San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-02-16
ARCTIC BALLOONlNG.
A Proposed international Aersnautie EXPEDITION
10 the North Pole.

AhCIIC DALLOONiNVs
A Proposed international Aersnautie EXPEDITION
10 the North Pole.
Capt. George L. Tyson, who has had
thirty years experience OF Arctic HE
recently addi essed letter to 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 10 utterly impossible foI
any vessel to reach the North pole and
live to return, and that sledge Journeys
from all ATTITUDES yet obtained by ships
ore impracticable. Despite our modern
inventions in steam and the unques'
toned skill of our present navigators'
we have, he says, so far done very little
more poleward than the naVigators oil
nearly 300 years ago accomplished In
their shallops. The obstacles III the
way to success are natural ones. No
matter in what meridian navlgators
sail, in about latitude 80 degrees is met
that barrier of ice which no navigator
has been able to penetrate very lar.
Seeing no reason to hope for success
by the use of ships, the captain tavors
an international balloon expedition to
the North Pole. He appreciates, he
says, the dangers, to be encountered by
aerial navigation on such a voyage. lie
would have each balloon carry skin
boat twenty-five feetin length and four
and half feet beam amldshlps, made
after the model of whale boat. de
would have the boat so made that 1T
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 300 pounds, and, in case the navi-
gators met with a large body OF water,
it would be able under the direction OF
experienced sailors, to withstand even
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 7,OOO
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,
300 pounds; the sleigh, 300 pounds; the
provisions necessary for sustaining
eight men for eight months at two
pounds a day for each man of condens-
ed food, 1000 pounds; guns, ammunl-
ton and necessary instruments, 3OO
pounds; and the weight OF the men,
!, 200 pounds.
Capt. Tyson would start four differ
ent balloons at or near the same time,
and form 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
81st parallel and Goth degree east lon
gitudc; Germany at Franz Josef island;
America at Cape Union, in about 81
degrees 20 minutes and GO degrees III
minutes west longitude; and Russia at
Diakhove islands 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 LIST 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 but
for single day, they would probably
be within the vicinity of the pole, the
distance to which from Cape Union
being only about $50 miles, from Spltz.
bergen 900 miles, from Franz Josef
Land about $50 miles, and from New
Siberia about $40 miles.
The DO having been reached, the
return, the captain thinks, would be an
easy matter. The men would be fresh
and unwearied and having the entire
summer 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
always had to contend, would be con-
tinually carrying them southwark with
out 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 pos
sible before the Arctic night overtakes
them. During the winter the polar
currents would carry them southwark,
and they could witho 1T difficulty escape
in the spring.
E,uId,S Ei.lu ON St LOuiS