Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-06-29
TO THE NORTH POLE.
French Explorers Will Attempt tho Jour.
ney by an Aerial Route.

hcy W ~ Ncrioi Ahoato-
The North Pole, despite the long,
ominous list of martyrs to scientific
or commercial curiosity, continues to
exert fascination over many minds.
This fascination Jules Verne has
graphically depicted in his "Adven-
turers of Capt. Hatteras." The
problem at present discussed is
whether there is land, ice, or an open
polar sea at the pole. An attempt
IS soon to be made to solve the prob
lem by a Partisan aronaut and a
Partisan astronomer, Messrs Besan-
con and Hermite, neither of whom
have attained the age Of 80. The
plan they propose to adopt, while
original with them, is by no means
new. In 1870, Sherman, and in
1874 Sivel, published studies dealing
with the practicability of reaching
the North Pole by balloon. In COM
plete ignorance of these researches,
MeSsrs. Hermite and Besancon, con.
ceived the same idea. In honor Of
these researches, which they later
discovered, and as a tribute to the
memory of an illustrious martyr to
aronautic science, they decided to
call their balloon by the name Of
"Sivel."
The Sivel when inflated will meas
uye l6, $50 yards, and have a dame
ter of thirty-two and one-half yards.
1t will be capable of carrying seven
teen and one-half tons, and will have
an ascensional force Of three pounds
to the cubic yard. The envelope
will be composed Of two thicknesses
of Chinese silk, covered with a new
specially devised varnish, which rem
ders it absolutely impermeable, and
augments the resistance of the en-
velope, rendering it capable of sup
porting, without rupture, a pressure
of 6, 400 pounds to the square yard
The balloon, which is spherical in
shape, will contain an immense in
ternaI balloon so constructed as to be
perfectly and permanently inflated by
3, 250 cubic yards of gas under the
same pressure. This is intended to
remedy, i'll great part, the grave in
chief cause of bal
Ion instability-which result from
hygrometrIc and thermometric varia-
tiOns produced by altitude changes.
The interior balloon is furnished with
two valves of automatic certainty
which will be in communication with
ventilator moved by electric action.
If the gas becomes thinner the in
terror balloon can be depleted; If it
becomes thicker the interior balloon
can be inflated. The Sivel is thus
always inflated. The internal balloon
represents about one-f1fth of the en-
tire balloon, a needed proportion,
since balloons raised 2,700 feet lose
about One-tenth of their gas, indie
pendently of the loss occasSioned by
temperature variation. The Siyel
will carry several pilot balloons to be
used in studying aerial currents, and
sixteen ballOOnets to supply. through
its valves, the gas of the interior bal
loon Of the Siyel. The balloons alti-
tude will be regulated by means of a
trail rope of considerable weight,
which trails as a species of anchor
over the ice.
The car, which is of osiers, is SO
strengthened by steel armatures as
to be absolutely rigid. 1t is so ar
ranged as to maintain in its interior
a regular temperature. A safety
petroleum heater is used for the pur-
pose. The car will be prepared for
all emergencies by making 1T unsub-
mersible and furnishing it with run
ners to be used as a sledge 1t is ten
feet wide by sixteen long, and will
contain, besides the two explorers and
their three aids, eight Esquimau
dogs, a sledge, an unsubmeTsible
canoe, provisions and water rendered
by chemical procedure.
The total weight of car and contents
Is fifteen tons. Above the car is a
bridge accessible by a rope ladder
The explorers will sail from France
IN two steamships, in the latter part
Of May, 1892, SO as to arrive in Spitz-
bergen in July There they will de-
part as soon as practicable by favor
able winds from the south. The ex-
ploration will last in all six months.
Its cost will be Sl08, 900, of which
Sl2, 600 is required for the construc-
ton of the Sivel. The cost is de-
frayed by Mr.. Hermite and some En-
glish capitalists of scientific aspira-
tiOns. While the idea of reaching the
North Pole by balloon is not a new
one, it has had its details on this oc-
casiOn for the first time worked out
INif n aara n uan