Ragnvald Jarl

A nameplate from the boat was found at Julianehaap in Greenland in 1921.

Walter Wellman and "Ragnvald Jarl"

(Excerpt from an article by Gunnar Ellingsen in Isflaket no. 4-2012)

The American journalist Walter Wellman (1858-1934) made four unsuccessful attempts to reach the North Pole, first twice “by land” across the ice and then twice by airship. The first of these expeditions of his set off from Ålesund on 24 April 1894 on the ship “Ragnvald Jarl”. Originally, 16 people were in Wellman’s party – five of them Americans, one Briton and one Swede. In addition, of course, the ship’s crew under the command of captain Johannes Bottolfsen was on board. Among the latter were two brothers from Enokgarden in Indre-Hovden, 36-year-old Johan Nikolai and the five-year-younger Enok Olai Hovde. Johan had probably been with the crew of the "Ragnvald Jarl" earlier as well, because this ship had previously been on bottlenose fishing (cf. below), and Johan and Enok's younger brother Knut Petter wrote in a family note in 1942 that "Johan traveled a lot as a bestman, blacksmith and gunner on the Bottlenose fishing and also had his own motorboat for cod fishing."

"Ragnvald Jarl" was originally a schooner brig that was built in 1873 by shipbuilder Carl Joachim Haasted's Skudvigens Skibsværft on Aspøya in Ålesund for a partnership of eight Ålesund residents. Among them was the exiled ørstinger Johannes Amundson Aarflot who was a bookseller – and now one-eighth of a shipowner. The ship usually had a crew of eight people.

In 1888 the boat was sold to Brødr. Kraasbye who also lived in Ålesund and was equipped for bottlenose fishing in the North Atlantic as the first vessel from the city. The following year the "Ragnvald Jarl" was lengthened, ice-skinned and converted to a steamship. More whaling was tried, but the boat gradually became expensive to operate and was therefore sold to Walter Wellman in 1894.

It was usually led by Emil Borch Pedersen, but on the Wellmann expedition he was part of the expedition as an ice pilot.

Søndmørsposten had several notices about “the American North Pole expedition” as the newspaper called it on Monday, March 19, 1894. Then readers learned that “Rangvald Jarl”, a name that the newspaper used quite consistently later as well – that is, not “Ragnvald Jarl”, was launched that day after having been carefully repaired and polished.

            On Monday, April 2, the newspaper reported that 50 dogs would arrive the following Friday to join what was now called “The Wellman Expedition.” The equipment for the journey was now being prepared in Ålesund, where Wellman was also, but most of the expedition participants would come aboard in Tromsø.

            In a notice on Thursday 12 April it was stated that several of those who were supposed to be with Wellman were in Ålesund no. It also stated that the aforementioned dogs, 53 in number, had now arrived and were placed on Flatholmen "where they are allowed to move freely, as far as the space allows." Many curious eel divers were there to see these animals: "They looked extraordinary, though."

Sunday, April 22, was a long party for the "Wellman Expedition." First, there was a steamship trip to Hjørundfjord in glorious weather, and the Americans in particular were very excited about the Sunnmøre nature.

Later, there was a party at the Scandinavie Hotel in the city, "where the atmosphere was particularly lively throughout." There were a series of speakers, and during the party, sculptor Jakob Fjelde modeled a successful bust of Wellman: "The atmosphere reached its peak at its presentation, and Mr. Fjelde was carried on a gold chair as a reward." The party lasted until 4-5 o'clock in the morning, and most of the party report was therefore not included in the Monday newspaper, but in return it was all the more complete in the Thursday newspaper.

“The city was decorated with flags”

"Ragnvald Jarl", or "Rangvald Jarl", as Søndmørsposten still consistently called the boat, left Ålesund at 16 pm on Tuesday 24 April: "A large number of people had gathered on the quay for the occasion, where a band was playing. At the departure, cheers were made and salutes were made. The city was decorated with flags. - Everyone agreed that "Rangvald Jarl" behaved very well, as it steamed in the sunshine The expedition's participants seemed to face the journey with good courage."

 Shipwreck at Walden Island

After stopping in Tromsø, where several expedition members came on board, the "Ragnvald Jarl" arrived at Virgohamna on Danskøya on the northwest coast of Svalbard on May 7. There, provisions were loaded in case wintering was necessary, and then the ship continued north to the Seven Islands. It was no longer possible to arrive by boat, so on May 12, the "Ragnvald Jarl" was moored at Waldenøya, one of the seven islands. Two days later, Wellman continued with dog sleds, an unsuccessful aid because he had brought dogs from Belgium that were practically useless in polar regions, and several of these died or had to be euthanized.

1. On May 15, the crew on board the "Ragnvald Jarl" was surprised at night by large amounts of ice that a strong storm had brought with it, and within less than an hour the entire port side of the ship was pressed in and filled with water and lumps of ice.

Incredibly, they made contact with Wellman and his party, who had been struggling north for about two weeks – without getting very far. The party camped there while Wellman returned to Walden Island to see the sad conditions. However, the crew had enough provisions and equipment, so Wellman decided to return to his expedition members and try to make his way further towards the North Pole.

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