The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-03-21
NEW POLAR EXPEDITION.
An EngIisistnam who VIII Try
TO R each tIse NORTH Pole
1n a Balloon.
From New York Tribune. !

EIOu New JOIk
Commander Cheyne, of the British
royal navy, is making efforts to get up
an expedition TO reach the North pole
by means OF balloons. He is an ex
perienced Arctic navigator, having
served under Sir james Ross. and has
secured the services of Captain Temp
lar, well known aeroDaut Com
mander Cheyne believes that the gull
stream sweeps round the polar basin
and returns by the North and East Of
Greenland as a great body OF cold
water He prop oses 10 utilize this cur
rent in the following manner The
ship would proceed up Davis st'ait
and Bafin's bay; then, turning to he
: y est, would stem NJ Lancaster sound
and Queens channel to IN, .>.tt! hsct
explored point She would next take
q northwesterly direction until the set
of the current was left, when the
course would be altered to due North
In any case, she would push through
every available opening il the ice
until her advancewas definitely arrest
ed by the advent ofWinter In adj
dtion to the usual equipment of sled,
ges, etc the vessel would carSy Sever
al balloons, each Que capable of Mt
the Ndiiet ~ ,TJfi -tf6- nd a"dee 10. 70
beset in the pack. three balloons would
be iuhated and joined together by
means of three light spars sixty feet
Ioug Thus triangle would be
formed, with balloon at each angle
1 The whole together representing a
/ lifting power Of about three tons
/ This power would be employed in car
rying The boat-curs sledges, provisions,
/ tents, ballesf. etc. Commander Cheyne
proposes during the Winter 10 estab
/ lish two observstories about thirty
miles apart with the ship as centre,
30 that by the end OF May the
| balloons may start upon a curve already
ascertaiued with toierabIc accuracy
By this means, the distance Of the
vessel from the pole and the course
/ to be followed being known, the travel
ers wou Id be enabled to drop within
ten or twenty miles Of their destination
Wire trail ropes would be used for pre-
serving an equal altitude above the
/ ice. When it was necessary to de
scehd the gas would be preserved by
accomplishing it, by mechanical means
into the receivers there to be held il
readiness for future use. If the jour
ney should have been successful and
the wind favorable, the return trip
would at once be made, the balloons
being arrested on the parallel Of lati
tude upon which the ship was left ice
bloc ked The Commanding Officer
in charge would send out sledge par
ties daily to meet the balloons and
give whatever assistance might be re-
quired On the breaking up OF the
ice the ship would leave her Winter
quarters aud push around the North
ern extremity of Greenland. A second
Winter would be here passed, the
time being spent in making a survey
of the coast aud other scientific obser-
vutions During the following Sum
mer, aided by the natural drift of the
ice, the vessel would steam through
every opening and return homo be
tween the continent of Greenland ana
Spit zbergen. Should no favorable
wind arise, however, to carry him back
from the pole to his ship, Com mand
er Cheyne intends continuing his aerl-
al journey. aud trusts TO good fortune
to drop in Russia where ever inhabi
tants are to be seen.