The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-09

Thorsden on a clear day in July, wher
the wind is from the south, ana with
| an aV erage speed Of sixteen miles an
hour, which it is expected can be main-
tanned, will reach the Pole in forty-three
| hours. The voyage will be continued
thence to Behring Strait, the Pole lyino
nearly in direct line between that point
and Cape Thorsden.
The average velocity of the wind at
Cape Thorsden is about a1S miles an
hour; and, allowing for 25 per cent re-
tardation by the guide ropes, this gives
sailing speed of about sixteen miles an
hour, as above. The average temperature
at this point in Ju ly is 60 degrees Fab
renheit, the lowest being AZ degrees, and
tne hlghest 55 degrees, and there are no
| storms. and but little snow at that time
OF the year, the temperature boing SO
nearly even. From this it may be in
ferred that similar eyenness of tunper.
allure and freedom from storms will be
Iouno FARTHER north, near the Pole: this
date being near the middle of the Arctic
| summer. when the sun is continually
above the horizon. Hence, though a
| lower temperature will, of course. be
found at the Pole, excessive cold is hard
~ to be expected, and the conditions for
successful voyags are almost as favor
able as could be desired.
The longest and quickest balloon vow
age ever made was that of Wise and La
Mountain in 1859. in spherical balloon
propelled by the wind. They sailed
from ST. Louis, Mo-, on the evening of
July !. and landed the following after
noon at Henderson, jefferson county,
N. r., having travelled l, 100 miles in Is
hours and so minutes, speed Of more
than 81 miles an hour; passing over the
States of Illinois and Indiana in the
night, over Ohio and across Lake Erie
into New York State the following day:
thence across Lake Ontario, into which
they descended, but rose again and land
ed at Henderson.
The next longest and quickest voyage
as we'll as one of the most perilous was
made during the siege Of Paris in 1870
by Roller and Dsschamps, in spherical
balloon. They left Paris at 11.4O D. M.
Nov. "a, with military dispatches, letters
and carrier pigeons, in the balloon Vile
d'Orleans, passed safely over the German
investing lines and the following morn
ing found themselves far out at sea, in
imminent peril of drowning, ana suffer-
ing SO intensely from cold and wet that
they ct length resolved to end their mis-
cry by discharigng the gas, but fortn
nately found the valve frozen fast.
Throwing out bag of mail the balloon
was lightened sufficiently to rise again,
and at 285 p. M, they landed on the
summit OF Mount Lifjeld in Norway.
having travelled $50 miles in fourteen
hours aud fifty five minutes, speed of
more than fifty miles an hour
LII landing, ono of them jumped ont
safely, but the other, in attempting to do
SO. was caught by the netting and came
near being carried away by the tighten
ing balloon, but was rescued by his COM
panion, who seized rope just in time to
save him. They did not know where
they were, and were in freezing con-
dition, in light clothing on this bleak
northern mountain; but descending they
found barn with plenty of hay, into
which they crept, and wore soon snug
and warm, and slept t4.sre soundly till
late next day, when they found herds
mans hut near by. where they were most
Hospitality entertained, and discovered
that they were in Norway
The balloon was one of sixty five which
left Paris during the siege, carrying $50
passengers and about 100000 letters.
Fifty eight of these landed safely, while
i've were captured and two lost, about
IL per cent. Of the entire number, a COM
paratively small percentage of loss; thus
giving practical demonstration of the
value Of the balloon for miiitarys.purposes
The highest balloon ascent ever made
was by DR.. A. Berson, q German aero
naut near Kiel, in Germany, in Dec. 4.
1894, in the Phoenix, - a spherical bal
loon inflated with 20, 600 cubic feot OF hy-
drogsh, and supporting guide rope $50
feet long. The ascension was begun at
1928 a. m, and the balloon reached a
height of &, 600 feet in the first fifteen
minutes, vertical velocity of 1887 feet
per minute, aftor which it assembled moro
slowly, and finally attained its highest
altitude, 80, 600 feet. or 6s-100 milos.
The temperature increased at first !,
rising to Al deg. Fahronhsi t at an alt-
tude of 1900 feet; after which it began
falling, and at IS. AGO feet was at zero.
At 30, 900 foet, the greatest altitude it had
fallen to 81 deg. below zero, and the bar
ometric pressure to 9 1-S inches, less
than one-third the average pressure al
the earth's surface; and the cir was very
dry.
At az altitude of Is, 800 feet DR.. Be1son
began to experience the first weakness Of
heart action. and at 700 feet he had
slight palpitation and mental confusion.
At 90 $50 feet he began to inhale oxygen,
a supply OF which he had with him. and
at 1920 feet this inhalation was in.
creased to one inspirati on per second,
with beneficial results. At q, 900 feet be
sWOOned, but soon reoovered and Uoe