THE WELLMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 6064, 25 September 1894, Page 4

THE WELLMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

* A despatch recounting an interview with Captain Bottolfsen, who command id the Bagnvald Jarl, ths vessel whioh conveyed the Wellman Arctic Expedition to Ppiizb i\'pn, has been received, from whioh it appears thit. the explorers underwent great har.Uhipi and many perilous adventures. Captain B>ttt>lfeen eavs that the expedition reached Waldeo Island on. May 17th when the paok of ice wae already becoming r übU'tooja. On May 24th Mr <A'ellme.D nu ! his p.rfcv uUrtod northward, Bod four dfys lafer tho screwing of the ice c<mmaoccd m reul ettmrat, the icoborgs towo-iDtf every eid i of the vessel yardarm high* On that suaie day, while tbe crew were drinking their " r oruoon obffte tbe ice suddenly closed m, &lv the <tßgnvald Jarl was crushed like a mntohbox. The water ro»hed m with terrifio foro?, and all fled ashore' To? eiMie oatoßt'oph • occupiod but four 01 s"'ramul»rf i'ronaioua t*u boats, however, had already been taken on shore, and as the vesael did not fink, but hung on the edge of the ice. it wa* possible to save a considerable quantity of stores, especially of coal, whioh wus obtained by breaking a hole m the side of tho ship. Until a proper hut oould be ooustruo'ed oat of the wreokage, however, the cmw were oompelled to she'ter m a large dog kenneli. An exprats party wes at onoe despatched to convey news of the disaster to Mr Wellman, who was overtaken at Martin Island. Mr Wellman himself, with Mr Dodge and two others ,returned to Walden Island, and a oouncU of war was held, at whioh Captain B jttolfsso.Herr Waatfeldt and a sailor declared themselves willing to attempt the perilous southward journey and report the fate of the ship, while Mr Woliman again went northward.- The heavy paok ioe prevented their immediate departure, however, •o that they we c not able to leave until June JJ7th whenßottolfsen, ftastfeldt, Heyerdahl, Winship and Hode finally set out, taking with them a email 12ft aluminium boat. For four weeks m enow and storm across the tresoberuus pack the party strugg ed on, rtmalioie* hauling their boat over the ioe and sometimes flailing or rowing. In this manner they covered 230 miles south along Spitzbsrgen. Nearly all their olothes and much of tbeir other equipment (had to be thrown away to light-tn, the boat, whioh was overloaded Beren Norwegian sealers were sighted to the east of Norse Islands, but all attempts to signal them were ineffectual. At length tbe patty reached Norse B»y, rounded VVe'c ac Point on July 19th, ond were takeu on b a<d the sloop Malygen, whioh conveyed them to uromso. During the ooait jiurney the explorers luokily shot a few Polar btars and reindeer. The aluminium boats were of the greatest ssrvioe to the expedition, but the dogs had to bo shot, as they got sore feet The party of six left on Walden Island will, it is thought, be resetted by one of the sealer* , as the ice end weather conditions have changod so much for tha better that they could proceed eastward.