Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-23
TO rHE POLE nv BALLOON.
Commander CAeyness Preparations for
the Fitting out Of an Expedition.

From the New York Sun Of the ia
Commander Cheyne starts for Montreal to-
morrow, by invitation Of Sir John Macdonald
and Sir Samuel Leonard Tifley, to interest the
Canadian public in his scheme for reaching the
North Pole by balloon expedition. Mr.. Tilley
il already member Of the London committee
which IL getting subscriptions. Commander
Chsyne said yesterday:
''The idea is that it shall be an Anglo-Ameri-
can expedition. to be fitted out by popular SUBJ
scription. 1t will require $50, 600 to fit it out
ana S4O, OOO is to be raised In each country. /
shall be in Canada until January 20, and in nv
absence the interest Of the expedition here will
De looked after by Mr.. Henry Walter Grinnell,
who will be the secretary of the committee that
Is being gotten up in New York. The Hon. John
Davidson has formed committee in Elizabeth,
n. 1t is my intention to form similar COM
mlttees in the principal cities Of the coun-
try in connection with my lecturing tour. The
snip OF the expedition is to be called the
Grinnell, after Mr.. Grinneil's father. the cele-
DRAFTED patron of Arctic exploration. Lieut.
Schwatka has arranged to accompany the expe-
dltlon, provided he can obtain the consent of
the government The three balloons, which
will cost $4,000. will be made in England. and
Will be shipped in this country. New York will
be the starting point of the expedition. and we
expect to leave in June next We shall 90 to
st. PatrIck's bay. where Capt. Mares found an
We shall build a house directly upon the coal
immense bed of fine coal lying on the surface
Yves shall put up apparatusandm manufacture hydro
gen gas for the balloons. The place is six miles
from where Capt. Nares's Ship the Discovery
wlntered in 1855 and is 496 miles from the
pole. When we get the right wind, it will take
us eighteen or twenty:four hours to reach the
pole"
Commander Cheyne says that the experience
OF the Jeannette is only another confirmation of
the fact that it is impossible to reach the pole by
means OF vessels. In his opinion the region of
the pole is an archipelago bound in a solid ice
pack, presenting no opening for navigation
Each balloon will be provided with sledre
boat, and provisions for fifty-one days and will
reel out telegraph wire as it travels keeping in
communication with the main station. If dur
ing the stay of the party at the pole the gas
should escape 80 as seriously to impair the
levity of the balloon. the gas of one
can be used to initiate fully the two Others The
balloons will be weighted so as to travel low.
and Commander Cheyne is confident that he
can land within ten miles of the pole. He anti
clpates no difficulty from cold during the balloon
voyage, which is to take place in June of the
summer after the expedition sails "The occu-
pants OF the cars" said Mr.. Cheyne, "wilI have
TO work with their coats off to keep cool"
The expedition will be composed of seventeen
men. who will be joined by three Esquimaux at
greenland. Orders have already been sent from
Denmark to Greenland directing the authorities
there to aid the expedition in every way pos
sble ~