The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-03
THINKS ANoREE is SAFE.
DIR. Baldwin Says all the Explorers
Friends are Confident.
New York SUM-

globe faded from the sight of the little
band of watchers on Danes Island no It'd
ings have been received of the daring
yoyager or his companions, DR.. Strind-
berg and Engineer Fraenkel.
Eminent Arctic explorers have been
quoted as giving up the expedition as lost
The men who knew Andree BEST how
ever, and were thoroughly familiar with
his preparations, plans, and hopes, say
that they believe he will come out all
right
Evelyn B. Baldwin, who is something
of an Arctic explorer himself, having
been the meteorological of the Peary ex-
petition of 1898 81 to northwest Green
land, has just returned from a trip
through Norway and Sweden to Spitz-
bergen. He visited the Andree balloon
station at Danes Island and talked with
Baron Nordenskiold, one of the promoters
of the Andree expedition, with Nansen,
whose wonderful march over hundreds of
miles of Arctic ice is unique in the annals
of polar exploration, and with Capt.
Syerdrup, the famous commander of the
Fran. Mr.. Baldwin was seen last night
at the home of Mr.. Herbert L. Bridgman
in Brooklyn.
AS he caressed magnificent, specimen
of the norwhal's horn that Mr.. Bridgman
brought from Greenland, he protested
vigorously against the idea that Andree
and his fellow explorers should be given
up for lost. t1
81 firmly believe, y he said, "that An
dree has accomplished the object of his
daring venture, namely, to get some
where very near the North Pole and to
make accurate geographical observations,
and that he is now making his way back
over the ice. also believe that the whole
party will return, safe, to civilization.
Not more than ten days ago [ put the
question point blank to Baron Nordens-
kiold, who knows more about Andree and
his plans than any man living: DO 20 Il
eyer expect to hear from Andree again p
e Most certainly 1 do, he replied
earnestly.
q sWhen2' asked.
90 This fall
&C From where?'
g Siberia
ST saw hansen in his home in Lysaka,
and asked him what he thought of An
dree's chances.
g 4 fully expect that Andree will pull
through all right he said emphaticaliy.
'sCapt. Sverdrup, who commanded
Nansen's famous ice ship, the Fran, was
one of the party with which l visited
Danes Island. He is enthusiastic over
the prospects of Andrees success. l Wis.,
tied the home of Andree's sister, with
whom he lived in Stockholm, and in the
course of conversation with her asked her
if she wished that he had abandoned his
venture. -
g ooh, no. she replied quickly. ANY
thing but that, he should not have started
this year. know him so well that
know he could not have borne the disap-
pointment of waiting. He will come
back all right. Of that l am sure.
Mr.. Baldwin is an Observer Of the
United States Weather Bureau and q
native of Chicago. He is brimful of Arc
tic enthusiasm, and if he could ..have ar
ranged it. would have been sharing An.
dree's fate, whatever that may be, at the
present time. 1t was Andree's origina
plan to have DR.. Eckholm, the Swedish
meteorological, accompany the expedition
DR.. Eckholm decided not to go, and Mr.
Baldwin Immediately forwarded to An
dree an application for himself to be one
of the balloonists. Before this was re.
ceived DIR. Strnidberg had already been
selected. Andree accordingly wrote to
Mr.. Baldwin that the place had been
filled.
'tAre you sorry now?'' Mr. Baldwin
was asked last night.
Indeed am" he answered without
hesitation, IF you mean that think the
Andree EXPEDITION has persisted. do not
think anything of the kind. From what
1 could learn from Andree's friends he
really did not expect to be heard from
untai this fall, and perhaps later.
Andree's idea was not to descend un
TIL he had passed the pole, and to go as
far as his balloon would carry him. Their
he lad a 6aQa md for lie rnfJ1
journey. He had also six months pro
visions, and at this time of the year there
are plenty Of birds and game in the open
Ice of the Arctic. What lay most stress
upon, and what was one of Andrea
strongest ideas, is that Andree and his
companions would begin the homeward
march entirely fresh and strong, and moi
weakened almost to death, as have beer
other explorers, by the expense of energy
in the northward journey. Of course
everything depends upon where and how
Andree made his descent.
1 expect to hear of Andree, either
from Siberia or Franz Josef Land, per
haps early this fall. Andree knew before
no started of the cache of provisions that
was left att Franz Josef Land by the Jack.
son expedition g vessel, and he may try
to reach that If his course has taken him
that way. Ii he got to New Siberia Is.
land he would find provisions cached by
Baron Won Toll of the Russian Imperial
Geographical Society for Nansen.
"Our party expected to reach Danes
Island III time to see Andrea start, but
we were three days late. I met Mr..
Svedenborg, relative OF Baron Norden-
skiold, who had accompanied the Andree
party in the hope of being a substitute
member. He.said that s.Andree and his
two companions were in fine spirits, high
glee, in fact, as the moment for starting
came: Inc scene was most impressive,
he told me, as Andree stood in the has.
ket and gave the orders, One. two.
fhreeP to cut away the ropes. W
watched the balloon sailing over the ope
ees for nearly an hour before it disap-
AIRED in the north
The story that the balloon was almost
she'd to pieces on cliff az the moment
-tarting is not true" said Mr.. Bald