The evening times., 1897-11-24
ISTO THE UNKNOWN.
Andrce'S Balloon Flight Toward
the North Pole.

the North Pole.
Mr.. Jonas StadIing, who witnessed An
dIees departure for the North Pole by
balloon fropI Danes Island, has written
al article entitled '.Andree's Flight into
the Unknown" for the November Century.
The article is accompanied a by photogra phs,
Including a number of the balloon after the
ropes wer.cut. Mr.. Stadlirg says:
After i sound sleep during that night
(July IOl, We Were wakened the following
morning with joyous cry which rang uut
IN chorus from the Younger members of the
talluou ev pedition: '.Southward. strong
and steady spu,n wind" We rolled out of
Our beds, jumped into our clothes and ran
up on deck. Andree had already gone
ASHORE. i hurried after, gave the carrier
pigeons food and water, and went tu the
ballocn-houae Audre., who he night he
fore had Siid t. one of the younger mem
bers of the expedition, i feel tnat il vii
not be long b-fc.e we shah 20 up" looEed;;
trifle more serious than usual as ne walked
about si.!. the ia liOon nous AMI looked mp
ct tie talluDn.
.neraIew moments cons ultstion, il was
decided to wait for an hour, during which
tine the three acronauts were % finish h -ir
tDFFFNlNtH1'tlttd anu pref hfdtN'iiN
the fa ell hour pa sSed, another consultation
was held on top pi The hall, on house. b.
sides the aeronauts. NJ. Machuron, Of Paris.
the neph-w of V. La Chani',re, the balloon
r.,nufactdrer, took part in theconsultatioh.
AC,iree D Sk.d .aC h one seJ arately 10 giv-
his opinion All were in favor f starting,
although the strong wind made the START
somewhat risky. Then they canre down.
Andrnc "a ia went on boart! he Svenshsubd,
seemed la he II ore pensive than ever.
The next morning Andrec told the GA pi ain
oi the guni1at Count Enrrnsward, that he
had decidetto stan. fmmediatelytheo order
was given 10 make the final prrpa ia tions
This was l0:45 a M, on Ire Il'h of Jul5
Then followed {, few hours of intense work
and great suspense. In less than al hour
the northern side Of the lallccn house was
puller down and i'll little ever iva hours
more the balloon had been raised a few
meters. The basket securely fssten ed TO its
place. and everything else belonging to-the
last preparations accomplished.
A IL l..iug ready to start, Andree called
NE aside. and told me that he had decided
TO call his t;ailoun the Eagle tOrner), ana
authorized me to publish its name, he CAV.
me sorle messages and salutationS 10 his
relatives af' iTiPHNs- WHtrcuI'OH me- Mt.
Strindberg, and Mr.. Fraenkel smiling, and
without ceremony. warmly >h jok our hands
and bad us farewell. Then Andree jumped
Into th" basket. and called out, ''Strind
berg! fraei keI each jumping quickly
Into the hasket as they were ordered. The
r"t:a sacks Of sand We're then fastened by
Strinhherg and Fraenkel, and the balloon
was held only lay three strong ropes manned
by humber of sailors.
Andree now instructed til. sailors tsi Cut
the ropes when he should say, Three
There followed Ii few moments of suspense
and painful. waiting for fIvora bic muin-rt
" hen the wind should not blow 50 hard.
Exactly at 2:20 in the afternoon sndrse
called out witt calm and steady voic-
Cut one. two, three A siuult auenrs
snap, and the gigantic balloon rose ma jesti-
cally at of is prison. while Count Ehrens
ward ShouJed, ''Lefve Andree,' (Guad Iuc!
TO -indree'h. followed by strong Swedisl.
fourrold 'Hurrah, Hurrah Hurrah, Hur-
rah'' wh.le the DARING aeronauts shouted
back from ahCve, ''Hesla gamla Sverige
t'SaiJt- cid s Sweden,''l as the ba loon lifted
and started before the strong wind, un its
way to the unknown regions of J'!tima
Thule a voyage mole daring than any
since old Pytheas, more than twenty-five
hundred years ago, sailed out OF the port
of MaSsilia tNarseilles), steering toward tire
unknown regions uf the north.
As the b2lloun was being cut loose, I ran
upon the side of the mountain behind the
baIoon-house, from which point saw i.
ascending and took number - pictures OF
it as it started. With its weight of Il bout
five tons, tie gigantic balloon rose ma ies-
tcally t. a height of ii bout Goo feet then
II sndGealy descended until the basket
preston Wa: no druht caused by the great
Resistance of the three heavy guide-ropes,
each measuring more than 800 feet. and
which in some way or other must have
caught upon something during the ascen-
sion; for IT was found that a large part Of
them had been severed from. the balloon
and left on the shore, Notwithstanding
this mishap, which it is hoped caused no In
jury, since to the balloon was attached
eight baDast liues, each 250 feet long,
which might be used 10 lengthen the guide
ropps-the ascension was accomplished sue
ccSefully,lr In spite Of the strong wind. When
Ill" balloon had i'een relieved from the ten
sion of tl'e tangled guide-ropes IL rose again,
fol- wing the current of the air between tie
Mountains first northeast and then north.
whereupnn 1t rose to some 800 feet, en-
ahlmgittt pass over the mountainous island
of Fogelsang, after an hour finally Ciisap-
pearing in a ncrth-northeast direction,