The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-03
THE TELLMdN EXPEDITION.
Further Evidence that Franz Josef Land Il
Not n fromising Route to the Pole.

| THE WELIMdN EXPEDITION.
| Further Evidence that Franz Josef Land IL
| Not n Promising Route to the Pole.
The expedition led to Franz Josef Land. last
year. by Mr.. Walter Welman. OF Chicago. has
| returned to England. and the story It tells
| gives fair idea OF the work II has done and
| the mishaps which resulted in its premature
| retreat. 1t left behind the Italian expedition
| OF the Duke OF the Abruzzi which 1t met as the
| Duke was entering the southern confines OF the
archipelago. The Duke saw his expected rival
| in the race for the pole turning homsward from
| the starting point. and he will therefore have q
walk-over to the pole. II he can get there. which
| is extremely doubtful.
| Mr. Jackson. in his recent three years work
| discovered that Franz Josef Land 10 merely an
archipelago OF comparatively small islands.
ahording no continuous coast line along which
| sledging parties might make their way toward
| the pole. He also discovered that strong cur
| rents in the channels among the islands tend
| to keep the Ice rather thin and dangerous for
| sedging parties. and that Arctic work in this
| region is. on the whole. about the severest
| test Of human endurance that explorers have
| experienced. These facts convinced nearly all
| the Arctic experts that Franz josef Land Is
about the worst base for further assaults on the
pole that could be selected. and they had little
| faith that Wellman would succeed In making
far northing. The event has justified their
skepticism. for he found the most miserable
conditions for sledgng. and finally fell into a
snow-covered crevasse with results so serious
| that he was compelled to return.
1t is not often that explorers arc engulfed In
these pitfalls. numerous as they are and fire.
| quenty hidden under the snow. but Wellman
| is rot the first to suffer from them in Franz
Josef Land. While crossing Mddendorf
| Glacier in Crown Prince Rudolf Land in 1874
| Payers sledge. dogs and comrade fell
thirty feet into crevasse. Payer was dragged
| in his sledgo harness to the edge OF the open
ing. but managed to free himself in the nick Of
| time. The only chance to rescue Zaninovch
| and the dogs was to secure the help OF party
| whom Payer had left six miles behind. To ex-
pedite his movements the explorer threw of
| his outer garments and ran in his stockin feet
| through the deep snow. covering the six miles
| In an hour; and in four hours and half after
the accident the man. dogs and sled were pulled
out OF the hole. fortunately not much the worse
| for their tum BILE.
Wellman esta bished his winter quarters on
| July 3d. last year. at Cape Tegethoff tn.
| southern terminus OF Hall Island and a little
north OF the S0th parallel At this point he
was on the south edge of tho archipelago and
near the entrance to Austria Sound, up which
| he proposed to ascend From this winter camp
he sent MIR. Baldwin. the meteorologist OF the
second Peary expedition to northwest Green
land, north with Norwegians and an equ ipmenr
and they established an outpost at Cape Heller
| on the west coast OF Wilczek Land about 80
40 north. Here two volunteers. yentzen and
BjoerviC. who had been members OF the Nan
| sen expedition, were left for the winter and
| Wellman with party expected to Join
them. but was prevented from doing 80
by the treacherous ice and almost
| incessant fog that prevailed until tho
Arctic night set in. Ventzen died in Dscem-
Der and his comrade lived alone in the Arctic
night till Weman with q sledging party
| Joined him late In the winter. Starting
on Feb. Is. before the suns return, he was
eight days making this journey. which il note
worthy from the fact that 1t was tho earliest
sledgng journey on record for so high a lati-
tude. he made this early start north In order
| to see how his outpost was faring and also to
insure the best possible advance to tho north
during the sledglng season. He went on from
Cane Ht@er with sledGes. and by March
| 20 had reached 82' north on the sea east OF
Grown Prince Rudolf Island.
1t was here that he fell into creyasse and 40
severely injured His right leg that It was
necessary. after two days further effort to get
North. to face about and make for Headquarters
ioe travelling was terrible owing to floating
| Ice nelds and open crevasses
Before the arrival OF tho ship that took him
homo his party was able to make some original
geographical researches and tho expedition
was by no means barren Of results. All His
tfavel was done in the eastern part OF the ar
| chipelago much OF which had not been ex-
| plored. Jackson In his three years work did
not touch any part OF the region in which Well
man sledge expeditions were made and tho
charts OF the American explorer may 20 lar
70 complete the mapping OF this group Of
According to Wellman the group extends
Iurtner TO tho east than has hitherto been
NorweRiana went across tbs ice to WilcZeE
Lana charted the uneNp!ored east coaSt OF IL
and found a new Island covered with les
| Milczek. They named II Graham Bell Land
| after the president OF the National CeoRraphI'
| cal Society This island extends the south
| part OF the archipelago a considera Bile distance
The highest north among the islands may
there Who, in April. 1874. reached
Land In 81 .O5 North. Wellman. however, saws
MS turning point was twenty-five miles north
west OF the Freeden islands, and he may have
| t. -. 1t will be remembered that the Fran
| drifted to the north of tho group Wellman
| tnIned PACK about scventy-ilve miles mort beast
| OF tho little lslnnd where hansen and mis- com
rads spent the winter, NanSen first landed on
one, one o. the Frceden Islands. and Wellman says
large land to the north that wero seen neither
| ~ Payer por Nansen; 10 also reports PAYERS
| Dove Glacier" north OF Wilczak Land az nom
existent. bgt this fact had already been made
Known ~ Nansen who said that he found only
EstSr where Payer had marked land and this