Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1906 — WALTER WELLMAN. [ARTICLE]

WALTER WELLMAN.

Journalist-Explorer Again to Visit the Polar —— A new interest in Arctic exploration has been aroused by the announcement of Walter Wellman that lie and Santos Dumont, the aerial navigator, will start in the near future upon an expedition which they hope will carry them to the North pole. They will go in an airship and will describe their journeys as They proceed northward by aid of the wireless telegraphy and submarine cables. It is the most spectacular undertaking in - the history of Arctic exploration. Walter Wellman is an able journalist, Washington correspondent of leading dailies, and a reliable writer. He is also an explorer, having twice visited the polar regions. On his first expedition in 1894 he reached the 81st degree. His ship was crushed in the ice and he suffered many hardships. On his second expedition—lß9B-9—he went to Franz Joseph Land, by way.of Archangel, Russia, having 84 dogs with him. After fruitless efforts to push his ship farther north in waters which the following year were free of ice (an example of the luck that runs in the Arctic), he was forced to establish his base at Cape Yagethoff, latitude 80 degrees 4 minutes. In the autumn an outpost was establishe(L.7Q miles farther north. From this outpost Wellman and his men eventually moved north and explored hitherto unknown Tegions, but their cherished hope of going further north than other explorers was spoiled by an injury to Wellman’s leg and by the destruction of some of the camp equipment. Ever since the second expedition Mr. Wellman has been a close stucrent of Arctic work and conditions. Probably he has never been able to get the polar fever entirely out of his system. In addition to his ‘ newspaper and magazine work he has written much on geographical and exploration topics. He has lectured before the Royal Geographical Society of ‘London, the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Geographical Society of Washington, the Arctic Club of New York, and other similar bodies.