New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-12
THEORIES ABOUT ANDREE.

Weeks have heightened into months since An
dree disappeared and months are growing tow
| ard the half-year mark, and still no news OF
him comes from the vast unknown. In such
case the old rule, no news is good news. scarce
ly can apply. The contrary is true. Absence
Of news is ominous and every day that passes
without some tidngs narrows the margin or
reasonable hope. 1t is too soon yet to give
him up as lost But 1t is certain that he has
not Jared as we'll as he expected to, and the
chances are that he has fallen at least into
serious distress So much even his most OPP
tmistic friends concede, while those who al
ways reckoned mis- venture foolhardy consider
their worst forebodings fully verified
These are the data Oh which all reckonings
of hope or fear are to be made: Andree and
his two companions set sail in their balloon
from Danes Island on July 11-fve months
ago yesterday-bound for the Pole and across
1t to the other side Of the Arctic basin. The
balloon contained 1890 cubic metres Of gas, and
was made Of threefold silk and gutta-percha,
with netting of Italian hemp. 1t had wicker,
canvas-covered car. 9 feet in diameter and 41a
feet deep The equipment included cookstove,
provisions for four months and plenty OF water
In aluminium cans, a sledge, boat big enough
ammunition. The start was made under favor
able conditions, straight toward the Pole. At
the initial rate of progress the Pole should have
, been reached In couple Of days at most The
balloon, barring accidents. was able to keep
afloat for at least two weeks. The weather Tor
some days after the start was favorable to the
prosecution Of the enterprise
Thus far the facts All else is speculation, ex-
no hall alv
afoat, and that the voyagers, II they still sur
vive, must have exhausted the store OF prov-
sions with which they started. unless they have
found means Of replenishing their larder. Inc
latter is probable. We know from Nansen's
experience that men with arms and ammuniuoh
can get food in even the remotest North. The
serious problem Is In what circumstances oid
they part company with the balloon? If by any
mishap it collapsed or exploded IN mid-air ana
precipitated them suddenly from great height
upon either Ice or open sea- their rate Is not
doubtful. II, on the contrary, the balloon grad
ually failed and they took their departure from
it deliberately and with ample preparation, all
may yet be well with them. Where they are
supposing this favorable theory to be correct. is
Of course a mystery. Any point on all the vast
circumference Of the Polar basin is possible.
II they were landed on the Siberian coast or
the North American coast or the upper part OF
Greenland, it would take months for them TO
work their way down 10 civilization III, as
some suspect from observation OF the meteoro-
logical conditions prevailing since their start
they were carried back to Franz Josef Land,
they would probably build camp and remain
there for the winter.
There is no occasion to wonder that nothing
has been seen Of the forty carrier pigeons and
dozens Of cork buoys which Andree took with
| him as means Of communicating with the world
| he had left behind him. The experiments OF
the Prince of Monaco have shown how slowly
some ocean currents carry waits, and indicate
| that It may be months yet before any OF these
drift into regions where they are likely to be
seen AS for the pigeons. there is little reason
| to suppose that they could survive for even
hundred miles Of flight In that inclement ell
mate not to mention the many hundreds they
| would have to traverse to reach civilized re-
gions. There Is little use In sending out search
expeditions, excepting to spitzbergen, Franz
Josef Land and one or two other such points.
| The general sweep of the Arctic basin Is far
too vast for any scrutiny Of It to be made. For
the rest, there is only hope.