Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-04
OFF FOR THE POLE.
Swedish Aeronaut Departs Northward
Early III June.

Stockholm, May 31-Sunday, June
is the day set for the departure from
Gothenburg, on the west coast of
Sweden, of Andree, the Swedish
aeronaut, and his two companions, Drs.
Ekblom and StrinGberg, who intend to
go to the north pole in a balloon. The
Swedish government steamer Virgo
which will transport the aeronauts and
scientists TO Spitzbergen, is COM
manded by Captain Zachen, of the
royal navy. Besides the aeronaut, the
party will include the biologists, DR..
DeGeer and Lieutenant Won Knorring;
the zoologist, Dr. GrOnberg, and hydrog-
rapheT, Professor S. a. Arrhenius,
representing the Stockholm high
school; surgeon, DR.. Eklund, and the
representative of the French balloon
makers who have furnished the balloon.
The scientists are to be sent out by
the Swedish government. They Will
remain some time at Spitzbergen for
scientific purposes. The party on
board the Virgo will number forty
three persons including the crew and
the mechanics. The first stop will be
made at Tromso, OH the west coast of
Norway, where eight additional men
will be taken on board, one an ice
pilot.
1t has been planned that special cor
respondents and artists from almost
every country in Europe, and several
from American newspapers, shall ac-
company NJ. Andree's steamer to the
Norwegian island on the northern
coast of Spitzbergen, where the balloon
ascension will take place. 1t is being
ascertained, however, that even the
fastest of the yachts and steamers will
have to make run of at least five days
before reaching the Norwegian main
land and the little Norwegian town of
Hammerfest, the most northern town
in the world, the nearest place TO
Spitzbergen having a telegraph station.
On arriving at Hammerfest it will be
first come, first served" and the race
for the mainland by the yachts and
steamers having correspondents on
board, each anxious to be the first one
TO send out the news, will no doubt be
exciting. The two fastest yachts will
be the New York Herald's and the Lon
don Telegraph's. M. Andree will carry
with him several trained pigeons, and
the Virgo will also have several carrier
pigeons. These will be liberated when
the balloon ascends, and will carry the
news to the mainland in advance of the
correspondents. But, after ALL any de-
tailed account of M. Andrees departure
may be too late as news, as the balloon,
if NJ Andree's project be successful,
may have reached the American main
land before the correspondents reach
Hammerfest, and the first news would
in ali probability come from some
point in Alaska Or, if the wind is
favorable, the balloon would enter far
into American territory. A favorable
wind is all that IS needed, as the bal
loon will float for ninety days. The
distance from Spitzbergen to the pole
is only about seven hundred miles, anu
from SpitZbergen across the pole to
the shores of Bering sound in all about
thirty-seven hundred kilometers. With
a south wind the journey would not
take more than six days; perhaps even
less, depending on the strength and We
lOcity of the wind
No undertaking in modern days has
attracted more attention, and the re-
suit will be awaited with the utmost
interest. The departure from Gothen-
burg will be the occasion of great fes-
tivities, and King Oscar has tele-
grapned M. Andree that he will be pres
ent 20 witness his departure.