300 
much more stable than the ferrous, for it does 
not give off the gas on heating nor in a vacuum. 
The experiments of Weinland and Lauen- 
stein have shown that in the alkali iodates an 
atom of oxygen can be replaced by two atoms 
of fluorin. Further researches on these fluorin 
salts have been carried out by Weinland and 
Alfa and are described in the Zeitschrift fur 
anorganische Chemie. Quite a series of fluo- 
phosphates, fluo-sulfates, fluo-selenates, fluo- 
tellurates and fluo-dithionates have been formed. 
In all of these the fluorin does not directly re- 
place the oxygen, but the P=O, S=—O, etc., 
groups appear to be converted into Bee 9 
iS) OF, etc. Most of these compounds crystal- 
lize well and their crystallographic characteris- 
tics are described by H. Zirngiebl. 
IN the Zeitschrift fiir angewandte Chemie the 
subject of a substitute for gasoline and benzine 
for many technical purposes is discussed by 
A. Ganswindt. The great danger from fire and 
explosion, ignition being caused even by the 
electric spark, is well known. The use of vari- 
ous chlorinated hydrocarbons is suggested, as 
carbon tetra-chlorid, which is, indeed, already 
used to some extent in this country. It is also 
possible that some of the chlorination products 
of acetylene may prove of real value along this 
line. i 
dy Hy 2a le 
RETURN OF THE WELLMWANN EXPEDITION. 
REUTER’s Agency announces that the steam- 
ship Capella arrived at Tromsé on August 18th 
from Franz Josef Land. The vessel brought 
with her Mr. Wellmann’s expedition, with which 
she fell in at Cape Tegetheff. It is reported 
that the expedition reached the 82d parallel of 
north latitude. The party bring with them the 
following remarkable story: In the autumn of 
1898 an outpost called Fort McKinley was es- 
tablished in latitude 81, and a house was built 
of rocks and roofed over with walrus hides. 
During the voyage of the Fram two Norwegians 
named Paul Bjoervig and Bernt Bentzen re- 
mained there. The main party winteredina 
canyas-covered hut at Cape Tegethoff, in lati- 
tude 80. In the middle of February, before the 
rise of the sun and in the depth of winter, Mr. 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. X. No. 244. 
Wellmann, with three Norwegians and 45 dogs, 
started north, this being the earliest sledge 
journey on record in such a high altitude. On 
reaching Fort McKinley they found the two. 
men who had been with Nansen. Bentzen had 
died, and Bjoervig, in accordance with a prom- 
ise he had made, kept his companion’s body in 
the house, sleeping beside it through two months. 
of Arctic darkness. 
Pushing northward through rough ice, with 
severe storms and, for ten days, a continuous. 
temperature of 40 to 50 degrees below zero, the 
party discovered men in lands north of the 
Freeden Islands, where Nansen landed in 1895. 
In the middle of March, when all hands were: 
confident of reaching latitude 87 or 88, if not. 
the pole itself, Mr. Wellmann, while leading 
the party, fell into a snow-covered crevasse, 
seriously injuring his leg, and the party, was. 
therefore, compelled to retreat. Two days later 
they were roused at midnight by an earthquake, 
and in a few moments many dogs were crushed: 
and sledges destroyed. The men narrowly es- 
caped with their lives, saving their precious. 
sleeping bags and some dogs and provisions. 
Mr. Wellmann’s condition became alarming on 
account of inflammation, but his companions 
dragged him on asledge, making forced marches. 
for nearly 200 miles to the headquarters of the 
expedition, where they arrived early in April. 
Mr. Wellmann was still unable to walk, and he. 
is probably permanently crippled. In subse- 
quent sledge journeys the expedition explored 
unknown regions, and important scientific work 
was done by Dr. Hofna, Lieutenant Baldwin, 
and Mr. Hanlan. The expedition killed 103. 
walruses and eight bears. No trace of the An- 
drée expedition was found. The Capella picked 
up the expedition on July 27th and sailed home- 
ward on August 10th. On the 6th inst. the 
Stella Polare, with the party of explorers headed 
by the Duke of the Abruzzi on board, was- 
sighted in Broejenz Sound, 80° 20/ north lati- 
tude. All were well on board. 
SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 
WE are able to publish as a frontispiece to 
this issue a portrait of Dr. Edward Orton, Pres-- 
ident of the American Association for the Ad- 
vancement of Science, through the courtesy of 
