The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-07-24
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THE NORTH POLE.
A New Mode of Exploring.

That "Hope springs eternal in the
human breast" we know upon the word
of poet; and if we had any doubt of
the correctness of his statement that
doubt should certainly be removed by
the persistence with which men strive
to discoverth the North Pole, undismayed
by all the failures that have been made
in that direction. That each one who
organizes a new expedition for that
purpose believes that he at least is
fated to succeed is very evident, and
somehow all have so much faith in
themselves that they manage to infect
others with it, so that money is salways
forthcoming whenever an Arctic ex-
pedition is proposed.
The latest thing of the kind is Prof.
Andree's new scheme to make bal
loon voyage to the North Pole, and he
has already secured one royal convert
to his theory that in this way, if in
any, it is. possible to gain knowledge
of the region which has for years bid
defiance to all attempts of men to pen
citrate it, and has cost so many lives
and so much money. King Oscar, Of
Sweden, has headed NJ. Andree's list
with subscription of 10000 kroner,
and, Of course, his loyal subjects will
vie with each other in following his
example.
The Professor proposes to build a
balloon of $500 pounds burden, to
make it of such perfect material that
the waste of gas will be reduced to a
minimum, to store it with provisions
for four months voyage and to carry
with him a sledge, canvas boat,
arms, ammunition, scientific instru-
ments and Photographic outfit and that
his party shall consist Of two other
scientists beside himself. One Of
these has already been found in the
person of DR.. Niels Ekholm, who has
already wiutered in the Arctic regions
and is quite willing to encounter the
risks of the aerial trip for the sake of
science ; no doubt third person will
be found before the expedition is ready
to set out, since never in the worlds
history has a great undertaking failed
for want of brave men to attempt it,
but always from other causes usually
beyond man IS control.
It is the intention that the fight
shall be made from the coast Of Nor
way, or from some island of the Spitz-
bergen group, whence at the moderate
rate of seventeen miles an hour, the
pole should be reached in forty hours,
and the journey would then be contin-
ued to the northern coast of North
America. Prof. Andree has spent
five summers in the Arctic regions Of
this country and two in Spitzbergen,
and thinks the even temperature, the
continued sunlight, and the absence
Of vegetation in those latitudes are all
so many points in favor of success.
1t has already been demonstrated
that it is possible to construct bal
loon capable Of carrying %, 900 pounds
weight and an experimental one was
made, nine yards in diameter, that
only lost nine pounds in its bearing
power in month. A celebrated
manufacturer of balloons in Paris is
ready to take the contract to furnish
such balloon as is wanted, and the
hydrogen gas would be manufactured
in the Arctic regions or conveyed in a
state to point of departure.
By use of ballast and of baskets of
cocoanut fibre attached to ropes, so
they could be dragged in the water,
the height above the surface of the
earth would seldom exceed 300 feet,
and the speed could be regulated at
will. The mapping of the regions
over which they would pass would be
done with camera, and in the upper
portion of the two-story car would be
a chamber where the photographs could
be developed.
This is the rose-colored scheme that
at present floats before the eyes Of the
engineer and his royal patron;
but all scientists are not so sanguine
of his success, and a good many are
ready to throw colder water upon it
than any he would encouter at the
Pole. Prof. Hazen, Of the weather
bureau at Washington, is not, however,
among that number He thinks the
plan feasible, and in an interview with
a reporter for the St. Louis Globe
Democrat offers several valuable sug-
gestions with regard to the trip. One
of these is as to the choice Of the point
of departure. He says that in the
neighborhood Of Iceland there is a
region of permanent low pressure where
the tendency of the winds is to blow
around this area in the opposite direc.
tion to the movement of the hands of
a clock, and that similar state of
things exists in the vicinity of the
Behring's Sea. 1t is evident, there
fore, that these two points are to be
avoided, and that the best places
whence to start would be either Hud-
sons Bay or off the Lena Delta, on
the northern coast of Siberia.
He thinks also that that the carry
ing power of the balloon should not be
less than ID, 900 pounds, nor the party
smaller than six in number, which
would allow of the crew being so divid-
ed that some could rest while others
attended to the steering apparatus and
to taking observations. The science of
ballooning has improved so much of
late years that the risks to be encoun-
tered are comparatively small. The
loss of gas by leakage has been almost
entirely overcome by the use of gold
beater's skin as lining, and steering
arrangements can be attached to the
car. while the use of propeller, to be
worked by the feet like bicycle, would
give the balloon enough propulsion to
make the rudder useful.
At the same time Prof. Hazen does
not advocate the expedition, since he
thinks "the play would not be worth
the candle" or that the knowledge to
be gained by such trip, even sup
posing it successfully carried out,
would be of no practical use to mankind.
He would rather see the amount of
money requisite for the undertaking
expended in making researches in the
upper regions of the air above us, so
that the work of his department might
be carried on in more thorough and
satisfactory way, and the whole known