The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-28
WAS LIKE A BALLOON
CONTINUED from First Page)

| requisite sum out or state FUNDS, an
| this assured the attempt.
The next move was to secure the con
struct-on OF a balloon after Andree'
plans. The big bag cost $4,000, an
| the work was done by NJ. Henri l.
Chambre. an experienced aeronautica
engineer of London. The balloon is no
50 large as some that have been made
L has a diameter Of 81 feet, and from
top TO the bottom Of the basket is 2
feet It's volume is .396 cubic feel
AMI is constructed of Chinese PONCE
silk, which will stand tensile stress o
.wo tons to the square inch. The uppe
part OF the balloon has three thicknesse
Of this six, and the lower part but two
the difference being thought necessar.
to protect the big bag from the sun
rays The Arctic sun shines until Au
gust q this years. The thicknesse
were glued together and sewed, ant
chen thoroughly vanished inside ans
cut Enclosing the balloon is the net
the strands Of which are nearly I'VE
inches in thickness. The weight OF TIT
balloon without accessories is almost ex
actly one ton.
LIVING IN THE CLOUDS.
The fearless voyagers are travelling n
a small suspended house. four and hall
feet from floor TO roof and six feet from
side to side, constructed Of wicker work
Six flempen cords, nine feet long and ar
inch and half thick, suspended the car
from the balloon and entwined with
these running around in circular form
ere six cords that form net work OF
parapst which reaches four feet above
the root. There were 400 pounds OF
weight in this car when IL left Spitz-
bergen. 1915 pounds OF which was sand.
The little cottage, about the size OF a
girls play house, that the three eXplor-
ers were 70 live in is a marvel of alb
breviated space. In It are stored pro-
visions, live pigeons, instruments, am
munition and what not. There is a,so
a bedstead for one person, IL being An
dree's plan that one shall sleep while
two Will be on the watch with powerful
telescopes and instruments to tell civil
ization what there is at the pole. There
are little windows IN the side and a
small hole in the floor.
The observers will stand on the roof
Of the car, but will be protected by the
ret work parapet. The Thermometers,
barometers. sextants, an ahazimuth, an
anemometer. an instrument for determ-
lining the direotion and velocity Of the
one for recording the Intensity Of
the sunlight, another for showing the
true horizon. compasses, a magnetome-
ter, a theodolite and two photograph
are suspended to a ring just
above their heads. From the larger
ring hangs a confusing mesh Of rope
work which contains about 300 pockets
in which are stored various articles OF
food and necessity.
COOKING THEIR MEALS.
The explorers had arrangements for
warm meals three times day. For
an apparatus will be dropped
down fifteen feet through the hole in the
floor and a small oil lamp lighted from
ABOVE by pull Of a string. After the
bsefsteak Is cooked, a pull on another
string viii put the fire out. Then the
food will be pulled UP and eaten. This
precaution Is taken TO preclude any pos
s!bility Of the balloon catching fire. The
cooking apparatus was invented by a
Swedish engineer purposely for Mr.. An
iree.
The explorers had with them a patent
boat. 50 that X they We're
dropped into the water, they could i'm
msdiately pull the boat out, ACCORDION
ike. and paddle to the nearest iceberg.
The car was also so arranged that IL
they cared 10. it could be detached from
ne balloon almost instantly.
STEERING THE BALLOON.
II was no. Andrees purpose TO stay at
any great height. He wanted to keep
close to the earth-5o0 feet il he could
10 better study the topography Of the
He started with south wind,
Y be expected that this wind will keep
10 straight for the 600 or 700 miles to get
o the pole But the far-sighted and re-
Andree provided for this He
invented steering apparatus. which is
wonderful thing. He took three heavy
lawsers OF varied length. the shortest
,eing 1000 feet long. or fifth of a mile,
md the longest ], 400 feet. On the bot
ON Of these ne placed q weight-just
'nough to keep the rope close to the
ground. These ropes hang from the
gearing ring that Is just above the car
md drag along the Ice. or in the water,
= the case may be. AS these ropes
rag along they are shifted by the voy-
gers as the will. so that their weight
md hold on the balloon would affect
heir course in one way or the other.
SAILS TO HELP ALONG.
Rugged from the top OF the car 70 the
Mouth of the balloon inside the net are
wo sails. which are stretched on bam-
100 poles, and which present an area Of |
1 square yards, or a quarter Of the cross |
ection of the hanging net. TO the wind. |
he sails are attached by three straps |
o the large iron ring. so that Mr.. An
rec has not only combined tina common |
rinciple OF being lifted into the air by |
anoon ana forced along with the air |
urrent, but by his sails obtains speed, |
nd by his dragging ropes. steering.
From his experiments Andree said ne |
ras confident that he could steer his |
all0on 81 an angle OF As degrees so |
hat With either a southwest or south
asst wind he could steer 70 the pole. II
Tas said in the cable dispatches deScrib-
~ Andree's departure that these steer
IS ropes Rad been left behind in the
uyry of embarkation. Il was subse-
ueLt'y learned tina; he had plenty OF
Their rope n his basket which he could /
asiiy rig up.
In case one Of these ropes should catch
, m ice crevice and threaten - wreck
he balloon. or even 10 hold II station
~. Mr.. Anjree will clamp on 70 the
2pe g cylindrical metal tube. in which
re TWO sharp knives on a spring. This
III slide down to where the rope is fast
} earth and a sudden jerk on the 1xine
AIT governs the knives win GU. The |