The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-18
THE AERIAL VOYAGER


IL had to be enlarged BY being cut in two
and spliced together. Imitation was com
pieted on June =. having taken eighty
nine hours, and then came days OF weary
waiting for favorable weather. Finally,
Sunday. July II, 1881, dawned with
clear, blue sky and a violent south wind
blowing. Having tested the wind with
small balloons, Andree had the house
torn down. attached the basket. shook
hands with all around him. and with his
companions. DR.. Strindherger and DIT.
Fraenkei, climbed into the basket The
ropes were cut, and with a shout 10 Swe-
den and King Oscar, the Eagle rose 200
feet. Then it was dashed nearly into the
sea. but scared up high and was soon out
OF sight. 1t was the most daring trip
ever begun.
Anaree's Forecast of His Trip.
Just before Andree left he dictated a
message TO the Copenhagen Denmark
Aftonbiadet, in which he said: we shah
probably be carried in a northeasteriy d.
rection.. He had figured out his prob
able course TO a nicely. He had about
200 miles TO 90 to reach the pole and
about 1870 miles more before he would be
where It would be advisable TO land. His
balloon left Spitzbergen going at the rate
OF twenty-five miles an hour, which
would mean his arrival at the pole in
thirty-two hours. or about 10 O'Clock
Monday night, july 18th. This would not
interfere with observations. however. as
there is no night AZ the pole at this time
of the year so that the explorer had day
light.
He said himself as to his time: I'VE
shall be three weeks, or even more.
would rather not do it SO quick because
Of our observations"
Probable Points OF Landing.
The explorers had decided that they
would go in one of four directions:
First. That the balloon viii land In
Siberia In about latitude 70 north and
longitude 125 east.
Second. II may land on the Samogedan
peninsula, In latitude 70 north, longitude
10 east. This Is in the vicinity Of the
Gulf OF Obi, in the northeastern part OF
Russia.
Third 1t may land in the vicinity OF
Point Barrow. Alaska, in latitude 70
north. and longitude 155 west. where there
Is a United States government station.
Point Barrow is about COO miles northwest
of the new Klondike gold regions. and
about the same distance from the mouth
of the Yukon river, or about 900 miles
from Berlrg Strait. 1t is almost opposite
TO Spitzbergen.
Hoped TO Land in Alaska
This direction IS what Andree charac-
terized in his address before the Society
OF Anthropology and Geography, In Stock
holm. Sweden, on March %, 1897. as ''the
desired way" He gave his reasons in sub
stance as follows:
This part of the world is not now so
nearly desolate and uninhabited as II was
when the Franklin expedition persisted.
Ever since 1889 American vessels have been
stationed about the mouth of the Macsen-
zie river for hunting purposes, and twelve
TO fifteen ships pass the winter there with
$40 or 800 persons aboard. Along the coast
of Alaska are to be found mere or less civ
ilized Indians and Esauimaux. In the In
terror OF Alaska there are a great number
of gold diggers.'
Andree had a fourth possible route. viz:
That the balloon may land In British
North America in latitude 81 north. longi-
tude 100 west. which Is in the vicinity Of
Melville sound.
EacRseness of the Wind.
Landing at the points az an angle TO
the pole would not neca ssarily mean that
Andree did not cross the pole because the
Typographical and astronomical charts ~
the Arctic show that he might be carried
from Spitzenbergen. across the pole and
landed in British America because the
winds blow in a circle much after the
fashion of the gulf stream OF the Atlantic
ocean.