Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-11-23
AN ARCTIC AERONAUT.
Commander Cheyne's Project of Reach
ing the North Pole by Means
of Balloons,


New York Special to the Chicago Times,
Commander Cheyne, of the Brit
ish navy, arrived yesterday from
England, and tonight he lectured in
Chickering hall before large audi
ence. He says he desires, in COM
pany with Lieut.. Schwatka, who ap
proves of the project, to do what has
been deemed impossible-reach the
north pole by means of balloons.
His method is to start out next
spring with a vessel which will car
~ him to st. Patrick's bay. There a
house Is to be put up near coal field
and provisions are to be slowed
away. Then three balloons are to be
flleo. Each balloon is intended to
carry three men, a sledge, Esquima.x
dogs, provisions, and instruments.
Preliminary observations are to be
made at three different points to de-
termlne the variations III the course
of the wind, and after the proper
wind course has been found the bal,
looms are to be released to drift
toward the pole, 496 miles away.
For this Anglo-American expedition
Commander Cheyne wants SI50,000,
out he said that lie had announced
that he could carry out the project
with $4,000 by chartering vessel
instead of buying one. Subscription
lists have been started in England,
and he hopes to get aid in this
country.
During the past year he has OF t.
lined his scheme IN many public
meetings held in various parts of
England and Scotland, and from the
reports OF these meetings it is
gathered that he desired 10 start
about June l, and wishes to secure
her majesty's government steam
storeship Discovery for the voyage
He proposes wintering the first year
in as high latitude as possible. The
route he expects to takeis by Barrow
strait, Wellington channel, Queens
channel, where he hopes to winter at
the sation gained by Captain Mares.
About March 80, of the following
year he would start his sledges north
ward, and the sledge journey would
be continued as far as possible,
and not until insurmountable
obstacles prevented further progress
by sledges would recourse be had to
the balloons. He thinks the sledge
journey would be continued until
about June /, at which time the sun
will be shining night and day in the
Arctic regions. Three balloons would
be employed, each having lifting
power of from one to one a half tons.
The balloons would be inflated at
starting by passing steam through
iron filings, and would be afterward
manipulated by means of a supply of
pure condensed hydrogen. The bal
loon party would consist of seven
person, with water and provisions
for fifty"one days, but Commander
Cheyne thinks they would reach the
north pole in from thirty to forty
hours after leaving the sledges,
The exploring party would re-
msin at the north pole about
a week for scientific observation, and
would dispatch balloon to Russia,
glibly remarks Commander Cheyne,
for the purpose OF telegraphing the
news to England. He thinks the in
telligence could be conveyed from
the north pole, via St Petersburg,
to London, within three days. The
Arctic regions would bephotographed
from one of the balloons every hour.
and the distance, to be tfaversed by the
balloon is estimated at five hundred
miles.
Such are the main features of Com
mander Cheyne's remarkable scheme.
It is said that Sir Macdonald, of
Canada, has promised support to the
expedition, and that Sir Leonard
Tilley, minister of finance for Canada
in 1880, said to Cheyne: 'If you
break down in England for want of
funds, come to Canada, and | think
we can do it for you ourselves"