Evening star., 1896-07-25
well they may, for a cooler or more cour-
ageous man is rarely to be found.

well they may. for a cooler or more cour-
ageous man is rarely to be found.
Three Parts of the Expedition.
The expedition naturally divides itself
| into three parts: The voyage to Spitz-
| bergen. the balloon voyage and the journey
home.
balloon. the materials for initiating it, etc.
and the necessary provisions to Spitzbergen,
| the iron ship Virgo of $500 tons carrying
capacity, Capt H. Zachau. was chartered.
1t sailed from Gothenburg on June z
Captain Zachau expected to reach his desti-
nation about June 49,
Arrived there and a landing safely ef-
| fected, there was much to be done-the
wooden house, ninety-fiv feet in width and
| 100 feet in height. for sheltering the bal
loon during imitation, TO be put up, the gas
making shed and apparatus to be erected
and great deal of detail work to be seen
to. The house was constructed at Gothen-
| burg at a cost of f1,OO0. 1t is octagonal in
shape. and is SO substantially put together
| that when half of II is taken away the
4 other half remains perfectly stable. This
was done with the view of allowing the
lee side to be removed when a suitable
wind arose. so that the balloon could get
| free from the house without being subjected
/ to undue pressure from the wind The roof
| which Is OF canvas. Is so constructed that
1t can be removed in few minutes by
pulleys.
The material for making the gas consists
| OF forty tons Of iron filings thirty-five tons
! or sulphuric acid and seventy-nve tons OF
| water
For putting up the house. making the
gas ETC.. large number of carpenters,
| blacksmiths and other misunderstanding
| an experienced gas maker-were taken with
| the expedition to Spitzbergen
| Everything being ready, 1t was Mr. An
| aree's intention to take advantage of the
| nrst southerly wind. If strong enough. to
| let 90 his moorings and sail away north
| INTO the regions OF eternal ice.
| None of the explorers appear to have tho
| least doubt about their coming safely home
| from their perilous adventure. The only
| doubt there seems to be in their minds is
| as to where they will land, and how far
| they may have to travel over snow and ice
| before they reach the borders of civiliza-
| ton.
The explorers calculated that they would
| lose about one cubic foot of gas a day ard
| that they could afford to lose 1908 cubic
| feet without impairing the efficiency Of the
| balloon. They carry food for about 10
| days.
AS regards the Temperature they will ex
perience, Mr.. Andree thinks they will have
| IL about freezing point all the time. "Our
| chief danger" he adds, will arise from
| snow or rain getting frozen on the balloon.
| lf we were to have much snow and il be-
| came firmly attached to the balloon, or IL
| much rain were to fall and IL froze. that
| would be real danger because it might
| overweight us and bring US to the ground.
| But apart from that / do not mucn
danger. If we got into a cyclone. We could
| steer out OF 1t. as ship does"
The Time Necessary.
| DR.. Ekholms estimate is that under IA
| vorable circumstances they may travel
| at the rate of from twelve to fifteen miles
| an hour, and that they might reach the
jole in six days. and Siberia of the North
| American continent in two weeks more
| But this" he remarked. lis putting things
| in the most favorable condition Possibly
we might be six weeks in reaching con-
t.l 1.v,l
to be the case"
Mr.. Anlrec's estimate is much shorter
| than this. He reckons the balloons mean
| rate of travelling at twenty miles an hour
or nearly that so" he says. we may
be at the pole in forty-two hours and in
Siberia or Behring'S strait in week. He
| laughs as he says so. but adds: 1T is
quite possible, but don't think it is very
probable 1t is more likely that We shall
be three weeks or even more. would
| observations"
1t may here he noted that judging from
| What is known OF the prevailing winds in
the polar regions. the explorers arrived
| at the following conclusions as regards
the probable place of their landing:
Nl The greatest probability is that the
balloon will land in Siberia in about lat.-
tude 40 n. and long. 135 f.
| g, That it win land on the Samoyetlen
peninsula in lat. 40 N, long. 20 Z.
CD That it will land in the vicinity OF
Cape Barrow in Alaska, in lat 20 n and
| long. 15o w, where there is an American
government station
! GD That it will land in British North
America in lat. 81 N. long Ioo W
| speaking OF these probabilities Mr. An
For myself. I would ike as we'll as
anything to sight continental land at
Berlngs strait, and he able to go as far
as san Francisco. but that is not likely
W hat would please me the least perhaps,
| would he to come down in mort hern Green
I lahd winch would probably compel us to
lemaln there year. We might of course
iind ourselves brought right back to Spitz-
bergen, though that, of course. is hardly
| to he expected"
Dr. Ekholm took tc himself wife after
the expedition was decided upon and he
had undertaken to go with it, PERSON.
| ally, he wished to POSTPONE the Wedding
until his return, hut the lady felt brave
and desired that the ceremony should take
place without delay
Neither Mr.. Andree nor his younger COM
panion is married.
Mr.. Andree's mother is still living a
bright and active-minded lady of seventy
Everything concerning the expe,iition she
watches with the greatest interest Not
an article or paragraph appears about It
Dut she must have copy, and these she
oates and puts away with the greatest
care.
Should the voyagers have the good for
tune to return. and they should descend
IN any part of the Russian domnions they
VIII he given every possible assistance.
IerS OF thousands of circular have been
distributed broadcast throughout Siberia
instructing all and sundry what 10 do
should the balloon descend in their midst
Similar circulars have been distributed
also in Alaska and British North America
Another Kind of Queen.