The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-02-24
The POLAR BALLOON PROJECT.
Commander Cheyne'H Ideas Fu1y Z,
MI -


Commander Cheyne's project of reach.
ing the pole by means of a balloon was.
when first proposed, regarded as very
chimerical, but has of late been assurn.
ing n degree of practicability in the
minds of even the most conservative OF
Arctic explorers.
Zone CT the most important premises
in this undertaking" he says, "is the
fact that in eighty-one degrees, forty
seven minutes north latitude, which is
our intended winter quarters, lies mag
nificent bed of coal ON the surface, and.
according to the report of Sir George
Mares. $50 yards long by TWENTY-FIVE
feet in width, of unknown depth, an I'M
limited supply of well-nigh smokeless
coal, equal to the best WEIGH. Here we
have discovered what is essential to the
project, a source of heat On this coal
bed viii be built a portable wooden
house for officers and men and here the
gas will be generated. 1t Is my inten-
ton TO generate two kinds of gas, pure
hydrogen and carburated hydrogen or
common coal gas. This combination of
gas Will be more sticky, and thus will
not so easily permeate the envelope Of a
balloon, and Will be of greater lifting
power than common coal gas alone. The
larger the balloon the safer 1T will be-
We shall have three of good dimensions,
each capable of carrying two tonyNin
weight. Each Will be fully equipp -
separate travelling, in case of sepal -
which, however, Judging from the r6sIS
of my experiments with balloons. Lido
no anticipate. Each viii carry
boat, a sledge, pack of Esqrsana -
dogs, and three persons, with the ne' -
sary stores, men and dogs being provls-
toned for five days. If a portion OF the
gas escapes from the balloons we snail
refill by using the gas In one balloon S1qd
then deserving 1t. The balloons VIII be
kept at an average elevation OF 900 Zee
by trail ropes, the mountains being easily
| cleared by throwing out little ballast.
This trail rope viii be very important.
IL the sun becomes a little warmer than
usual the gas Will, of course, expand,
aud the balloon be inclined to rise under
such expansion, but directly this rising
takes place the rope is lifted off the Ice
and acts as a counterbalance. Again, IN
[ the case of a cloud passing between the
sun and the balloon, the gas viii con-
1 dense. and the balloon be inclined to de-
scend, but IN doing so more OF the rope
/ is deposited on the ice and this again
/ counterbalances Another advantage of
the trail rope Is to keep the same portion
/ of the balloon always facing the north !;
in fact, it viii in a great measure serve
/ as a means of control. 1t will enable
/ gelatin plate photographs and astronom-
! zeal observations to be taken with accu-
racv and ease. Careful observations of
( the Arctic currents of air have convinced
me that when certain well-known indi-
4 cations prevail III these latitudes, the
wind may be relied upon to blow for
/ two days or more In one direction. The
/ distance to the pole from the point of
departure viii be only 1863 miles, and
+ this, [ estimate, can be easily accom-
| plished in twenty four hours. We expect
I to return from the pole either by bal
( loon with favorable wind or else by
} sledge. making our way back to St. Pat
ricL's Bay, or possibly to some part of
I the Russian COST, should it appear bet
/ ter to take that course.