The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-02-16
Arctic BALLOONING.

Capt. George E. Tyson, who ha.
had thirty years experience of Arc
tic life, recently addressed a lettel
TO the editor of the New York Her.
0td, 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 impossible
for any vessel to reach the North
Pole and live to return, and that
sledge journeys from all Iatitudes
yet obtained by ships are impractic-
aole. Despite our modern inven-
tIons IN steam and the unquestioned
skill OF our nayigatOrs, we have, he
says, SO far done very little more
poleN ard than the navigatOrs of
nearly300 years ago,accomplished in
thelr little ShallOps. The obstacles
IN the way to success are natural
ones. No matter in what meridian
ndvigatOrs sail, in about.latitude 500
is met that barrier of ice which no
navigator has been able to penetrate
very far. at
Seing no reason to hope for sue
cess by use of ships, the captain ia
vorSlan International balloon eXpedi-
ton to the North Pole. He aUpreci-
ateS, he says, the danger to be en-
countered by aerial navigation on
such voyage. He would have each
balloon carry skin boat % feet in
length and AZ feet beam amidships,
made after the model of whale
boat. He would have the boat so
made that it would be Waterproof.
light, tough and elastic.
He believes the weight of such a
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 navigatorS met with
a large body of water, it would be
able under the direction of expert
enced sailors, to withstand even a
heavy sea. He would also have each
balloon carry a strong sleigh, weigh
ing no 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 aggregate weight of all that |
would be needed for a polar voyage |
at about 5000 pounds, as follows:
The boat, 800 pounds; the sleigh 300 |
pounds; the provisions necessary
for sustaining eight men for eight |
months at two pounds a day for
each man of condensed food, 1000 |
guns ammunition and nee
eSsary instruments, 800 pounds; and
the weight of the men, 1900 pounds.
Capt Tyson would start four diff
ferent balloons at or near the same.
lime, and from as many different
points of departure. In his opinion,
or the departure of these balloons,
England should establish at the
North end OfSpitZbergen Island near
he S1st parallel and52Othe of east
Germany at Franz Josef
land; Americ at Cape Union, in
bout so 20/ and go lO/ west longi-
ude; and Russia at DiakhOve
Stands Of new Siberia, near where
he Jeanette was lost. The neceS-
airy preparations having been made
he balloons should start as near as
POSSIBLE to the first day of May,
which wouldgive them four months
+ continuous light and pleasant
weather.. By starti G at the begin
ing of May should the winds prove
adorable but for a single day, they
would probably be in the vicinity of
he pole, the distance to which
rom Cape Union being only about
so miles from Spitzbergen 600
niles, grom Franz Josef Land
bout $40 miles. The pole having
Deen reached, the return, the cap
ain thinks, would be an easy matter.
The men would be fresh and I'M
vear.ed and have the entire summer
o work in. Their provisions would
re an pie and everything would be
n as good condition as when they
tartcd, and the Arctic current,
gail st which navigatOrs who go by
essel have always had to contend,
would be continually carrying them
without any efforts of
heir own. Even should they hap
en to be caught in the polar basin
uring the winter they could quietly
ettle themselves down on some
oe of ice, build their snow-huts and
ecure all the game possible before
lie Arctic night oYertakeS them.
During the winter the polar current
7ould carry them southwark, and
hey could without difficulty escape
4 the spring.