New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-29
TO THE POLE IN BALLOONS.

| WHAT COMMANDER CHEYNE WISHES TO DO.
| IHE LECTURE BEFORE THE ACADEMY OF Sciences
POINTS IN THE COMMANDERS SCHEME OF ExPLo-
! RA1IoN-coMFORT FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN
THE JEANNErTE-THE SPEAKERS VIEWS AP-
PROVED.
commander Cheyne lectured last evening before
! the Academy Of Sciences az No 12 West Thirty
hrst-st The hall was filed with al audience which
listened with much attention and frequent applause
10 'le lecturer as he described his plans for reach
ing TIE North Pole Professor Newberry, the presi-
uchI OIL the Academy, In introducing the speaker
said:
! captain Cheyne asks you to examine his plans
| carefully lie has been with three expeditions to
the Arctic regions and has spent there five and
| nan years lio has been there under so many cir
cun''hce' that he knows perhaps better than any
other man, the difficulties to be encountered and
| now To overcome them. lie comes recommended by
the highest authorities in England. His plan is not
| chlm'fcal, and II is certainly heroic"
Commander Cheyne upon being introduced said
in part: am very glad to hayc the opportunity
| CT laying my plans before this Academy. have re-
ceiyed the approval Of sxty-two committees before
whom have appeared. | am s1pportodin my efforts
~ 'lH Earl of Dscby Dix mombsrs of Parliament,
'r'e members @. the Royal Society and many scicn-
usis \ council has been formed in England and Is
h'" awaiting tho ncw5 from Am RIGA. As soon "a
IL mas '.aGG of action taken here toward the form
l7F oil au hnglO-Amcrican expedition the members
OF Che council VIII baStr Themselves h al origin
ally expected 20 havo an expedition, the cost Of
which would nave been about E3O, 900, and to IL !
DInte the circumL. yigaton of Greenland, besides
heJournay to the North Pole. You may perhaps
ask thc Gus stion, What viii be tho commercial re,
turn from the cXpcdition' If the good feeling be.
tween America and England can be promoted by tho
g 81.
North Pole, that will be commercial return number
ON" Then we shall get a better idea of tie currents
of watcr that in tim" commerce will be enabled
to work .ut more distinctly highways for the pa,
SAFE Of sI.p1 across he ocean.
"O." OF She main object. Of the cXpcdi ion viii be
80 render az 10 the JraGnrtte that is # she needs
a.d. Which '0 not believe our voyage would be
MP H9iun Bay and through Srlitns sound. ! think
10 was isJ' 70 ~ send the relief ditiou through
BEHRING'S strait after Ike Jeanette. Lit thought
h1t sine viii be- found hanging around the coast of
North America or Russia after she has been two
years or hpu go. apef want 10 bead hex of The
.Ical body 81 warm water that flows north
ward 1y che peninsula Of Norway and Sweden
strikes the ahtrr currents near the pole and goes
oU as submarine cuIrent, sweeping around the
Iul" ul b. goes out again through smiths sound.
tbs cuJ mt would naturally carry the Jcanncica "a
she goes toward the pole in hr direction of smiths
~puUd, an" When We IN our balloon are gong TO-
"ar' .ir North Pole wo may sce, a. we look out
FROM nur cor. the Jeanette in some of the bays or
.1'h.rg IF thlt re"Iou. The Jeanette has been
only two years ah7ut, and II is time enough 10 vX-
ire' her next October or November. | am glad to
D.. all. 60 couiot Nrs. DO Long. who Is IN the
room, with this thought.
81 purpose to take on tho expedition seventeen
U.u including Lieut.. naut NchwItkI. who has !
kindly volunteered 10 in the expedition. We
Nll TAX" with Us boats balloons dogs, provisions
i"r two gears Drd Q ia't and ether equipments |
We vii. 20 mp 20 The coal mine that hat been dis
covered 70 ihr end OF Smiths Sound, and there We
viii u" !"lt hy the vessel. which will return We
will th.u Doe l9G mites from the North Pole viii |
relate. a. blowing tn" dangers 81 yovagng in these
vItrr, th' narrow escape we had in the enterprise
commanded 10y Sir James Ross. We were lying !
fast y Hn iceberg. The wind was blowing and We |
hIdi ~ duLhc-rcrtcd our ,Opslis when we heard |
au avalanche coming down tie iceberg 10 which we |
were fast. tn" order vac given 10 cu the hawscf'
II was nome too soon. As VIC drilled of We were |
cau-ht between two Icrhcrgs that cloG0d gradually
upon They came closer and closer TIL II seemed
that they must crush us. SIR James Ross |
TS Sra gq by tho , %hef Fl, np 5dttom
But tho iccbcrgs had caught ma so far aft that rs
ihcy came together they uraod Tho shlp forward
fingers when you prrss theta over IL.
Near st. patricks Bay will be our
towards the Pole IN the usual manner andhnd more
men, We would have. perhaps SIX slcdriug parties
o. five men each Each man would have TO drag
10 pounds. think the journey could be performed
by s'cdycs, ~ have not the most re- |
mote idea that there Is an open sea about
ihc Pole. Starting in April or early May |
with oar six Hlcdgos. We w'nld 90 fifty or sixty !
miles ON orr journey aud then sleigc No. would |
stop nd bury some safe place all lis spare sup |
2 % y
srlsr wuuld return 20 the sli p. After going fifty or
sixty miles moro the iith slcige would atop in the
Sam" way, bury ltS spare PROV slOus ana return e.
Oh. ship The first .lcdgo would keep on until the |
Pole va reached. Ia chs way the journey might |
%. made iu iO6 days.
BdJ have au ,a,'cr plan. ] want you to examine |
b. carefully and 10 crllcisc II narrowly. !
pIop0., - have three large balloons The cost viii
Pc about - 900 each. They viii Ice large enough |
20 carry one ana q half Jr two tons each. There |
Will ha trtcr men to each bal Don. These balloons
rII C1rIA dogs, Prov Ipn4 Tor uiiN-o days, ana
siorrsut yHro.- kinds Ihgv' pr-p posed anrw balloon
which vId have Two envelope, of silk instead Ot |
.uLD. with Layer OF gold bctt,rs' skin between.
D.. %, tLc balloons viii have tIdtl rope that viii
keep b. at 3 uniform height Of about thousand feet.
g. tie IOlci J do not lrliDNc mn either drIy-
,rg or steering balloon. We shall cal |
.uiItr the Wlud-,lu". / shall establish three OBJ
-.r.J'"iIe. q cen raj STATION at our wmicrlng
qu"i. one 20 the north about iitY miles aud one
To fhr south about ntty miles. Ihc.o stations VIII
b. an connected by telegraph and reports Will
De- made every nour Of all tine mt curUlOgI nj facts
We shall then bc able 10 determine where the centre
81 thc currents OF wand arc and We can mud the
wind that viii taxi ~ 10 the North Pole, which We
can reach .n eighteen or twenty hours But how
can We get ba,kf II we get there we Will get
back. We rau store up some gIt IN cylinders |
to MAX" GOOD the necessary loss; Jr We can break
up one of the balloons aud use The gas IN the other
;"o. II We aIe unable To got back the way we
came, Lieutenant Schatka and ! are willing
60 Try means of getting away That VIII |
make people think made t. suggest even |
there !. possibility, though not pr babilly that
we uay 20 back the other way, and lana somcwhcrc
in Russia. Whcr. we can communicate with the
civilized world. lAPllausci
a resolution was passed by the Academy express
ing appreciation of tho views Of Commander
Cheyne