Ny-Ålesund: Mining & Polar Exploration

Monday, 11 July (Part III)

Our stroll around Ny-Ålesund (post here), took us to the By Og Gruvemuseum (City and Mining Museum) where we checked out exhibits on the town’s mining and polar exploration history.

The first bits of coal in the area were found in 1610 by Jonas Poole, the English explorer and whaler. It wasn’t until 300 years later, however, that coal was mined here commercially. A private company (Kings Bay Kull Compani) worked the mines until 1929 when it closed its doors on a less-than-profitable venture. In 1933, the Norwegian Government took over, but it wasn’t until after WWII that mining operations recommenced. In 1948, just three years after mining activities resumed, a major accident took the lives of 15 miners. Two more big accidents in the early 1950s was followed by another one in 1962 — total death toll: 49. In 1963, all mining activities were halted. A year later, with the establishment of the Norwegian satellite telemetry station, what was once a mining community made the transition to becoming an international Arctic research station. (More about Ny-Ålesund’s history is here.)

This relic from the days of coal mining sits not far from the pier.

The historic mining exhibits include claim signs dating back to 1898-1920, and a replica
mine with life-sized figures chipping away at the coal seam like they would have
done during the height of the mining industry in Ny-Ålesund.

In addition to the mining artifacts, the museum has a fully-furnished medical clinic
and items from daily life on display.

Close-up of the Vernaid bandage on the far wall of the clinic shows first aid of yore.
A printed triangular bandage-cum-sling, showing 16 illustrations of young men with fractures
and a burst varicose vein with the bandage and a wooden splint being used for support.

One small corner of the museum was dedicated to historic photos of polar exploration. It was the history depicted in those photographs that excited us most about our landing in Ny-Ålesund. You see, it was from this small mining community that Roald Amundsen (Norwegian), Lincoln Ellsworth (American), and Umberto Nobile (Italian) launched the expedition that took them over the North Pole.

This attempt at polar flight from Svalbard was not the first; nor would it be the last. There were 10 flights between 1897-1939. Amundsen’s own 1925 attempt to do so in an airplane was a failure. So was Admiral Richard Byrd’s 1926 flight, which took off from Kings Bay just days before Amundsen and company took to the skies in their dirigible. Though Byrd claimed to have reached the North Pole on 9 May 1926, given known aircraft speed and weather conditions, historians later discredited this claim. Thus, the Amundsen-Ellsworth-Nobile flight in the airship Norge went down in history as the first transpolar flight, giving Amundsen the distinction of being the first person to travel to both poles of the earth. (For more information, click here.)

Our journey into polar history started at the bust of Amundsen in the center of Ny-Ålesund. Installed on the 50th anniversary of the first transpolar flight, it should be noted that there’s no mention of Nobile in the dedication. History records that Amundsen and Nobile had a falling out during the expedition. In 1928 Nobile returned to Kings Bay to make his own attempt to reach the North Pole in the airship Italia, which crashed on the ice. Ironically, Amundsen’s attempt to rescue his one-time friend led to his own demise.

This monument is dedicated to the memory of the first transpolar flight over the north pole between Europe and North-America fifty years ago. The flight was carried out by Roald Amundsen and his men, including an American, Lincoln Ellsworth, in the airship “Norge.” The flight departed Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen, May 11th, 1926 and the landing took place at Teller, near Nome, Alaska May 14th, 1926, an incredible journey of 5400 kilometers [3240 miles] (May 13th bering Sea time).

The monument is in sight of Amundsenvillaen, the only Art Nouveau building in town (red building in the collage). Built in 1918, it was where Amundsen stayed when he was planning his North Pole flights. The building later saw service as a bar, an infirmary, and living quarters. Recently renovated, the walls and ceilings of the first floor have paintings illustrating the race to the North Pole and hunting in the Arctic. Unfortunately, when we attempted to visit, we found the door locked and no one home to let us in.

From the monument, we followed Amundsen’s nose — he sure had a prominent one — to reach the mast where the dirigible Norge was tethered prior to the transpolar flight. Here we found Peter Damisch, ship’s historian, standing ready with a short lecture about the historic flight.

The mast where Norge was tethered is locally referred to as the Amundsen Mast.

The flags of the three countries that participated in the expedition are etched on
the marker honoring the 1926 transpolar flight.

Still not tired of icebergs.

I’ll conclude this post with a collage of the historic photos from the museum. While the 115 feet (35 m) tall mast survives to this day, nothing remains of the immense airship hangar (360 feet long, 112 feet wide, 98 feet high [110x34x30 m]).

History in the making.

We came to the Arctic for the complete experience. Glaciers, icebergs, Arctic birds, polar bears, walrus and seals, and whales … they are all part of that experience. And so is today’s trip back into polar history.