New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-12
TY.FOUR HOURS.

within ten or fifteen degrees Of the Pole mas leu 70
the abandonment by most explorers OF all nope u
achieving the final discovery In ms MANNER az
though such means Of transportation 10 an az
yantaGeous base OF further operations Is, OF COURSE
universally adopted. Even Nansen. an apparent OK
cont,on 70 the rule counts only upon current, not
a broad ocean TO enable him TO reach his des'ina-
ton Every bit Of land within the Arcuc crcc'
moreover. far as explored, gives ihulca'o"' ~,
northern coast, that an overland TRIP 70 INC "o
appears to be out OF the question; whHe' Oh INC
other hand the chaotic masses OF icebergs asrounu
or wedged Into the pack OF floating Ice in ,he iur
thest seas attained, convince the experts tna' .ne
sledge is not adapted to the completion OF this
wonderfully fascinating search the pai.oon oci-
tainly seems to offer satisfactory method Oh over
coming numerous difficulties which have baihed all
efforts by other of conveyance, although !"
may encounter entirely new ones.
The aeronautic details OF the expedition have oeeh
carefully planned The balloon Is to have covering
that Will virtually preclude the escape OF gas A
buoyancy will be secured that Is adequate 10
burden comprising three men. Provisions VIII De
taken for four months. together with scientifc
instruments, hfe-buoys. collapsbie boat sew
eral drag-ropes and quantity of ballast IN
the form OF metal plates NJ. Andree. who has
had experience IN balloons before, has devised
a system of steering by means OF the ropes JUST
mentioned which, he declares, enables him to direct
his course at an angle less than 30 degrees with
ropes with the earth would hinder his progress
somewhat he believes that he could compensate
therefor by using a sail. The ropes are to be made
Of a material that will stand soaking In the sea as
well as dragging over the land and Ice.
1t IS easy to see that II arship. furnished with
the means OF self-propulsion. such as we may pos
siby see in actual service before the close OK the
century, were employed for This enterprise, the
chances OF success would be greater than they are
now. A craft like NJ Andrees will be pretty much
at the mercy OF the winds and Gains. He means
TO walt for a day early next July. when there Is
a fair south wind. Study Of meteorological data
from the Spitzbergen Islands. from which he pro-
poses to start leads him to think that he can count
on a velocity OF sixteen miles an hour; and II this
were realized and maintained long enough. ne would
traverse 100 miles between the archipelago and the
Pole in about forty-four hours. In midsummer
there is perpetual day in the Arctic region. hence
he could set sail at any moment and he would not
be obliged to check his Roadway on account OF
nightfaI at any time during his voyage
The most critical questions that would arise in
connection with this undertaking. no doubt, would
relate 10 the frequency, duration. and area covered
by winds coming from some quarter between south
ives, and southeast. north OF the Gth parallel OF
latitude Meteorologlsts not now as confident as
they were at one time that there Is permanent
barometrlc depression the North Pole. II such
low area existed. there would be system OF south
ery or southwestery winds blowing pretty stead
lily into II from all sides. but after spending two
years in the Arctic region, General A W. Greedy
concluded that the evidence vas unfavorabe 10 the
old theory. Certainly. there are no such WINDS
blowing continuously up there. However, at Lady
Franklin Bay there were occasional Gays wheh
southerly or approximately southeriy breezes pre-
vailed. and though the mean hourly velocity was
only about five or SIX miles, there were
three maxima OF 2S Is and 80 miles In the summer
OF 1882 Inasmuch NJ Andree has in
spocted the wind records for Spitzbergen. he
doubtless has good reason for expecting the
desired conditions for a start several tunes
between the summer sostice and the last OF
July or middle Of August But the Lady Franklin
favorable winds lasting more than a day or TWO.
at the point OF departure; and there Is aimost no
oer wheh seh Winds Would continue to have the
same direction and force There mSst be mTeh un
pletlng the voyage In single uninterrupted run;
hs ~ay At time ' pB be- ecessry
and II NJ Andree possessed no facilities for an.
moments when his favoring breezes subsidized there
is distinct possibility that ne might have an ex-
c back al hrse fet II he well nA for that
he climbed Upward Eysn II not driven back d.
toward the inhosptable, trackess continent Of
az Franz 1 h Joseph f a or ees
stretching between those regions and Norway
be confronted Win the difticult task OF getting
Nevertheless. as NJ. Andree is man OF learning,
sagaclty and good sense and not a crank" he Is
preparing himself very thoroughly for his under
taking. lie has received much encouragement from
meteorologlsts and explorers who should appre-
ciate the risks involved and he has selected what
is probably the most advantageous point OF de-
parture that could be selected for such q voyage.
Moreover even II he should achieve only partial
success and still come home alive. he Will have
mad, valuable contributions store OF geo.
graphical and other knowledge. The world OF
scence therefore, will sympathize heartily with the
scheme and cherish lively admiraton for It's
courageous author.