The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-30
WELLMAN'S ARCTIC TRIP
Completed the Exploration of
Franz Josef Land.
ACCIDENT TO THE LEADER
Prevented the Party Reaching a Higher
Latitude - Wellman's Leg Was
Bruised by a Fall-Possible
to Reach the Pole.


expedition. who returned to Tromsoe.
Norway, Aug. II, after having success
fully completed operations in Franz
Josef land, has arrived here. He
walks with the aid of crutches. his
right leg, which was seriously in
jured by a fall into a snow covered
crevasse while Mr. Wellman was lead
ing his party, still being useless. The
explorer was accompanied by the Am
erican members of the expedition, who
are well. In an interview with the as
ISOLATED press correspondent Mr.. Well
| man said:
THE object of the expedition was
two-fold-to complete the exploration
OF Franz Josef land, of which the
north and northeast parts were prac-
tlcaliy unknown, and to reach a high
latitude, or even the pole itself. The
Hrst OBJECT was successfully accom-
pushed. The second would have been
achieved, at least to a greater extent
than by previous explorers, but for the
accident to myself"
Mr. Wellman recounted the starting
OF the expedition from 1romsoe, June
70, 1898, how they reached Elwood the
headquarters of the Jackson expedi-
ton, July 20, and hoisted there the
stars and Stripes underneath the
Union Jack, which had been flying
over the deserted settlement for near
ly two years. The provisions left for
Professor Andree, the missing aero
naut, were found by Mr.. Wellman I'M
touched. After leaving the letters
about his expedition and taking a col
lapsible house with him. Mr.. Wellman
proceeded due east for Cape Tegethoff,
and arrived there July 80, 1885, There
the party landed all the stores and
the steamer returned to Norway
we established our headquarters in
the little house brought from Jackson's
headquarters" continued Mr.. Well
man, 'over which flew the Stars and
Stripes. Desiring to push further
north with the greatest speed, 1 dis
patched Baldwin on Aug. 5, with the
Norwegians, sleds, dogs and boats, my
self and others intending to follow in a
few days Shortly after Baldwin's de-
parture, I discovered that. owing to a
sudden breakup of the ice, l was I'M
able to proceed, but l sent two Nor
wegians to inform Baldwin to build
his outpost, leave two men in charge
of it and return to my headquarters
Here Lieutenant Evelyn B. Baldwin
of the bureau told of the doings of his
expedition. He said:
Sept. q my party reached Cape
Heller, in latitude 81, where we de-
cided to make an outpost From the
very outset we had to fight with big
seas, high winds and ice, and there
was a constant fog. The ice under
meath us parted with terrific crashes,
leaving us adrift on small foes. Here
we built a station and called it Fort
Mckinley. We stocked it with blub-
Der and meat, and leaving those two
RjOrtVip I
started to return Oct 90 to Mr.. Well
mans headquarters. arriving there
Oct. 80 in safety, in spite of great
hardship. cold, darkness and ice The
party spent the winter comfortably in
Harmsworth house, which was COM
many bears. Mr.. Wellman, on Feb.
is, 1899, with Norwegians with sleds
and dogs, started north"
Mr. Wellman, continuing, said:
Feb. 26, 1899, l arrived at Fort Nc
Kinley. Bjortvig, rifle in hand, stood
at the mouth of the snow tunnel. He
wrung my hand and, with tears in his
eyes, said:
Poor Ventzen is dead
"Of course you have buried him,
l said.
mo Bjortvig said He lies there,
pointing to the house. 1 have kept my
PROMISE
L he TWO IleIl Ildu d SecIel tulIlpdCL
that in case of death the survivor
should keep the body until help came.
In the little hut the quick and the
dead had slept side by side through
two months of Arctic darkness. Bort
Wig said he had managed to keep up
his spirits by reciting Insen's poetry.
The next day we gathered stones and
under these we buried our dead COM
rade A few fitting words were spoken
as we stood around in 10 degrees of
frost. After a delay of 10 days the
party, including Bjortvig, pressed
north in sledges, and by March we
reached 50 degrees east of Randolph
island. The prospects then We're reas-
surfing. We had three months of the
best season before us and were conf
dent of reaching 81 degrees. Though,
of course, we had suffered from cold,
we were all, in fine form.
Then a seemingly trivial accident
turned the advance into precipitate
retreat While struggling with the
sledges in rough ice, my right leg was
bruised and sprained by my falling
into hidden crevce. For two days l
went on, and, unless other circum-
stances had not occurred, | should
have pressed onward SO far that |
would never have been able to return
alive. At midnight, March %, we were
awakened by the crushing of the ice
under our feet. 1t swayed and deep
crevices yawned about us. Several
dogs and sledges were crushed. In the
darkness and storm it was impossible
to see a path of safety. Expecting to
be overwhelmed at any moment by the
ice, we scrambled over the field of ice
and saved most of our equipment ex-
cept the dog food. reaching place of
safety in half an hour. Our brave
Norwegian comrades did not express
the slightest fear
While it was possible to go on for
a time, my leg now demanded re-
treat. For two or three days |
stumbled along until l fell. There was
nothing to do then but get on a sledge
and be dragged back to headquarters
by the men and the dogs. Forced
marches by my devoted comrades
saved my life. The point at which we
turned back was % miles northwest of
Freeden islands, where Dr. Nansen
landed in 1895. North of these islands
we photographed three islands and
some large land, unseen either by Pay
err or hansen. We also found that
Payers so-called Dover glacier does
not exist. | still believe it is possible