Jason (ship)
The Stella Polare (also: Stella Polaris, German Polarstern ) was an expedition ship used for the exploration of the Arctic in 1899 /1900.
Expedition course
On 12 June 1899, the Italian Navy officer and explorer Luigi Amadeo of Savoy, Duke of Abruzzi departed, with his companions, Lieutenant Umberto Cagni and Count Francesco Querini, with a layer formed of Italians and Norwegians expedition on the Stella Polare from Christiania to the to explore North Pole. On June 30, the men arrived in Arkhangelsk, where intended for the carriage expeditions dogs were taken on board.
From here began on July 12, the actual polar travel. After, designed by the Duke of Savoy plan, the Stella Polare should try as much as possible push forward along the western islands of the Kaiser- Franz -Josef archipelago northward. From a safe anchorage from one wanted to start in the fall and spring sled expeditions, first to provide food in the northern regions, then to try to get in three stages to the pole. As a minimum goal of achieving and exceeding the 87th degree of latitude was envisaged.
In tolerable good trip - go one met the Capella with the survivors of the Wellman expedition on board - came the research vessel after Crown Prince Rudolf Land, the northernmost island of the archipelago. After a very hard winter, the expedition finally broke on 21 February 1900 in three groups in the north. The first group, under the direction of the ship's physician, Dr. Cavalli should after 15 days, take the second under the leadership of Count Querini after 30, and the third, under the command of Umberto Cagni, after 45 days of the advance again the retreat.
The leader of the expedition, Prince Luigi Amadeo did not participate in the upcoming marches, forbade him an amputation wound to the hand participation. Insertion snowstorms forced the expedition but after only two days to repent. After the weather had improved, a second attempt was made on March 11, which claimed the life of the Count Querini and his men, which came off on the way back to the base camp of the way and got lost in the snow and ice desert.
A week after the Earl guided by the ship's doctor, Dr. Cavalli second group met - even though she was not progressed beyond the 83rd degree of latitude - the retreat, while Lieutenant Umberto Cagni with his companions, the guides Petigax and Fenvillet and the sailors Canepa with their dogs, further poleward penetrated. On April 23, this group crossed the 86th degree of latitude. Hoisted to have reached Umberto Cagni two days later at a latitude of 86 ° 34 ', the Italian national flag, then he set out with his companions on the arduous 500 km long way back to the Stella Polare - Without the goal - the 87th degree of latitude to exceed, where they arrived half frozen on June 23 and almost blind.
After they had blown up the ship the enclosing ice using gun cotton, reunited team joined the now 16 August the ride home, and met with no particular obstacles on September 6 in Tromso one.
The power that had rendered the expedition team of Stella Polare was unique at that time. Cagni and his men were like no one gets not only as far north in front of you, but they had also beaten Nansen's march performance by almost double. Nansen was the pole in 1896 came close with his Fram to 418 km, but Cagni to 383 km. On the other hand, it was clear that in spite of enormous proportions for these marches of 18 miles per day in this way and with these agents could not reach the pole.