The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-20
TO THE NORTH POLE.
( Colossal Balloon in Which Such Trip
 is Proposed.

IS Proposed. (From the New York Herald.) A special view was given to members of the press of the balloon in which M. Andree is to make his voyage to the North Pole says the European edition of the Herald.
 The balloon was on view in the cen tral dome of the Palais du Champ de Mars, and at about half-past ten quite number of people had assembled to see the balloon and congratulate the maker, M. Henri Lachambre, the we'll known Parisian aeronaut.
 At about eleven o'clock the president of the republic, M. Felix Faure accom-, panied by General Tournier, arrived. M, Felix Faure warmly congratulated M. Lachambre on the part he had taken In the all-important work of construct ing the balloon. He expressed himself much pleased at what he saw, and was glad that the work had been instructed to a French maker. After being pre- sented to Mime. Lachambre and others present, the president left. The health of M, Lachambre was then drunk by those present the Swedish colony being largely in evidence.
 Among those present I noticed M Poubelle, prefect of the Seine; M. Due, minister for Norway and Sweden; the vice-consul for Sweden, Gustave Nord- ling; Commandant Renard and his brother, Captain Renard; M. Gaston Tissandier, M P. de Nordenfelt, M Viellard, M. Coulet M. Decauville, sen ator; M Noel, engineer; M. Camille Gravis, of Amiens; Admiral Sallan- arouse de Lamornaix M. Alexis Ma churon, engineer (assistant to M. Lach- Ambre), M. Christophe and others.
 AS previously stated in the Herald, the balloon will cost fifty-one thousand francs. With the material chosen the net ascending force of the balloon will be twenty four hundred kilogrammes, as the forty-fve hundred cubic metres of pure hydrogen gas prepared at Spltzberg, has gross ascending power of five thousand kilogrammes. It will be seen, therefore that the material to be raised weighs twentysix llilo- grammes. Included in this is the bal loon envelope weighing one thousand klogrammes, the net weighing eight hundred kilogrammes, and the remain ing weight is represented by the car, the sails, the guide ropes, etc. The passengers, instruments, food and sand weigh twenty-four hundred kilo- grammes.
 Under the great dome was the cord age or net. It was fastened to the top of the dome and brought down to the sides of the building, and looked like mammoth mosquito net In the adjoining room was the bal loon itself
 It was inflated with ordinary air and lay on it's side NJ Andree was afraid of infating it with hydrogen, as a lighted cigarette might, under certain circumstances, cause an explosion and the destruction of the balloon. The balloon is simply colossal in size. At one side was a smaller one of three hundred and fifty cubic metres, simi- larly inflated, to bring the North Pole balloon into greater contrast as regards size.
 Then there was a chemise or silk covering to go over the top of the bal loon to protect it from the snow.
 Supposing that the top of a balloon is covered with snow, all that will be necessary to do to get rid of it will be to shake the chemise or covering and the snow will fall off.
 l The basket or nacelle weighs eighty kilos, and is covered with canvas It stood next to the balloon itself, and the rigging was suspended over | it.
 The car or basket has two little win dows. and, although not fitted up at the 1 time of inspection, it looked capable of | being as cozy as possible. | On top of the ropes and rigging | waved proudly the flag of Sweden. "The public will only be admitted by card" said M. Lachambre. "up to May 14th. I shall leave Paris with the bal loon on the 18th for Gothenburg, where I shall meet M. Andree."