Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-06-27
An Englishman Who VIII Try TO Reach
the North Pole I'm Balloon.

Com. CheYne, of the British Royal
Navy, is making efforts to get an ex-
pedition to reach the North Pole by
means of balloons. He is an expert
] enced Arctic navigator, having served
under Sir James Ross, and has secured
the services of Capt. Templar, q we'll
known aeronaut. Com. Cheyne be-
ieves that the gulf stream sweeps
Mound the Polar Basin, and returns
by the north and east of Greenland as
a great body OF cold water. He pro-
poses to utilize this current in the fol-
lowing manner: The ship would pro-
ceed up the Davis Strait and Baffin' s
Bay; then, turning to the west, would
steam up Lancaster Sound and Queens s
! Channel to the furthest explored point.
She would next take a northWesterly
direction until the set of the current Is
felt, when the course would be altered
TO due north. In any case she would
push through every available opening
in the ice until her advance was def
nitelv arrested by the advent OF win
ter. In addition to the equipment Of
sledges, etc., the vessel would carry
several balloons, each one capable of
lifting a ton weight in addition to the
men. When the ship became beset in
the pack, three balloons would be in
fated and joined together by means of
three light spars sixty feet long. Thus
q triangle would be formed, with q
balloon st each angle, the whole to-
gether representing q lifting power Of
about three tons. This power would
be employed in carrying the boat-cars,
sledges, provisions, tents, ballast, etc.
Com. Cheyne proposes during the.
winter to establish two observatories
about thirty miles apart, with the ship
as center so that by the end of May
the balloons, may start upon q curve
already ascertained with tolerable ac-
curaey. By this means the distance Of
the vessel from the pole and the course
TO be followed being known, she traT-
elers would be enabled to drop within
ten or twelve miles of their destina-
ton Wire trajl-rOpes would be used
for preserving an equal altitude above
the ice. When it was necessary to
ascend, the gas would be preserved by
means, into the receivers, there to be
16lQ IN I6dulu6SS LOI lubJI6 USE II
the journey should have been success
full and the wind favorable, the return
trip would at once be made, the bal
looms being arrested on the parallel Of
latitude upon which the ship was left
ice-blocked. The commanding officer
in charge would send out sledge par
ties daily to meet the balloons and give
whatever assistance might be required.
On the breaking up of the ice the ship
would leave her winter quarters and
push around the northern extremity of
Greenland. A second winter would
here be passed, the time being spent in
making a survey of the coast and other
scientific observations. During the
following summer, aided by the nat
ural drift of the ice. the vessel would
steam through every opening and re-
turn home between the Continent of
Greenland and Spitzbergen. Should
no favorable wind arise, however, to
carry him back from the pole to his
ship, Com. Cheyne intends continuing
his aerial journey, and trusts to good
fortune TO drop in Russia wherever in
habitants are to be seen.-M.i Y. Trio
gt5le -r-