The North Pole was particularly coveted, and for centuries, people had attempted to penetrate the ice with ships or traverse it with sleds, all in vain. In 1897, Salomon August Andrèe attempted an aerial approach using the hydrogen balloon Örnen. The expedition disappeared without a trace in the icy wilderness and was only found over 30 years later. However, this did not deter others from embarking on similar expeditions. The most famous ones include Amundsen and Nobile's airship journeys, but the first attempt to reach the North Pole by airship was made by the American Walter Wellmann.
"...go find the North Pole"
In 1899, the American journalist attempted to reach the North Pole using sleds from Franz Joseph Land. The expedition was a failure; they never made it north of the archipelago, and Wellmann returned home with a broken leg. It was not uncommon for journalists to undertake such expeditions, as the potential news value alone could be enough to generate the much-needed funding. The investment was considered relatively safe, as North Pole expeditions were sought-after reading material that sold well, regardless of whether the expedition reached its goal. Newspapers sold the most copies when expeditions went missing, making dramatic rescue stories particularly exciting to read. Six years after the failed expedition, Wellmann received a telegram from The Chicago Record-Herald instructing him to "Build an airship and with it go find the North Pole."
After acquiring an airship, crew, and supplies, he went to Svalbard in 1906. The expedition was planned to take off from Virgohamna, just as Andrèe had done nine years earlier. However, Wellmann's journey was cut short; the engines were damaged during preparations, leading to the expedition's cancellation.
The following year, he tried again from the same location, this time with the world's second-largest airship. After three hours in the air, he was blown ashore, and the airship crashed on a glacier.
Wellmann's third and final attempt was in 1909. The expedition made it a short distance north before the stabilization system fell off. The journey was canceled, and the airship landed on the sea and was towed south. As the fuel tanks emptied, the airship rose to the sky, climbing much higher than it was designed for and eventually exploding. However, all expedition members escaped with their lives.
Ahead of his time
After learning that both Cook and Peary claimed to have reached the North Pole with sleds, Wellmann gave up that dream but not daring airship expeditions. In 1910, he attempted to cross the Atlantic. After 1600 kilometers, the airship landed near Bermuda due to engine problems. The crew was rescued, but the airship America was lost. After this, he stayed grounded.
Like many North Pole expeditions before, Wellmann's attempts were unsuccessful. The difference was that all members returned with their lives intact, perhaps giving the entire endeavor a somewhat comical undertone. Nevertheless, he had succeeded in setting several records. The 1907 expedition marked the first time an airship had been used in the Arctic, and the 1910 attempt to cross the Atlantic was then the longest distance anyone had traveled through the air.