The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-09-05
STEVENS TO The RESCUE.
In Correspondence With King oscar 10
Recover His Pet Scientist.
WILL CARRY A GAS GENERATOR.
Starting from Alaska He VIII VISIT sperm
Island Then Go East to swedeni
Only Twenty spots Where
Andre Can BE.

To the rescue of Andree, and that they
suggest that your humble servant De
the ballOonist TO whom shall De ehtrust-
ed the perilous task.
In nv corresp0ndence with King Oscar
I pointed out to him the one and only
cause OF Andree's long absence ana IL y
this: Andree was either caught IN sdie
or his balloon harness became strained
and ne had to descend and so pulled ms
safety valve wide open ana mace TOT
safe landing. which we must presume ne
reached. After landing, ana without
gas generator he could not make anolheI
ascension. and Is therefore upon one OF
the small or floating lslahos WIN tht
fnost balloon ever built, but no gas.
The proposition of an Andree rescue
came originally from America, ana Is q
perfectly rational scheme, as any PlaS
teal ballOOnist Will TESTIFY. Inc circle
around the pole. as all know, IS a small
one. growing gradually smarter as 'nt
pole is reached until the whole word rs
only "a tiny affair across when the eye
could easily travel.
If Andree when he sailed IN ms pdl-
loon July 18th went directly north ne must
have crossed the pole and necessarily
must now be either on his way down the
other side of the world, If may use such
a nOn-geographical description. or ne rs
stranded upon some island or point IN
the polar regions.
dree has dropped down, after making his
voyage. and is now waiting 10 be rescued.
The locality I'm which he lies rs an unctr-
tain one, but l am positive mat can
find him.
10 return next day. He told his family
that ne would not say good-by 10 them,
but only au revOir. The trip 10 the pole
would take twelve hours and IT'S return
no longer. His instruments would reels-
ter the latitude. so that he could know
BY his observations when that mystic
point had been reached and then, revers-
ing his machines. he would sail back 10
tell the good news 10 his KING ana me
Swedish GOvernm ent. But Andree mis-
calculated. That much only is certain.
He must have seriously mistaken his way.
Ny proposition rs 10 M a balloon with
gas and set sail from our most northern
point. preferably from Alaska. 10 look
for him. ] shall take with me the one
thing Andree did not have. gas gener-
atOr. and / shall make use OF u II J. need
Il. or If ! find Andrce In case / locate
him I shall need it at once.
4 gas generator is o thing no balloon
ist should ever make a journey without.
The one I use looks like an iron box. 1t
IS five by four feet and 10 can manutac-
ture hydrogen gas at the rate OF leooW
cubic feet an hour, so that IN an hour
can get ready to rise and make an
ascension, after being down on the
ground. The cost IS only from five 10
10 cents per thousand feet.
No balloon that has yet been made VIII
stay In the air more than few hours,
perhaps day or so. The gas gradually
escapes and the ballOOnist must come
down. All eXperimenters know this, and
so implicitly Is this followed that. I'm case
Of a runaway balloon n ballOOnist viii OBJ
serve the direction I'm which II is travel
ling and advertise for II I'm that section
Of the country towards which IL is gO-
ing. lie calculates upon the distance II
can travel over by tomorrow this time
and cables for IL accordingly, positive
that IL must come down.
So with Andree Magnlicently equipped
as he was with money from the Swedish
crown and with instruments provided by
the scientific societies and owning a ball
loon that had been in course Of construc-
ton two years he yet must descend. No
balloon can stay up more than day or
SO.
Andrea came down about July 18th NJ
the latest and IS now somewhere north.
looking anxiously each day for a rcscuer.
The point az which i shall aim is a lit
tie island that has been located by arctic
explorers. II is between The extreme
northern point OF Alaska and the vision
airy site Of the pole. IL has been called by
different names. but is now known as
Sperm. or Spermau, Island. This is the
most likely spot for Andree should he
have turned his course Alright and have
passed over the pole
The opinion was expressed 20 me by
ballOOnist the other day that Andree was
probably laying low" This. TO a bal
loOnist. means that, the ascension prov
ing a failure, the operator has decided 10
descend and wait for a few days. lie
drops his anchors. releases his wind and
comes down gradually taking good care
of the balloon. As soon as he is on dry
land he makes himself comfortable and
lives as well as he can on his provisions.
taking care not 10 be seen. After week
or so he comes out OF his hiding place.
raises his signals and allows himself %
! be rescued after 'perilous balloon
trip which eXcites tho sympathies OF
everybody That is q common trick
with those who make balloon journeys
and find IL impossible 10 accomplish what
they planned for themselves.
But / do not hold any such opinion OF
Andree. 1 think II he is laying low" Il
IS because he IS compelled TO do So and
not Of his own vOliton. or course, he
should have taken generator with
him, but this is a machine no balloOnist
| abroad has ever been able 10 make and
/ operate but / carry mine IN the centre
| of my basket, always ready for use. ] in
/ vented this generator in 1895 and have
| used IL successfully ever since.
| In case / DO not find Audrce on Sperm
| Island shall sail towards Sweden.
which will be more easily reached by the
eastern than by the western route. The
! probabilities are that / shall md a warm
| wind blowing towards the east, and In
/ that wind ! can sail 20 some other point.
/ AS all VIII be covered with ice and snow,
| ] must have everything warm and plenty
| OF warm food. or the means OF heating II.
| There are not over twenty points In the
| Arctic circle al which Andree could have
| dropped, and these + shall visit. every
| one. This is not "a difficult thing TO do,
| az they VIII bee conspicuous. II the pole
| seeker saw himself about 20 descend, he
! would chose place whore there was
! sign or vegetation. whore there were
/ ewing creatures. where there We're some
/ signs Of life From above. with power
! ful lenses. II is easy 90 observe these
/ spots am very simple t0 the trained
/ balloOnlst 20 steer towards them. This
/ Andree has undoubtedly done. And by
/ doing the same thing j feel pretty con-
| fdent OF finding him. The weather bu-
reau at Washington will furnish me with
| ddNlceS upon the proper time 10 set sail.
and l shall only wait for n straight
! north wind before starting. Ny SWed-
| ish correspondents ask me N / VIII start
! northWard from Sweden for the man who
] knows so much yet so little about bal
} looms ana their caprices IN me hands
/ OF nature, but / am Of the opinion that
/ he is nearer here than there
The trip. is perilOus one. but not
! greatly so Tor me because OF the gas gem
/ orator which has the means of ltung
! me az any time IL was stupid or Andree
! 10 take nothing OF this kind with him.
| but the confidence he had in his balloon
was too great 10 allow him TO provide
| himself with adequate means for ris-
| ing in case Of a descent
l expect on my trip 10 collect some
! valuable memcntOes OF former Arctic
| trips; Tor at height il is astonishing
! what clear survey YOU get OF the world.
/ At al events, / shall try IL. and earn
| King oscars everlasting thanks II he
wants me 10 bring hack his net scientist