The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-26
INTREPID POLE HUNTERS,
sketches Ofths ,lsn who PiunE'd into the
Unknown KsaIm.

Unknown hNhlh'
s A. Andree. who has apparently
achieved tho double triumph of origin
atlng a successful plan for reaching 'h'
mole ana then carrying it out, is just
forty-three years of age, having frs1
seen the light at Jonkopiug, tn Southern
Sweden, during May, 1854. In appear
anco he is a worthy descendant OF the
old yIklngs-tall, broad-shouidered and
blue-eyed with blonde hair and beard
and an exceptional allowance Of muscle.
His father died when Andree was
young, and since then tho sayant has
been the sole support and companion o'
his mother.
For her sake Andree has remained
bachelor, and the two are said TO b0
devoted To- each other, Indeed, u TOOK
great deal OF coaxing to prevent Mad
ame Andree from accompanying her
son to spltzbergen. II not indeed TO the
Antarctic regions.
Andree passed through the Stockholm
School OF Engineering with flying coll
ors and secured place In the Swedish
patent office. He is now officially des'
ignated as chief inspector OF paten|
and inventions to II, NJ. the king Of Swe'
den and Norway"
AT the outset Of his career Andree
began 10 experiment In ballooning' Ht
hit upon a number Of inventions ana
improvements In aeronauticst amonH
those being the balloon sail and the
drag-ropes which figure In his present
venture.
His holidays we're Invariably given
over 10 trial trips along tho Baltic
shores, and the failures or successes en-
countered by him In these early essay,
at long distance aerial travelling would
MI volumes.
The highest balloon ascent ever made
by Andree was in 1893, at Gothenburg
His balloon rose to 5000 feet In the tirse
quarter hour and eventually assembled
to the height of five miles. Zero wa!
reached at 1880 feet and Andree would
have tainted but for the fact that h7
inhaled oxygen from n rubber tube.
on October 10, 1893, Andree crossed the
Baltic from Stockholm, ascending 10 .
height OF almost 10000 feet, or over two
miles.
During q trip from Gothenburg te
Gotiand, Andree had the temeHty 10 sea
forth with only one bottle of beer and
pair of ham sandwiches. The voyage
proved longer than he had expected, and
he suffered from intense thirst and hun.
ger before reaching land.
During his various balloon Journeys
Andree met with many and varloul
bodily mishaps. No less than four times
has he narrowly escaped death by
drowning after falling from his car,
Twice he broke n leg, once an arm, and
once his nose. Twice his shoulder blade
was dlslocated, and Of spralns, strains
Commissions and minor injuries he can
point 10 n painful series. But nothing
daunts him, and, paraphrasIng the
words OF Shakespeare, he may be said
to love his balloon for the dangers into
which II his plunged him.
The two men who brnved with Andree
the terrors OF the Polar cline were
Lieutenant Nils strindberg and Knul
Fraenkef.
The former Is, like his chief a man
OF magnificent physique He IS but
twenty-five years old. but has already
distinguished himself as scientist and
is a teacher in the high school in Stock,
holm.
The third member OF the party, Knut
Fraenkel. Is civil engineer, twenty.
seven years old, accustomed to hard
ships, and is an ardent sportsman. In
addition TO these, g. W. i. Svenden.
borg accompanied Andree to SpItzber.
gen to take part In the expedition In case
either OF the others was unable TO 60.