Stella Polare
The Stella Polare (also: Stella Polaris, German Polarstern ) was an expedition ship used to explore the Arctic in the years 1899/1900 . It was built in 1881 as Jason and used by Fridtjof Nansen and Carl Anton Larsen for trips to the polar regions.
Expedition course
On 12 June 1899, the Italian naval officer and explorer broke Luigi Amadeo of Savoy , Duke of Abruzzi, with his companions, Lieutenant Umberto Cagni and Count Francesco Querini , having formed from Italians and Norwegians expedition on the Stellapolare of Christiania on to the Exploring North Pole . On June 30, the men met in Arkhangelsk , where intended for the carriage expeditions dogs were taken on board.
From here on July 12th the actual polar journey began. According to the plan drawn up by the Duke of Savoy, the Stella Polare was to try to advance as far north as possible along the western islands of the Kaiser-Franz-Josef Archipelago . From a safe anchorage they wanted to start sledge expeditions in autumn and spring, first to bring food to the northern areas, then to try to get to the pole in three stages. As a minimum target, achieving and exceeding was the 87th latitude envisaged.
In a tolerably good voyage - on the way one encountered the Capella with the members of the Wellman expedition on board - the research ship reached Kronprinz-Rudolf-Land , the northernmost island of the archipelago. After a very harsh winter, the expedition finally set out north on February 21, 1900 in three groups. The first group, led by the ship's doctor Dr. Cavalli was to march back after 15 days, the second under the leadership of Count Querini after 30, and the third, under the command of Umberto Cagni, after 45 days of advance.
The leader of the expedition, Prince Luigi Amadeo, did not take part in the coming marches, an amputation wound on his hand forbade him to participate. However, the onset of snowstorms forced the expedition to turn back after just two days. After the weather had improved, a second attempt was made on March 11th, which cost the lives of Count Querini and his men, who lost their way on the march back to the base camp and got lost in the snow and ice desert.
A week after the count, the ship's doctor, Dr. Cavalli led the second group - although they had not got beyond the 83rd parallel - to retreat, while Captain Umberto Cagni with his companions, the mountain guides Petigar and Fenvillet and the sailor Canepa with their dogs, advanced further towards the Pole. On April 23, this group crossed the 86th parallel. Without having reached the goal - crossing the 87th parallel - Umberto Cagni hoisted the Italian national flag two days later at a latitude of 86 ° 34 ' , then he and his companions set off on the arduous 500 km long way back to the Stella Polare where they arrived on June 23, half frozen and almost blind.
After the ice enclosing the ship had been blown up with gun cotton , the now reunited crew started their journey home on August 16 and arrived in Tromsø on September 6 without any particular obstacles .
The performance that the Stella Polare expedition team had achieved was unique at the time. Not only had Cagni and his men got as far north as no one before you, but they had almost doubled Nansen's marching performance. Nansen came close to the pole in 1896 with his Fram on 418 km, but Cagni on 383 km. On the other hand, it was also clear that despite the enormous walking distance of 18 kilometers per day for these conditions, it was not possible to get to the pole this way and with these means.
literature
- Ludwig Amadeus of Savoy: The Stella Polare in the Arctic Ocean. First Italian North Pole expedition 1899–1900 . First edition, 1903. With contributions by Lieutenant Cagni and Chief Medical Officer Cavalli Molinelli, 166 images in the text, 28 separate images, 2 panoramas and 2 maps
Individual evidence
- ↑ 1881 Bk Jason on lardex.net, accessed January 30, 2018 (Norwegian / English).