Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-08-26
WELLMAN'S PARTY
REACHES TROMSOE
Arctic Explorers Arrive in Norway
After Two PeriIous Years in
Polar Region.
UNDERGO TERRIBLE SUFFERING
wellman Unable to Walk and May
BE Crippled for Life--New
Lands Discovered by
Expedition.

Tromsoe, Island of Tromsoe, Nor
way, Aug. 19.-Walter Wellman AMI
the survivors of the polar expedition
led by him arrived here last evening,
having successfully completed their
explorations in Franz-Josef land. Mr..
Wellman has discovered important
new lands and many islands.
The expedition brings II grim story
of Arctic travel. In the autumn of 1898
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 Gust Bentson, the
latter of whom was with Nansen on
the Fran, remained there. The party
wintered in a canvas-covered hut
called Harmsworth house, at Cape Te-
gethoff, IN the southern point of
Halls island, latitude so.
About the middle of February, be-
fore the rise Of the sun to its winter
height, Mr.. Wellman with three Nor
wegians and forty-five dogs, started
north. 1t was the earliest sledge jour
ney on record in that high latitude.
On reaching Port Mckinley Mr.. Well
man found Bentson dead, but Bjorvig,
according to promise, had kept the
body in the house, sleeping beside it
through two months of Arctic dark
ness. Notwithstanding his terrible eN-
p~erience, the survivor was safe and
cheerful.
Pushing northward through rough
ice and severe storms, with n continu-
Gus temperature for ten days between
40 and so degrees below zero, the party
found new lands north of Freedom ISL
and, where Nansen landed in 1895. BY
the middle of March all hands were
confident of reaching latitude 81 or 50,
if not the pole itself. Then began a
| succession of disasters. MIR. Wellman,
while leading the party, fell into a
snow-covered crevasse, seriously in
juring one of his legs and compelling
a retreat.
Two days later the party was arous-
ed by an ice quake under them due to
pressure. In a few moments many
dogs were crushed and the sledge de
stroyed. The members Of the eXpedi-
ton narrowly escaped with their lives,
though they managed to save their
precious sleeping bags and some dogs
and provisions.
On Mr.. Wellman's condition hecom-
ing alarming, as inflammation Sc 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 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 Hofma, of Grand Haven, and
A. Harlan, Of the United States coast
survey.
The expedition killed forty-seven
bears and many walrus.
The Capella arrived at Cape Teget-
hoff in search of the expedition July27
last. On August 9 she met the Estella
Polar bearing the expedition headed
by Prince Luigui, Duke of Abruzzi,
which had sailed from A%rchangel to
reconnoiter northwest Franz-Josei
land and to meet if possible the Well.
man expedition.
Mr.. Wellman and his companions
found no trace On Franz-JOsef land OF
the missing %aeronaut, Prof. Andree.