Antarctic (ship)
Encyclopedia
The Antarctic was a Swedish
steamship built in Drammen
, Norway
in 1871. She was used on several research expeditions to the Arctic
region and to Antarctica through 1898-1903. In 1895 the first confirmed landing on the mainland of Antarctica was made from this ship.
with three masts and equipped with a steam engine
. Build in 1871 at Holmen in Drammen
under the name "Cap Nor".
Initially the Antarctic was used for seal hunting
around Svalbard
, Jan Mayen
and Greenland
, under that period the ship was captained by Gullik Jensen and among others Carsten Borchgrevink served on the ship.
In the early 1890s Norwegian ship-owner Svend Foyn
wanted to expand his business to the Antarctic Ocean thereby needing capable ships. Foyn then purchased the Cap Nor, made extensive repairs and after completion renamed the ship Antarctic. From 1893 the ship was deployed to the Antarctic ocean for whale hunting.
In 1897 the ship was purchased by Alfred Gabriel Nathorst
for his planned expedition to Svalbard. Again extensive repairs were made prior to the expedition in 1898.
In 1899 Nathorst sold the ship to Georg Carl Amdrup
for his expedition to East Greenland
.
In 1900 Amdrup sold the Antarctic to Otto Nordenskjöld who needed the ship for his Antarctic expedition
.
on September 20, 1893. The first summer was spent around the Kerguelen Islands
with winter camp in Melbourne
. On September 28, 1894 the ship went of to sea heading for the Ross Sea
.
On January 24, 1895 a boat was put ashore at Cape Adare
at the northern extremity of Victoria Land
with six men including Bull, Borchgrevink, Kristensen and Tunzelmann
. The party performed the first confirmed landing on the continent of Antarctica, exactly who went ashore first was never cleared as all members claimed the honor (possibly British-American sealer John Davis
had already made a landing on the Antarctic Peninsula
on February 7, 1821, this claim can, however, not be confirmed).
In 1898 the Antarctic captained by Emil Nilsson carried Nathorst’s polar expedition to Bear Island, Svalbard
and Kong Karls Land
. Among the participating scientists were Axel Hamberg, Otto Kjellström, Gustaf Kolthoff and Henrik Hesselman
.
In 1899 the ship left on an expedition also under the command of Nathorst to North Greenland
with the dual purpose of searching for survivors of the 1897 Andrée's Arctic Balloon Expedition
and geographical mapping the area.
Later the same year the "Antarctic" carried Amdrup’s expedition to East Greenland
.
In 1901 the ship, then on loan from Nordenskjöld, carried the second season of the Swedish-Russian Arc-of-Meridian Expedition under the command of Gerard De Geer
to Svalbard
.
On October 16, 1901 the Antarctic now captained by Carl Anton Larsen
left Gothenburg
harbor on Nordenskjold’s Antarctic expedition
. This would become the ships last voyage.
After exploring parts of the South Shetland Islands
the expedition continued through the Antarctic Sound
towards the Antarctic Peninsula
. On January 15, 1902 Hope Bay
was discovered. In February Nordenskjöld chose Snow Hill Island
as winter camp for part of the expedition. After all preparations were completed the Antarctic left for the Falkland Islands
.
After the winter the ship left the Falklands on November 5 heading back to the Antarctic Peninsula by way of Ushuaia
for supplies. On December 29 the Antarctic was trapped in pack ice near Hope Bay, and some of the crew was put ashore.
The Antarctic later broke free and continued towards Paulet Island
; on the way the ship once again was trapped in pack ice on January 3, 1903. On February 3 the ship again broke free but was now damaged and leaking. Captain Larsen now intended to beach the Antarctic on Paulet Island, but the ship was too damaged and sank about 40 km (24.9 mi) off the coast on February 12, 1903.
In November all crewmembers (including Carl Skottsberg
, Johan Gunnar Andersson
, José María Sobral
and Frank Wilbert Stokes
) were rescued by the Argentine corvette
Uruguay
captained by Julián Irízar
.
In 1944 Johan Gunnar Andersson published a commemorative book Antarctic :Stolt har hon levat Stolt skall hon dö – Antarctic: proud she lived proud she shall die.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
steamship built in Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1871. She was used on several research expeditions to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
region and to Antarctica through 1898-1903. In 1895 the first confirmed landing on the mainland of Antarctica was made from this ship.
The ship
Antarctic was a barqueBarque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
with three masts and equipped with a steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
. Build in 1871 at Holmen in Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
under the name "Cap Nor".
Initially the Antarctic was used for seal hunting
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
around Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
, Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen Island is a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and part of the Kingdom of Norway. It is long and 373 km2 in area, partly covered by glaciers . It has two parts: larger northeast Nord-Jan and smaller Sør-Jan, linked by an isthmus wide...
and Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, under that period the ship was captained by Gullik Jensen and among others Carsten Borchgrevink served on the ship.
In the early 1890s Norwegian ship-owner Svend Foyn
Svend Foyn
Svend Foyn was a Norwegian whaling and shipping magnate who pioneered revolutionary methods for hunting and processing whales. Svend Foyn introduced the modern harpoon gun and brought whaling into a modern age....
wanted to expand his business to the Antarctic Ocean thereby needing capable ships. Foyn then purchased the Cap Nor, made extensive repairs and after completion renamed the ship Antarctic. From 1893 the ship was deployed to the Antarctic ocean for whale hunting.
In 1897 the ship was purchased by Alfred Gabriel Nathorst
Alfred Gabriel Nathorst
Alfred Gabriel Nathorst was a Swedish Arctic explorer, geologist and palaeobotanist. Nathorst was born in Väderbrunn outside Nyköping and died in Stockholm.-Biography:He was born on November 7, 1850....
for his planned expedition to Svalbard. Again extensive repairs were made prior to the expedition in 1898.
In 1899 Nathorst sold the ship to Georg Carl Amdrup
Georg Carl Amdrup
Vice Admiral Sir Georg Carl Amdrup , RN was a Danish naval officer, Vice Admiral and Greenland researcher.-Career:...
for his expedition to East Greenland
Tunu
Tunu/Østgrønland was one of the three counties of Greenland, until 31 December 2008. The county seat was at the main settlement, Tasiilaq...
.
In 1900 Amdrup sold the Antarctic to Otto Nordenskjöld who needed the ship for his Antarctic expedition
Swedish Antarctic Expedition
The Swedish Antarctic Expedition was led by Otto Nordenskjöld and Carl Anton Larsen.-Background:Otto Nordenskjöld, a Swedish geologist and geographer, organized and lead a scientific expedition of the Antarctic Peninsula...
.
The expeditions
In 1893 the Antarctic captained by Leonard Kristensen set off on a whaling expedition to Antarctica led by Henrik Johan Bull and financed by Foyn. The ship was equipped with 11 harpoon guns, an arsenal of explosives, 8 whaleboats and 31 men and left TønsbergTønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....
on September 20, 1893. The first summer was spent around the Kerguelen Islands
Kerguelen Islands
The Kerguelen Islands , also known as the Desolation Islands, are a group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean constituting the emerged part of the otherwise submerged Kerguelen Plateau. The islands, along with Adélie Land, the Crozet Islands and the Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands are part of...
with winter camp in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. On September 28, 1894 the ship went of to sea heading for the Ross Sea
Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land.-Description:The Ross Sea was discovered by James Ross in 1841. In the west of the Ross Sea is Ross Island with the Mt. Erebus volcano, in the east Roosevelt Island. The southern part is covered...
.
On January 24, 1895 a boat was put ashore at Cape Adare
Cape Adare
Cape Adare is the northeastern most peninsula in Victoria Land, East Antarctica. The cape separates the Ross Sea to the east from the Southern Ocean to the west, and is backed by the high Admiralty Mountains...
at the northern extremity of Victoria Land
Victoria Land
Victoria Land is a region of Antarctica bounded on the east by the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea and on the west by Oates Land and Wilkes Land. It was discovered by Captain James Clark Ross in January 1841 and named after the UK's Queen Victoria...
with six men including Bull, Borchgrevink, Kristensen and Tunzelmann
Alexander von Tunzelmann
Alexander Francis Henry von Tunzelmann , a New Zealand crew member of on the Norwegian whaling ship Antarctic was part of the first group to set foot on the mainland of Antarctica—at Cape Adare on 24 January 1895....
. The party performed the first confirmed landing on the continent of Antarctica, exactly who went ashore first was never cleared as all members claimed the honor (possibly British-American sealer John Davis
John Davis (sealer)
Captain John Davis was a seal hunter from Connecticut, USA who captained men who may have been the first to have set foot on Antarctica on 7 February 1821 shortly after the first sightings of the new continent by Fabian von Bellingshausen, Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev, Edward Bransfield and Nathaniel...
had already made a landing on the Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Peninsula
The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica. It extends from a line between Cape Adams and a point on the mainland south of Eklund Islands....
on February 7, 1821, this claim can, however, not be confirmed).
In 1898 the Antarctic captained by Emil Nilsson carried Nathorst’s polar expedition to Bear Island, Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
and Kong Karls Land
Kong Karls Land
Kong Karls Land or King Charles Land is an island group in the Svalbard archipelago, in Arctic Ocean. The island group covers an area of and is made up of the islands of Kongsøya, Svenskøya, Abeløya, Helgolandøya and Tirpitzøya....
. Among the participating scientists were Axel Hamberg, Otto Kjellström, Gustaf Kolthoff and Henrik Hesselman
Henrik Hesselman
Henrik Hesselman was a Swedish botanist. He was the brother of Jonas and Bengt Ivar Hesselman. From 1912 on he was a professor for forest biology at the Swedish forest research institute , which he presided from...
.
In 1899 the ship left on an expedition also under the command of Nathorst to North Greenland
Avannaa
Avannaa/Nordgrønland was one of the three counties of Greenland, until 31 December 2008...
with the dual purpose of searching for survivors of the 1897 Andrée's Arctic Balloon Expedition
S. A. Andrée's Arctic balloon expedition of 1897
S. A. Andrée's Arctic balloon expedition of 1897 was an ill-fated effort to reach the North Pole in which all three expedition members perished. S. A. Andrée , the first Swedish balloonist, proposed a voyage by hydrogen balloon from Svalbard to either Russia or Canada, which was to pass,...
and geographical mapping the area.
Later the same year the "Antarctic" carried Amdrup’s expedition to East Greenland
Tunu
Tunu/Østgrønland was one of the three counties of Greenland, until 31 December 2008. The county seat was at the main settlement, Tasiilaq...
.
In 1901 the ship, then on loan from Nordenskjöld, carried the second season of the Swedish-Russian Arc-of-Meridian Expedition under the command of Gerard De Geer
Gerard De Geer
Baron Gerard Jacob De Geer was a Swedish geologist who made significant contributions to Quaternary geology, particularly geomorphology and geochronology. De Geer is best known for his discovery of varves.- Early life and family :...
to Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
.
On October 16, 1901 the Antarctic now captained by Carl Anton Larsen
Carl Anton Larsen
Carl Anton Larsen was a Norwegian Antarctic Explorer, who made important contributions to the exploration of Antarctica, the most significant being the first discovery of fossils, for which he received the Back Grant from the Royal Geographical Society...
left Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
harbor on Nordenskjold’s Antarctic expedition
Swedish Antarctic Expedition
The Swedish Antarctic Expedition was led by Otto Nordenskjöld and Carl Anton Larsen.-Background:Otto Nordenskjöld, a Swedish geologist and geographer, organized and lead a scientific expedition of the Antarctic Peninsula...
. This would become the ships last voyage.
The ship wrecking
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
the expedition continued through the Antarctic Sound
Antarctic Sound
Antarctic Sound is a body of water about long and from wide, separating the Joinville Island group from the northeast end of the Antarctic Peninsula. The sound was named by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Otto Nordenskiöld for the expedition ship Antarctic which in 1902, under the command...
towards the Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Peninsula
The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica. It extends from a line between Cape Adams and a point on the mainland south of Eklund Islands....
. On January 15, 1902 Hope Bay
Hope Bay
Hope Bay on Trinity Peninsula, is long and wide, indenting the tip of Antarctic Peninsula and opening on Antarctic Sound....
was discovered. In February Nordenskjöld chose Snow Hill Island
Snow Hill Island
Snow Hill Island is an almost completely snowcapped island, long and wide, lying off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is separated from James Ross Island to the northeast by Admiralty Sound...
as winter camp for part of the expedition. After all preparations were completed the Antarctic left for the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
.
After the winter the ship left the Falklands on November 5 heading back to the Antarctic Peninsula by way of Ushuaia
Ushuaia
Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
for supplies. On December 29 the Antarctic was trapped in pack ice near Hope Bay, and some of the crew was put ashore.
The Antarctic later broke free and continued towards Paulet Island
Paulet Island
Paulet Island is a circular island about in diameter, lying southeast of Dundee Island, off the northeastern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is composed of lava flows capped by a cinder cone with a small summit crater. Geothermal heat keeps parts of the island ice-free, and the youthful...
; on the way the ship once again was trapped in pack ice on January 3, 1903. On February 3 the ship again broke free but was now damaged and leaking. Captain Larsen now intended to beach the Antarctic on Paulet Island, but the ship was too damaged and sank about 40 km (24.9 mi) off the coast on February 12, 1903.
In November all crewmembers (including Carl Skottsberg
Carl Skottsberg
Carl Johan Fredrik Skottsberg was a Swedish botanist and explorer of Antarctica.Skottsberg was born in Karlshamn, began his academic studies at Uppsala University in 1898 and received his doctorate and a docentship there in 1907...
, Johan Gunnar Andersson
Johan Gunnar Andersson
Johan Gunnar Andersson , Swedish archaeologist, paleontologist and geologist, closely associated with the beginnings of Chinese archaeology in the 1920s...
, José María Sobral
José María Sobral
Alférez de Navío José María Sobral was an Argentine military scientist and Antarctic explorer....
and Frank Wilbert Stokes
Frank Wilbert Stokes
Frank Wilbert Stokes, also known as Frank Stokes, Frank W. Stokes and F. W. Stokes was an American sketch artist and painter who specialized in illustrations of arctic and antarctic themes...
) were rescued by the Argentine corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
Uruguay
ARA Uruguay
The corbeta ARA Uruguay, built in England, is the largest ship afloat of its age in the Armada de la República Argentina , with more than 135 years passed since its official incorporation in September 1874...
captained by Julián Irízar
Julián Irízar
Admiral Julián Irízar was an officer of the Argentine Navy. He became a key figure in the modernization of the navy's fleet, the commander of the First Division of the Navy and later Naval Center President, but his most memorable action was as commander of the corvette Uruguay in the 1903 rescue...
.
Epitaph
When Nathorst heard about the ship wrecking he commented "seems to me more glorious than if she had gone to meet the usual fate of vessels to slowly rot in some port, or to be used for something far off from her designation and purposes as an icy seas and research vessel".In 1944 Johan Gunnar Andersson published a commemorative book Antarctic :Stolt har hon levat Stolt skall hon dö – Antarctic: proud she lived proud she shall die.
