The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-08
ANOTHER POLAR TRIP.
A Great French Air Ship to Float
For SiAty Days.
From the Figaro.

From the Figaro.
After the many others that the North
Pole has tempted. two of our compatriots,
not wishing to let France be beaten in a
discovery which is bound to remain for
ever memorable, are organizing an expedl-
ton carefully studied and presenting, as
will be seen, every chance OF success.
The insurmountable difficulties which
navgators of all nationalities have had to
contend against in the effort to discover
the pole suggested some time since the
idea of reaching 1t by means of a special
ly prepared balloon. Since the time of
Gustave Lambert. several French aero
nauts have studied, specifically, no doubt,
these aerial expeditions, but their initia-
tive shared the fate of others bearing the
French mark. 1t was copied by foreign
ers. Unfortunately for science, their prac-
teal knowledge was not equal to their
hopes, and the pole still guards its Sc
cret How long will it continue to hold
it? Would 1t not be for this century, so
rich in marvellous discoveries, a supreme
achievement to pierce the enigma? And
should not France, where aerostation was
first invented and where the idea of
reaching the pole through the air was first
conceived, make II a point of honor to
plant there her tri-color flag? The failure
of the Andre expedition, organized in
Sweden with such patriotic enthusiasm,
and for which so many sacrifices were
made, did not surprise the aeronautic
world, in which the general opinion ex-
listed that his expedition was insufficiently
prepared, and that the required conditions
of the balloon imposed by Andre were not
sufficient to parry the numerous risks of
a long voyage-such, for instance, as the
loss of gas, the reformation of the air.
ship, etc. Long experience in aerial voy
ages and profound knowledge of the diff
ferent elements of a balloon were neces-
sary for such an expedition, and M. An
Dire possessed neither one nor the other.
Consequently, even with favorable winds.
he was obliged to give up the attempt, on
discovering that the balloon allowed an
escape of gas that took from II each day
sixty to sixty-five kilogrammes of ascend
ing force.
The failure of Andre, far from discourage
ing our aeronauts, has only stimulated
their ZEAL and two of them, whose names
are a programme of victory, Louis God
ard and Edouard Surcouf, are preparing
to win for France the palm reserved for
the bold who will be the first to reach the
pole.
Their project, moreover, does not date
from yesterday. 1t was conceived in 1888
On the following year the same idea ger
minated In the brain of the American,
Wellmann, an intrepid explorer, who IN
two successive expeditions, undertaken bs
land and by water, found himself in the
presence of such difficulties that he
thought of surrounding them by means
of a balloon Wellmann asked Messre.
Louis GODDARD and Edouard Surcouf 70
make a study and plan Of the thing,
but the plan was not executed because
it was deemed preferable to await the
result Of the Andre expedition.
Now. 1t is precisely this project, care
fully studied, that GODDARD and Surcout
are determined to realize as soon as pos.
slble. The balloon which they are about
to construct will be called La France"
1t Will cube no less than 1881 meters, and
Its circumference will be SO meters. In
nated with pure hydrogen gas, 1t will
have an ascending power of 1900 kilo-
grammes. These 1900 kilos will be repre-
scented by the weight of the aerostatic
material 0550 kil.), and by the weight Of
the crew, the provisions, the camping bag
gage, the accessories and engines for a
new supply of gas, which may be needed,
and also the ballast, which will weigh 7,15O
kilogrammes.
Now comes the question, How many
days will the balloon be able to soar over
The polar seas? 1t is known that the
length of the voyage is governed more or
less by the impermeability OF the silk of
the balloon. From the results obtained
from the great captive balloons which
GODDARD and Surcouf have constructed and
directed. as well as from the method OF
vanishing which they have adopted and
the varnish which they employ, they have
become convinced that the daily loss of
gas can be reduced to 0.SS0 per cent. In
order to get below the PROBABLE. ties they
calculate upon a daily loss of gas of ~
per cent A cubic meter Of pure hydro.
gen gas can raise a weight Of IL. There
fore, with balloon OF 10000 cubic meters
there will be a daily loss of 1865 kilos OF
ascending force. The balloon, being sup
Piled with $500 kilos OF ballast, can or
be lightened, and in this way re-
main at least forty days in the air.
TO increase the number Of days for ex-
ploration, Messrs. GODDARD and Surcouf
propose to place around their airship, be-
tween the nozz.e and the center, twelve
gasometer balloons Of $50 cubic meters
each. intended TO supply the loss of gas up
to the point OF 5000 cubic meters These
mall gasometers, which win not interfere
with the ascending force, will enable the
balloon to travel for twenty additional
days. Consequently the balloon France