Jason (Ship)
Encyclopedia
Jason was a Norwegian
whaling
vessel laid down in 1881 in Rødsverven, Norway
, the same shipyard which later built Ernest Shackleton's ship the Endurance
. The ship, financed by Christen Christensen, an entrepreneur from Sandefjord
, was noted for its participation in a 1892-1893 Antarctic expedition led by Carl Anton Larsen
.
Additionally, the vessel was noted for reaching 68°10'S, setting a new record for distance travelled south along the eastern Antarctic Peninsula
. The ship's first mate during the expedition was Søren Andersen, also of Sandefjord.
The Jason was sold to an Italian company in 1899 and rechristened the Stella Polare.
captained the Jason to Greenland
in order to attempt the first documented crossing of the island.
From 1892 to 1894, the ship was used on scientific whaling expeditions to the Antarctic, funded by A/S Oceana. The purpose of these expeditions were to map the presence of whales and seals in the area. During this mission, the Jason achieved a record of going the longest south in the area, reaching 68°10'S.
on June 12 of that year. By the 30th, they had reached Archangel, Russia
to load sled dogs onto the ship. Leaving Russia, they headed for Franz Josef Land
. They landed in Teplitz Bay in Rudolf Island
, with a hope to establish a winter camp for the expedition. From here, they established a string of camps designed to supply each other with food and men. During the expedition, Amedeo lost two fingers to frostbite, and had to hand command of the voyage over to Captain Umberto Cagni
. On April 25, 1900, Cagni planted the Italian flag at 86°34'N, claiming the title of "Farthest North."
The Stella Polare was decommissioned in 1902.
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...
whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
vessel laid down in 1881 in Rødsverven, 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...
, the same shipyard which later built Ernest Shackleton's ship the Endurance
Endurance (1912 ship)
The Endurance was the three-masted barquentine in which Sir Ernest Shackleton sailed for the Antarctic on the 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition...
. The ship, financed by Christen Christensen, an entrepreneur from Sandefjord
Sandefjord
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...
, was noted for its participation in a 1892-1893 Antarctic expedition led 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...
.
Additionally, the vessel was noted for reaching 68°10'S, setting a new record for distance travelled south along the eastern 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....
. The ship's first mate during the expedition was Søren Andersen, also of Sandefjord.
The Jason was sold to an Italian company in 1899 and rechristened the Stella Polare.
Usage as Jason
In 1888, Fridtjof NansenFridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
captained the Jason to 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...
in order to attempt the first documented crossing of the island.
From 1892 to 1894, the ship was used on scientific whaling expeditions to the Antarctic, funded by A/S Oceana. The purpose of these expeditions were to map the presence of whales and seals in the area. During this mission, the Jason achieved a record of going the longest south in the area, reaching 68°10'S.
Geographical locations named after the Jason
- Jason PeninsulaJason PeninsulaJason Peninsula is a large peninsula on the east coast of Graham Land comprising several mainly snow-covered summits. It rises above Larsen Ice Shelf and extends from the narrow neck of land east of Medea Dome for 42 miles, terminating in Cape Framnes...
- Jason HarbourJason HarbourJason Harbour is a bay 1 mile wide, lying west of Allen Bay in the north side of Cumberland West Bay, South Georgia. Charted and named by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition, 1901-04, under Nordenskjold. The bay was previously visited by the Jason, Captain C.A. Larsen, in 1894....
54°12′S 36°35′W South Georgia - Jason Island 54°11′S 36°29.5′W South Georgia
- Jason PeakJason PeakNot to be confused with Steeple JasonJason Peak is a peak, 675 m, lying 1 mile west of Jason Harbour on the north coast of South Georgia. The name appears to be first used on a 1929 British Admiralty chart....
54°11.5′S 36°37′W South Georgia
Antarctic discoveries during Jason's 1892-1893 voyage
- Cape FramnesCape FramnesCape Framnes is a cape which forms the northeast end of Jason Peninsula, on the east coast of Graham Land. Discovered and named in 1893 by a Norwegian expedition under C.A. Larsen. The name is probably descriptive. Larsen reported that he gave the name Framnes to the promontory which shoots off...
- Christensen Island: 65°5'S, 58°40'W
- Foyn's Land
- Larsen Ice ShelfLarsen Ice ShelfThe Larsen Ice Shelf is a long, fringing ice shelf in the northwest part of the Weddell Sea, extending along the east coast of Antarctic Peninsula from Cape Longing to the area just southward of Hearst Island...
- Mount JasonMount JasonMount Jason is a peak just west of Bull Pass in the Olympus Range of Victoria Land. Named by the Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition for a figure in Greek mythology....
: 65°44'S, 60°45'W - Norway Sound (Norske Sund)
- Robertson IslandRobertson IslandRobertson Island is an ice-covered island, long in a northwest-southeast direction and wide, lying at the east end of the Seal Nunataks off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Captain Carl Anton Larsen discovered Robertson Island from the Jason on December 9, 1893...
: 65°10′S 59°37′W - Seal Islands (Sel Øerne)
- Veier HeadVeier HeadVeier Head is a high, snow-covered headland which marks the southernmost point of Jason Peninsula on the east coast of Graham Land. Norwegian explorer Captain C.A. Larsen discovered what he charted as an island in this vicinity on Dec. 9, 1893...
(Reclassified from Veierø, or Weather Island): 66°26'S, 60°45'W
Usage as Stella Polare
The ship was sold to the Italian prince and explorer Luigi Amedeo in 1899 and named the Stella Polare. Amedeo gathered an expeditionary crew of Italian and Norwegian civilians and sailed from ChristianaOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
on June 12 of that year. By the 30th, they had reached Archangel, Russia
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
to load sled dogs onto the ship. Leaving Russia, they headed for Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
. They landed in Teplitz Bay in Rudolf Island
Rudolf Island
Prince Rudolf Land, Crown Prince Rudolf Land, Prince Rudolf Island or Rudolf Island is the northernmost island of the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia. The island was named by the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition in honor of Archduke Rudolf , Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia...
, with a hope to establish a winter camp for the expedition. From here, they established a string of camps designed to supply each other with food and men. During the expedition, Amedeo lost two fingers to frostbite, and had to hand command of the voyage over to Captain Umberto Cagni
Umberto Cagni
Umberto Cagni was a polar explorer and an admiral in the Royal Italian Navy. He is best known for his leadership in a probe, by dogsled, northward over the surface of the Arctic Ocean in 1900...
. On April 25, 1900, Cagni planted the Italian flag at 86°34'N, claiming the title of "Farthest North."
The Stella Polare was decommissioned in 1902.