The record-union., 1895-04-17
TO THE NORTH POLE.
Trip to be Made by a Swede in a
Balloon.
a Two-Thousand Mile Ride In the
Sky, from Spitzbergen to
BehrlnR Sound.

S. A. Andree, the distinguished Swed-
1sh civil engineer and scientific aeronaut,
will start next year on a balloon journey
to the North Pole, under the auspices of
she Royal Swedish Academy of Science
and with the financial support of a num-
ber OF Swedish gentlemen. Chimerical
as such an undertaking seems to be. its
projectors believe it will be success,
with most important results.
In lecture before the Royal Swedish
Academy recently Mr.. Andree outlined
his plans. He declared that the science
of balloon construction and of steering a
balloon during the last four years has
advanced so far as almost to solve the
practicability of aerial navigation. His
plan is to establish headquarters at the
Norwegian Islands on the northwest
coast of Spitzbergen. Here a house or
shed of sufficient size to cover balloon
of % meters, or 72.6 feet in diameter
when filled with gas, will be erected. and
from this point the balloon journey to
the North Pole will commence.
The greatest expert in the world on
balloon construction and aerial voyages,
the celebrated balloon manufacturer, the
late L. Gabriel Yon of Paris, in letter to
tirely feasible, and advised him to use q
balloon of twenty-five meters in diam
eter, to be constructed of Jwo-fold ST K
covers, and said that a balloon of this
size and construction would float for
thirty days without retilling. AS an in
dorsen4ent of Nj. Yon's statement, Henri
GiffarG, Poisenilles and Graham, who are
well-known aeronauts, computed that
the balloon would lose comparatively a
small amount of gas in month.
The gas used for balloons is now manu-
fActured and for sale, and can be trans
ported any distance in cylinders; 200 to
1,S00 cylinders are sufficient to fill q polar
balloon such as Mr.. Andree will use, and
can without any difficulty be transported
TO SpitZDergen. AS il might be somewhat
dangerous to fill balloon in the open
air, Mr.. Andree will erect a portable
shed to cover the balloon when being
filled.
The balloon under construction will be
OF such carrying power as TO support a
large, strongly-built gondola. The gon-
dola will contain dark room for photo
graphic purposes, a sleeping-room for
three persons, and will be provided with
system of sails for steering. The gon-
dola will be suspended from the balloon
in such way that in case of disaster il
can be instantly detached.
An interesting feature Of the projected
trip is that the balloon Will not rise higher
over the earth on an average than S25
feet. This will be accomplished by means
of drag-lines, constructed OF cocoa fiber,
thus permitting them to float on water.
The balloon can therefore be- kept at the
same distance from the earth in passing
either over ice or water.
The balloon will also be provided with
a great number OF Tree hanging ballast
lines. The object OF these is that in case
the balloon from some cause or other sud-
denly sinks TO a great depth as soon as
the ballast line touches the ground the
balloon will be relieved of a correspond
ing weight and the sinking will stop be-
fore the gOudola touches the ground.
The journey, as now planned, will be
in direct line from SpltZen bergen over
the North Pole to Behring Sound, a dis
tance OF about 2,294 miles, and will not
it is expected, occupy more than six
days. which is a fifth part of the time the
balloon can float without retiliing.
Geographical and meteorological OBJ
serYatIons en- route will be made by a
competent scientist. Photographs will
be taken of the country as the balloon
floats forward, and these will be taken in
double sets. one set Will be developed
on board the balloon in case the travellers
meet with accident and have to take to
the gondola. The balloon will also be pro-
Vided with Davy's safety lamps, and an
electrical storage battery for cooking, etc.
In the polar regions during the month
of July the sun, both by night AMI day,
is above the horizon, so that the Arctic
regions are peculiarly fitted for a long
aerial voyage. The lowest temperature
at Spitzenbergen in July. 1888, was few
degrees above the zero point.
Another advantage of ballooning in the
Arctic regions is the absence of vegeta-
ton, and thus the drag lines will pass
along evenly and without obstruction.
Still another advantage is the absence of
electrical storms; no record has ever been
made of lightning or thunder in this part
OF the globe 1t has been suggested that
a heavy snow fall would destroy the bal
loon, and this would certainly be mis-
fortune. But from records made in July
at Spitzbergen this danger is not to be
feared.
The total cost Of the expedition will be
about $40, COO, and this amount has already
been subscribed. King Oscar of Sweden
takes great interest in the proposed bal
loon journey, and will no doubt materi-
ally aid Mr.. Andree.
Baron Nordenskjold, the famous polar
traveller and discoverer of the North west
Passage, has strongly recommended the
expedition 10 the Royal Academy, and
has stated the only practical way of reach
ing the North Pole is by means of a bal
loon. From his large experience of polar
and Arctic meteorological conditions, be
is satisfied that Andree's plan will be
successful. AS the distance from Spitz-
bergen to the North Pole is only about