The record-union., 1895-07-10

as the due allowance. This escape would
signify loss of 400 pounds of lifting
power. We have lett then $500 pounds.
Six men would weigh 800 pounds. Add
for balloon outfit and propeller 1,l00
pounds, aud for q boat 500 pounds more.
suppose that each of tho men con-
sumed five pounds of food ana water per
diem. That would make thirty per day,
Or 900 pounds for thirty days. Sum these
items up. and you will have total Of
3400 pounds. So you would start with
6,400 pounds of ballast A part of this
ballast would consist Of the empty
smaller balloon, which could be cut up
and thrown away piecemeal in case Of
emergency. The last thing TO be sacri-
feed would be the boat, which would be
the hope OF safety in case tho air ship
collapsed and fell into the water. Many
aaronauts have been reduced to the eX-
trenlity Of cutting away the basket and
holding on to the ring of the balloon.
"woULD GO HUMMING."
1--WE should require as many as six
men in order that they might take turns
in operating the propeller a start might
be made conveniently from SO north
latitude, which would be 700 miles from
the pole. l have said that no great speed
would be required. In case of head
wind, we could throw out an anchor
and wait for a favoring breeze; or we
might rise to higher level and find
current going our way. At an eleva-
ton of one and half miles tho winds
are apt to blow at q rate ten times as
fast as near the surface of the earth.
With breeZes not extremely unfavorable
we could run straight to The pole. Give
me steam propeller, and l would go up
hummlng.
Now, where is Andree to come out on
his balloon Journey? In the neighbor
hood of Iceland there is permanent low
pressure area, and the tendency of the
winds is to blow around that area in a
direction opposite to that OF tho hands of
clock. The circuit of these winds
reaches as far east as Norway. Ii Andree
trusts himself to this current he will be
carried westward and not northward.
~ similar l0w-pressGre area is in the
vicinity OF Behring Sea, with a corre-
spending air current circulating about
it. Obviously, then, the start by BAL
loon ought not to be made from either of
these regions. This question of starting
point is extremely important. | should
rather be inclined to recommend Hud-
sons Bay, or else the island III the Arctic
ocean otf the Lena delta and the north
coast OF Siberia.
Summer would be the time to start for
a number of reasons. Not only would
the temperature be more agreeable. bat it
Is night at the pole from october to April,
and it would be desirable to arrive by
daylight. Furthermore, in winter there
Is high pressure area III the neighbor-
hood of the pole, and this implies that
the prevailing winds are blowing away
from that extremity of the earth's axis.
Let me say in conclusion that you
must lot represent me as advocating
trip to the pole by balloon or in any other
manner. | fail to see in such yOy-
age advantages sufficient to compen- !
safe for the trouble and expense in
volved. a fraction OF the cost OF &c
would pay for an investigation, tho'd-
sand times more proiitabIe. OF the an
known world above us-l mean the higher
levels of the atmosphere. which are easily
attainable by balloons. What w0 might
thus learn would be Of incalca.a Die adj
vantage in forecasting the weasder and
for many other purposes. heEe is an op-
portunity not yet realized for some large
minded man Of wealth 10 invest a mod
crate sum OF money With profit to man
kind at LARGE"