Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-02-11
Arctic BallOOnlng.

Capt. George f. Tyson, who has had
thirty years experience of Arctic life,
recently addressed letter to the editor
of the New York Herald, in which he
said that, having seen the working Of
ice both in summer and winter, he was
of the opinion that it is utterly impossi-
BILE for any vessel TO reach the North
Pole and live to return, and that sledge
Journeys from all ATTITUDES yet obtained
by ships are impracticable. Despite our
modern inventions in steam and the UNI
questioned skill of our present naviga-
tors, we have, he says, so far done very
little more poleward than the navigators
Of nearly 800 years ago accomplished in
their little shallops. The obstacles in
the way to success are natural ones. No
matter in what meridian navigators sail,
in about latitude 80 degrees is met that
barrier of ice which no navigator has
been able to penetrate very far.
seeing no feusUn 80 ll0P0 f0r suvv0Ss
by the use of ships, Che Captain favors
an international balloon expedition to
the North Pole. He appreciates, he
says, the dangers to be encountered by
aerial navigation on such voyage. He
would have each balloon carry skin
boat twenty-five feet in length and four
and half feet beam amidships, made
after the model of q whale-boat. He
would have the boat so made that it
would be waterproof, light, tough, and
elastic.
He believes the weight of such boat,
capable of carrying six or eight persons,
with sufficient provisions to last six or
eight months, would weigh not more
than 800 pounds, and, in case the navi-
gators met with large body of water,
It would be able, under the direction Of
experienced sailors, to withstand even a
heavy sea. He would also have each
balloon carry light and strong sleigh,
weighing not more than thirty pounds,
which could be used to carry the boat
over rough and rugged ice, should that
be necessary, which is probable.
The Captain says balloon sixty feet
in diameter would raise about 1000
pounds weight. He calculates the ag-
gregate weight of all that would be
needed for polar voyage at about 5000
pounds, as follows: The boat, 800
pounds; the sleigh, 30 pounds; the pro-
visions necessary for sustaining eight
men for eight months at two pounds
day for each man of condensed food,
1000 pounds; guns, ammunition, and
necessary instruments, 800 pounds; and
the weight OF the men, 200 pounds.
Capt. Tyson would start four differ
ent balloons at or near the same time,
and from as many different points of
departure. In his opinion, for the de-
parture of these balloons, England
should establish station at the north
end of Spitzbergen Island, near the S1st
parallel and goth degree east longitude;
Germany at Franz Josef Island Amer
lea Cape Union, in about so degrees 20
minutes and 60 degrees 10 minutes west
logitude; and Russia at Diakhov Is
lands or New Siberia, near where the
Jeanette was lost. The necessary
preparations having been made, the
balloons should start as near as possible
to the 1st day of May, which would give
them four months of continuous light
and pleasant weather. BY starting at
the beginning of May, should the winds
prove favorable for but single day,
they would probably be within the vi
cinity of the pole, the distance to which
from Cape Union being only about 4SO
miles, from Spitzbergen 600 miles, from
Franz Josef Land about 4S0 miles, and
from New Siberia about $40 miles.
The pole having been reached, the
return, the Captain thinks, would be an
easy matter. The men would be fresh
aud unwearied and have the entire sum-
mer to work in. Their provisions would
be ample and everything would be in as
good condition as when they started,
and the Arctic current, against which
navigators who go by vessel have al
ways had to contend, would be continu-
ally carrying them southwark without
any effort of their own. Even should
they happen to be caught in the polar
basin during the winter they could
quietly settle themselves down on some
strong foe of ice, build their snow-huts
and secure all the game possible before
the Arctic night overtakes them. During
the winter the polar currents would
carry them southwark, and they could
without difficulty escape in the spring.