus hide. Two Norwegians,
Paul Bjorvig and Bort Benson, tho
latter OF whom was with Nansen on
tho Fran, remained there.
The main party wlntcred in can
vas.covered hut called Harmsworth
house, at Cape Tcgethoff, on the
southern point OF Halls island, lati-
tude 80
About the middle OF February, be-
fore tho rise OF the sun to its winter
height, Mr.. Wollman, with three Nor
wcglans and forty-Avo dogs, started
north. II was tho earliest sedgc
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 II 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 continu-
Gus temperature for ten days between
40 and 90 degrees below zero, the
party found new lands north OF Free
dom island, where Nansen landed in
1895.
BY tho middle OF March all hands
were confident Of reaching latitude
81 or SO, II not the pole itself.
Then began succession of disas-
terA Mr. Wellman, while leading the
party, fell into q snow-covered
crevasse, seriously injurlng one OF his
legs and compelling u 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 provls-
Ions
On Mr. Wellman's condition becom-
ing alarming, as Inflammation set in,
the brave Norwegians dragged him
on a sledge by forced marches, nearly
200 miles to headquarters, arriving
there early last April
Mr.. Wellman is still unable TO walk
and will probably BIO 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 Hoffman of Grand Haven,
Mich, and A. Harlan OF the United
States coast survey
The expedition killed forty.seven
bears and many walruses.
1.-THE Capella arrived at Cape Tege-
hofI, in search OF the expedition, on
July 81, last. On August 0 she met
tho Stella Polar, bearing the expedi.
tion headed by Prince Luigi, Duke OF
Abruzzi, which had sailed from Arch
angel to reconnoiter northwest OF
Franz Josef Land, and to meet, IL pos.
sible, the Wellman expedition.
Mr. Wcllman and his companions
found no trace in Franz Josef Land
Of the missing aeronaut, Professor
Andrec.