The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-30
INTO The UNKNOWN.
Andree's Balloon Flight Toward the
North Pole.

Mr. Jonas stadlinR who witnessed
Andrec's departure for the North Pole by
balloon from Danes Island, has written
an article entitled "Andree's Flight into
tho Unknown, for the November Cen
tury. The article is accompanied ny
photographs, including a number of the
balloon after the ropes were cut Mr..
Stadling says:
After "A sound sleep during that night
(July 10Y we were awakened the follow
ing morning with u joyous cry which
rang out In chorus from tho younger
members OF the balloon expedition:
Southwark A strong and steady south
wind." Wa rolled out Of our beds,
jumped into our clothes, and ran up on
deck. Andree had already gone ashore.
] hurried after, gave the carrier-pigeons
food ana water, and went TO the balloon
house. Andree. who the night before had
said 10 one OF the younger members OF the
expedition, II f,el that IL will not be
long before We shall go up looked IA
trile more serious than usual as he
walked about inside the balloon house
and looked up at the balloon.
After few moments consul ultation it
was decided To wait for al hour, during
which time the three aeronauts were to
finish their correspondence ana all pri-
vate preparations. The fated hour passed;
another consultation was held on top of
the balloon house. Besides the aeronauts,
NJ. Machuron of Paris, the nephew of M.
n k.l
took part in this consultation. Andree
asked each one separately To give his
opinion. All were I'm favor Of starting,
although the strong wind made the start
somewhat risky. Then they came down.
Androe rs he went OH board the Svensk-
ever.
The next morning Apdree told the cap
tain Of the gunboat, Count Ehrensvard.
that he bad decided To start. Immediately
the order was given to make the final
preparations. This was l0:i5 "a. IN. on the
llth of July. Then followed few hours
of intense work and great suspense. In
less than an hour the northern side of the
balloon house was pulled down and in a
little over two hours more the balloon had
been raised few meters the basket So
curvy fastened TO its place. and everything
else belonging to the last preparations ac
complished.
All being ready TO start, Andree called
mo aside and told me that he had decided
to call his balloon the Eagle (Ornen) and
authorized mo 10 publish its name: he
gave me some messages and salutatioDs to
his relatives and friends whereupou he,
Mr.. Strindberg, and Mr. fraenkel, smil-
ing, and without ceremony, warmly
shook our hands and babe Us farewell.
Then Andree jumped into the basket. and
called out" "Strindberg Fraenkel r'-each
jumping quickly into the basket as they
were ordered. The extra sacks of sand
were then unfastsned by Strindberg and
Fraenkel, and the balloon as held only
by three strong ropes manned by a mum
ber OF sailors.
Andree now instructed the sailors to
out the ropes whom he should say,
"Three." Tnere followed fow moments
of suspense and painful waiting for
favorable moment when the wind should
not blow so hard. Exactly at 2:30 Ia the
afternoon Andree called out with calm
and steady voice. "Cut !-one. two,
three - A simultaneous snap. and the
gigantic balloon rose majestioally out OF
it's prison while Count Ehrensvard
shouted. "Lefve Andree" ("Good luck
to Andres, ~ followed by strong Swed
f..Id II
Hurrab!' while the daring aeronauts
shouted back from above, 'Hesla gamla
SVERIGE" ("Salute old Sweden, y as the
balloon lifted and started before the
strong wind. on its way To tho unknown
region of Ultima Thule. a voyage more
daring than any since old Pytheas, more
than twenty two hundred years ago,
sailed out OF the port OF Massilia
Marseilles. steering toward the un-
known regions of the north.
As the balloon was being cut loose i
ran upon the side of the mountain behind
the balloon. house, from which point 1
saw IL ascending, and took number Of
pictures of it as il startsd With its
weight OF about five tons, the gigantic
balloon arose majestically to height OF
about 600 feet; then il suddenly descended
until the basket touched the surface of
the water. This depression was no doubt
caused by the great resistance Of the
three heavy guide-ropes. each measuring
more that 900 feet, and which in some
way or other must have caught upon
something during the ascension; for IL
was found that large part Of them had
bean severed from the balloon and left OH
the shore. Notwithstanding this mishap
which It is hoped caused no injury.
since to the balloon were attached eight
ballast.lines each $50 feet long, which
might be used to lengthen the guide
r0pes-the ascension was accomplished
successfully. in spite of the strong wind.
when tho balloon had been relieved from
the tension of the tangled guide ropes, II
rose again, following the current OF the
air between the mountains, first northeast
and then north. whcreupon it rose To-
some 1900 feet. enabling IL TO pass over