The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-28

| muse IN winch lle OdEOOn was kept a.
ready filled until there came a favorabl
time for the start.
The house was constructed by Ival
Svedperg and a crew Of sailors 1t is al
octagonal, wooden building, % feet eigh
inches across, and So feet Seves inche
high. Each story consisted of a frame
work composed OF eight vertical frames
connected by a horizontal frame. Fou
such structures were placed one allow
the other. The walls were formed Of side
composed Of wood and fabric 4 CALLER!
ran around the building near the top
From here the bolloon was raised, wher
the car was fastened on be.ow juse befor,
the departure. A roof of fabric helped
TO hold the balloon down and also Offered
| protection from the snow and rain
CARRYING THE BALLOON UP.
The bolloon was taken by steamer q
Spitzbergen in 1896, and there on tht
banks Of one of the small rock-rearei
fjords that abounds it was inflated. Fol
this purpose the steamer carried 35 ton.
Of sulphuric acid TO generate the hydro
gen. Divers things combined to prevent
Andree's departure that year. One wa:
|
| it was strengthened 1t was this leak
that scared DR.. Nils Elkholm out Of go.
ing on the trip.
The balloon was also enlarged by cut
ting It in two and piecing it out. When
! inflated this year 1t was found that tia
| leakage was comparatively nothing. The
work OF imitation began June 10 and was
| finished June %. il having taken SO hours
The start of the intrepid three was dra-
matte. The party was living on board
the steamer Svenskund-Andree nervous
ly awakening every morning to look for
his cherished south wind. Heavy, dark
| clouds had made aStrday almosut like a
night, and an Icy rain made the night
one Of misery. Sunday morning, though,
was a beautiful day. The clear, blue
sky and glowing sunshine made it ideal
fer Andree, for through it al a violent
south wind ragged. This was July IL,
1897
THE FLIGHT FOR THE POLE.
At shortly before noon Andree wen:
ashore with me party and let loose sew
eral small balloons to accurately test the
direction of the wind. 1t was satisfac-
tory. He ordered the sailors to tear down
the north shed CT the balloon house as
quickly as possible. This did not take
long, for the sections were simply drop
ped. The basket was quickly fastened
and few additions. stores put in. He
then fervently shook hands with those
about him, and with few words Of direc-
ton climbed into the basket. DR.. Strind-
berger and DR.. Fraenkel, his two daring
companions, followed in through the
ropes. The ropes were cut, and with
shout to Sweden and King Oscar the
Eagle" rose 200 feet. Then it was dash
ed nearly into the sea, but scared UP high
and was soon out Of sight. 1t was the
most daring trip ever begun.
ANDREES FORECAST OF HIS TRIP.
Just before Andree left ne dictated
message to the Copenhagen Denmark
Aftenblatet, in which he said: 1--WE shall
probably be carried in a northeastern
direction Ell had figured out his prob-.
able course TO nicely. He had about
TOO miles to go to reach the pole and
about 1900 miles more before he would be
where it would be advisable to land. His
balloon left Spitzbersen, going at the
rate OF q miles an hour which would
mean his arrival az the pole in 80 hours
or about 10 O'Clock Monday night. July
Y. This would not n.erfere with observ
atoms. however, as there is no night at
the pole just at this time of the year SO
that the explorer had daylight
He said himself as to his time: eve
shall be three weeks or even more. I
would rather not do 1t SO quick because
o. our observations"
In the beginning Of July, two years
ago, Nansen's Fran had IN the po.ar ba-
sin the Identical winds with which An
dree left Spitzbergen. DR.. Nansen also
condemned another important fact for An
dree, and that was that there are no
highlands up to the Seth degree OF lati-
tude. 50 the explorers will not have 10
consume any great amount of gas TO lift
them over any mountain ranges.
PROBABLE POINTS OF LANDING.
The explorers had decided that they
would go in one of four directions:
First. That the balloon will land in is
IBERIA In about latitude 20 north and longi-
tude 1876 east.
Second. 1t may and on the Samogedan
Peninsula, in latitude 10 north. longitude
20 east. This is in the vicinity Of the
Gulf OF Obi, in the northeastern part
OF Russia.
Third. 1t may land in the vicinity Of
Point Barrow. Alaska, in latitude 70
north. and longitude 155 west. where
there Is United States government sta
tion. Point Barrow is about 500 miles
OF the new Klondyke gold re-
gions. and about the same distance from
the mouth of the Yukon river or about |
500 miles from Boring Strait. II is almost |
opposite to Epitzbergen.
HOPED TO LAND IN ALASKA.
This direction lie what Andree cnarac- |
terized. in his address before the Society |
Of Anthropoiogy and Geography. in Stock |
holm. Sweden, on March 20. 1897, as 1.-The |
desired way.'He gave his reasons in sub |
stance as fellows:
This part Of the world is not now
- nearly deso.ate and uninhab i;ed Is 1t /
was when the Franklin expedition per-
shed. Ever since 1889. American vessels |
have been stationed abou: the mouth Of
the Mackenzie river for hunting pur-
poses. and twelve to fifteen ships pass
the winter there with 400 or 800 persons
aboard. Along the coast OF Alaska are
20 be found more or less civilized Indians
and Esouimaux. In the interior OF Alas
"a there are a great number Of gold
1iggers"
Andree had a fourth possible route.
viz: That the balloon may land in Brit
81 North America in latitude 81 north.
ongitude 100 west. which is in the vicin-
" OF Melville Sound.
FICkLENESS OF THE WIND.
Landing at the points a; an angle 70
he pole would not necessarily mean