The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-06-07
NJ. ANDREE'S AIR SHIP
ssTHE NoRTH POLE BALLOON SAILS
FROM GeTHENBURG TO-DAY.
Only Three Men I'm the Party that e.
poets 60 Celebrate the Fourth Of
July IA the Polar Region

Van Der Nailen's Paris Letter in SAN Fran
cisco Chronicle.
Great excitement exists among the sclen-
tihc meS here just now on account Of the
Pear departure OF the famous balloon, The
! North Pole" with which NJ. Andres intends
10 discover that famous myth that has cost
already 50 many precious lives 70 the scien-
tifc world. THE North Pole was On exbibi-
ton to the privileged ones und9 the cen
tral dome in the Champs Elysees and
through the neyer-ceasing courtesies OF De
Laiande. the French consul FOR California.
now here on a leave of ahsence. I was IA
vored with an invitation 10 visit the balloon
at the same time that the President Of the
French Republic. M. Faure, visited IL. Think
OF IL. A balloon nearly seventy feet high
from the bottom OF the basket 10 ne top
OF the bag itself. Although the balloon vas
lying on the ground the men standing near
1t were like little pigmies. on the 10Th OF
may THE North Pole" was shipped By vessel
from Paris TO spitzbergen WITH the scientific
Instruments and lots OF other material OF
construction. and will start from Gothen-
burg on the Tth OF June, 10 arrive at spitz-
bergen on the 19uh.
AS you are we'll aware this is a swedish
expedition, and three men only viii sail in
N~AC aAA00 49, 80 -
great g~eoIogist Of Stockholm. who will have
charge: NJ. r. Kholm, who VIII make the
scientific observations, and NJ. Strindiung. an
experienced photographer. These gentlemen
will hazard their lives In a basket whion -
only five feet high, six feet In diameter, and
which is to contain the scientific instrn-
ments. provisions for perhaps a long jour
ney, and furs, for they expect TO meet tenn
peratures low enough 10 freeze hades, as n
srrindlung poeycally puts IT,. How they VII
ma place 10 sleep none OF them KNOWS. DIT
they say they DO not think they will sleep.
The balloon Is a dtrisiole one ana II cas-
proved TO be so pretty much In a trial sail
they made three weeks ago near Paris. 1T
was made 10 vary as much as twenty de-
grees from the direction of the wind
STEERING THE BALLOON.
And now j will try TO describe the mOdus
operaldi OF The North Pole and appliances
on which Andree and his associates rely 10
steer it. These appliances are a square san
fixed 10 the lower part of the balloon or
bag and a guide rope strongly tied 20 .
ring. to which all the ropes OF the netting
covering the entire balloon are attached
This rope is long and heavy. and is intended
to drag on the ice covering OF the polar sea,
serving mainly as a rudder.
When The long guide rope is trailing heay-
lily in the snow below, at right angles 70 the
plane Of the sail, the wind wall strike the
sail in full and the balloon will go straight
ahead before the wind. But when the upper
end OF the rope is shifted to any position on
the ring desired. thus DETECTING the strain.
apparatus constructed expressly for thai pur-
pose, then the balloon VIII be compelled 10
shift its position, thereby placing the sail
in changing the direction Of the balloon.
That Ii will do this has been proven BY an
The point Of anxiety with the nayigators
is the change OF temperature the atmosphere
undergoes in one day in those polar regions:
Ii changes as much az thirty degrees Fahr-
enheit in tweDty-four hours. How viii the
balloon behave when the singing rays or
the polar sun will strike lts surface in fuil2
To obyiate this Inconvenience as much as
possible they have attached 10 the appendix,
or lower part OF the bag. an automatic safe
open at a certain degree OF temperaturr an
aperture and permit the gas 10 escape More
two smaller valves. which will be Operated
from the basket By means OF ropes. so that
the balloon may De lowered at VIII IL Is.
however, intended TO keep II sailing as near
the surface of the ice az possible. merely
avoiding the tops or the iceberss. The
North Pole" of such huge dimensions filed
with hydrogen gas will be able 10 carry a
great quantity OF ballast and IL has been
calculated that they can carry on the opera
every day for over two weeks They do not
expect 10 stay In the air for a longer period
than that.
FROM EIGHTIETH PARALLEL.
oplIZDeISeu IL near the clkhllttl uttItt
of latitude. so that in a favorable wind they
could reach the pole from there in two days.
Starting from spitzbergen they expect soon
to encounter the currents which seem to
blow almost steadily from the Hudson bay.
These currents, they expect, VIII carry them
over the pole toward Siberia. Whatever con-
tingencIes they may meet they win carry
IN their little basket or outside of IL
provisions for four months.
An independent and waterproof. covering
is thrown over the balloon. enabling the
travellers TO turn of the rain and 10 shake
of the snow and sect. which they may at
times encounter. To get accustomed 20 the
cold. NJ Andree told me. and this was con-
frmed by. his companions, that ne has been
sleeping this winter outside under the trees.
He felt very comfortable. he added.
The North Pole" was delivered TO the
company by NJ. Lachambre, the contractor,
on the 90th of May. when the balloon started
for Spitzbergen as it's destination Imme-
aiaisiy after It's a sar az t, mere ,ne worA %
storage OF provisions and a shed ninety feet
high TO house and MI the balloon was be-
gun. The gas used will be hydrogen. for the
manufacture of which they have all the
apparatus. Iron and not zine VIII be the
material used for the manufacture Of the
/ took my departure from those brave men
not without a feeling OF anxiety for their
precious lives. but / thought OF the answer
Captain Hooper, Of the Corwin. gave me
when he went in search of the Jeanette. i
asked him whether there was not a pretty
good chance for him never 10 return. He
! said: -In such cases a man must think only
OF his country and his duty" I shook hands
with the three men, and wished them a sue
cessful termination OF their hazardous trip.
They answers that their trip might as well
terminate on the Pacific In Alaska as else
where. and that their return might be made
through San Francisco. II such were 10
be the case ] promised them a most hearty
reception. They seemed TO De much battered
at this, for they had heard much OF CALI
~fornia's unbounsed Hospitality. They smiled.
and we parted. leaving them bnoyant with
the hope OF success.