Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-04-01

ANOTHER BALLOON EXPEDITION. -Thefail
ure OF all North Pole expeditions to discover the
secret Of the Artic regions has stimulated the
Aeronauric Society of Paris to attempt an Ar
tic balloon voyage Extravagant as the notion
may appear, it is not more eXtravagant than
| Professor Wise's project of crossing the Allan
tic ocean in balloon. One advantage of ar
rrial North Pole voyage is the temperature o.
the Arctic regions, which prevents the escape
of gas from the balloon to such degree that ii
is supposed to be quite feasible to construct a
ballouu which will last three month s voyage.
Another advantage is the absence Of darkness
in the Northern regions If the balloon leaves
iu the summer time, the suu will llumlue the
heavens during the whole trip. Then, again,
the permaneucy In the direction of the winds
around the It glons of the North Pole would be
another point IN favor of the trip to the North
pole over that across the Alta ntic The size Of the
proposed balloon is fixed at about $1,000 cubic
metres. 1t is calculated to carry ten men, three
months provisions, apart from the ballast, a
number ct instruments, an anchor and drag
glng rope, which will touch the ground should
the balloon sink too near to the earth. An 10
gcnious arrangement has also been made to
prevent the balloon from rising higher than
500 metres orabout ., 500 feet The boat of
the bolloon is to be lined with shccp-skins and
heated with lamps, so that even if the temper
allure should fall to thirty-two degrees below
zero, outside, it will be five degrees above zero
inside. A vessel is to carry the men, the bal
loon and the Ingredients for the manufacture
of the necessary amount of gas to about the
seventeenth degree oflatitude. This will leave
a trip of about 800 miles to the North Pole
for the balloon to accomplish; and the voyage
there aud back could be made within twenty
days. Everything however is to be prepared
for full three months trip. The enterprise
is exciting unusual interest amongst the scienti-
ic men of Europe, aud is, indeed, one of the
most wonderful schemes ever conceived by the
human Baltimore Amatcuu.
THE Boat RACE Cambridge adds another
laurel to her wreath. La the annual race which
took place yesterday between the two great uui.
versities of England there was, of course the
vast multitude which forms so striking fea-
ture of the contest The time fixed for he row
(high tide) happened to fall just before Doon
The day was one of those extraordinary spring
days one sometimes sees in az English March,
when summer throws all its gladness and beau
~ into single welcome. We have not yet be-
gun IN America 10 understand the meaning of
au English holiday. We have never compre-
hendcd the Derby. or cricket match at Lord $
or shooting festival at Wimbledon. or the
university race on the Thames, and we cannot
understand the uatoual character of an event
like that of yesterday. AL England believes
in the light blue or the dark blue, and millions
turn aside from the feverish pursuits of bus-
ness aud pleasure to watch the fortunes of two
groups of stawart young men rowing fer hat
hour on the Thames 1t is, no doubt, trivial
affair in some respects, but we have no events
10 the world that do not have their trivial as
poets. Even Waterloo became scene of BODY
snaching and robbery What We choose to see
in au event like this boat race is the natural,
earnest, hearty love of an Eoglishman for water
and air and green fields, for the finest develop
ment of Drawn, and the hope that we may come
10 time to have the same sentiment in Ameri-
ca.-N l. UuoH.