Evening star., 1897-05-29

Schoo! cf Engineering with flying colOrS
and secured place in the Swedish patent
office. He is now officially designated as
chief inspector of patents and inventions
to II. NJ. the King of Sweden and Nor
way
Early Experiments.
At the very outset of his career Andree
began to experiment in balooning. He hit
upon a number of inventions and improve
ments in aeronautics. among these being
the balloon sail and the drag ropes. which
are to figure so notably in his coming VEN
ture. His holidays were invariably given
over to trial trips along the Baltic shores,
and the failures or successes encountered
by him i'll these early essays at lon%-tlS-
tance aerial travelling would fill volumes.
On one occasion he endeavored to make his
way by balloon from GothenbuTg to Fin
land. When approaching the Finnish coast
a high wind blew his apparatus close to
earth. Audree sat perched on the car rail,
ready to leap clear of the coming wreck.
Suddenly, however, the treacherouS Wlnd
shifted. The balloon turned a somerset.
and Andree was flung Unexpectedly to
earth. dislocating his shoulder blade and
fracturlng an arm. Away sailed the bal
loon. leaving its late occupant MANNED and
helpless little barren rock. miles from
the mainland. All night Andree remained
in terrible agony on the rock, but in the
morning some fishermen landed on the
rock. At first they would have nothing to
DO with him, believing him TO be some sort
OF evil spirit. but a judicious display of
money won them over, and Andree was
rescued. The balloon was found on another
small island, fifty miles TO the southwark.
His Highest Balloon Ascent.
The highest balloon ascent ever made by
Andree was in 1893, at Gothenburg. His
balloon was inflated with about 100 cubic
feet of gas. and trailcd a drag rope of
nearly 100 feet in length. 1t rose to e,OOJ
feet in the first quarter hour. and even
tually ascended to the height of five miles.
After the 5000 feet limit had been paSSed
the temperature began to fall Zero was
reached at 1880 feet. and Andree would
have tainted but for the fact that he in
haleil oxygen from a rubber tube.
October ~. 1893. Andree crossed the Bal
tic ficm Stockholm, ascending to a height
Of almost 10000 feet, or over two miles.
He ascertained that the diminution of tenn
; perature for the first 1000 feet was at the
| rate of L for 30 feet. At the highest
| point. however, the rate lessened to / for
! io0 feet. The relative atmospheric humid
! ity decreased from 100 per cent at 5000
! feet altitude 10 per cent at 800 feet.
! During trip from Gothenburg to Got
| land Andree had the temerity 10 set forth
! with only one bottle of beer and pair OF
| ham sandwiches.
! expected. and he suffered from intense
! thirst ard hunger before reaching land.
| This adventure is pleyfully satirized in a
: cartoon by well-known Swedish artist
| car. munching his last sandwich while
| WistfGlly looking for landfall through
an inverted (and empty beer bottle.
! Andrec's Comrndex.
Nils Strindberg, second in command, is
only twenty-four years of age. He belong:
| to a family well known in Swedish ofticfa
| and scientific Efe and is Eear relative Of
Strir dterg. the celebrated novelist and his
! torian. A civil engineer. like Andree, hi
! has the honor of Nansen'S personal friend
ship, and his record balloonist so far i!
an excellent one. The balloon houses il
| SpitzbcrgeE were erected under Lieut.
| Strirdterg's direction. and he is the pho
tographer-in chief of the expedition MIR
| Fraenkel is another young scientist of not,
and the author of several works. Lieut.
! Svedenhors has been specially detailed b.
King Oscar to accompany the party ant
act as substitute. If necessary.
Spitzbergen. from which the air current i
expected to drift the balloon across TIN
pole. is inaccessible except during the sum
rler months, on account of ice. Lord Duff