New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-03
A COUSIN OF ANDREE.
j. A. THORSELL. A WELL-KNOWN ME-
CHANICAL ENGINEER OF PITTSBURG.
he AND THE DARING ARCTIC EXPLORER WERE
DOUBLES IN YoUTH-ANDREE WAS PROMPTED
TO BECOME AN EXPLORER MORE BY
THE LOVE OF AERIAL NAVIGATION
THAN BY AMBITION To ADD


THE LOVE OF AERIAL NAVIGATION
THAN BY AMBITION To ADD
TO THE BIOGRAPHIES.
From The Pittsburg News.
While all America has been scanning the daily
Swlo cut loose from solid earth last July. for his
voyage over the North Pole In balloon. thcI" -
tiac interest in the fate OF the hardy .Aploi,f lie
is J. A. Thorse'a cousin Of Andrew Andrca ne
same class with Andree. Their boyhood was sp' ~
in the same vicinity and they were more ih'ii""'c
But time sewers many associations. ana W yh
in MS me Two cousins steptg no,,n rom d,pomas In
hand, they separai pTooaoy i0r ne nrn,s
sion in Russia. and finding openings mono too
plentiful the a mechanical engineer, ne came
10 America andre stayed at home; III, ne Vas W a
venting. and ala not care 10 seek c"pio!Hl'" h''1
perhaps fame in strange land. In the course
IF tine he came INTO a comfortable position In the
Patent office Of his native country. "h'Ic ms
talent mechanical engineer made him useiui
Mr Thorsell Is now living in Bellevue with his
wife and charming littlo daughter. for IN" 90, u
twelve year, he has followed his profession IN
Ptsburg. He likes the city. and says he hopes 10
(ir The Daily News" ne chsttcd very pleasantly
OF his youth and gave som" interesting -,
ton. OF Andree. whom he fears has mot MS i"''
Andre IS my full cousin" he sai' ani W., we
were classmates and, what IS more. :" cI2s'Y -
sembled each other that We "ete constantly h.
III
AZ n was .lello' Thorsci' II was the same win
This you,bfl resemblance has faded. however An
drSn mas certainly grown taller ana heavier ihth
wc @i' no bard 81, has changed greatly In the
faco However. ! believe very potliIr r'sc i
tainly alike and there IS similarity In the shape
OF our foreheads. which could never chantc, ,.,,
Inc would ever develop into an esplo'rer; re pos pos
sessed Of the daring ISL. wm'n E1
| must ia. -
loose I'm a balloon on such dcsp"rht" ZIP as hf
q. school and wac ,ften teased hy tho NOR" hardy
and fun-ioying ads He preferred 10 - ~ MN nm
efic sporis lie was good studcn, and became
II don't think his expedition was prompted -
much by his i1vc ~ exploration a. by his love ~
mechanical Invention lie vas 1"fy - rom ,bn
time he loft college always In an cnoT 20 pioiIC y
one that would be- subject 70 guidanG,e a nl y
Of years ago lie forget the daiel plannc' sn -
crrelon through the air from swccen 10 -. ~.
burg He tired to cross ne Ggt o' mann ma hc
something went wrong with MS ba',oon, IN" g., '
saw that he WAS IN great danger OF dropping I'M .
islet. however. and STAYED there three W,eRS ~
was pretty nearly starved when rescued by a pass
Even that experience dd no, seem TO cure hi n,
Of his ove for aerial nayigaion. ~, pas held
patents on several articles However balloons ""''
Tie ne er married but has several brothers and
| sisters Contrary 10 the general belief Nhut' !"
Andree has never been north bef're iiis r.o,I. o
and was much written about, but this is the first
venture in exploration Of the baIoonlI'. . 49,,
/ as 10 his Trip. ! know only what nave rem,
| II Is now nearly twenty years since sa" MN. ana
We long ago ceased 10 correspond coislh'r my .
self pretty nearly American now. as nave an
American wife and expect 20 1--we ana dic IN Ahier
! tea Consequently. only correspond WIN the I'M
mediate members Of my family In the old country.
and &C have no personal knowledge OF the eNp'd'-
zion ...,o.., st. No. - b,.
| somewhere in the frozen lands about the pole, yet
the chances seem TO me terribly against II Tn
less one carefully considers the circumstances, he
| does rot realize the terrible chances which the
ahr"r IT. Suicide S added Mr. Thorscil
after A moment OF silent reflection. ~ had been
| AZ home perhaps should have accompanied him.
lie ran big ,hances Of death. but should ne return
! have been wasted In trying 10 reach the North
| pole are appalline but The man who hrsi reaches
suits Of authorship and the lecture platform mere
! IS honor from the scientific world and perpetual
fame II Was a daring game. but Andree played 1t
Mr Thorsc does pnt much faith in tho
reputed messages which have been found on car
ricr pigeons In the northern seas re points out
that the distances between resting places are so
great and the cold so intense thai the poor birds
would have small chance OF ever railing INTO CIVIL
tied hands II Andrec Is not In some tsqunau
village where he spend the winter. Mr.. Thor
sell fears his fate viii remain an unsoiyei inyst@ry
to tell what course the balloon took after its re
lease. and the searching parties that might be
| search through thirty degrees Of latitude. .
| In spite OF these doubts. however. Mr. Thorsell
Is anxiously awaiting word from his absent rela-
| tive Even while admitting that the chances are
against It, he hopes for tho success Of the HARDY
explorer. not only because he IS klnsman: PIT PIT
| general admiration OF hero II word should ever
| come that Andree and his COMPANIONS had cs-
capped from the icy Businesses OF the polar region
| the par. nta home in far.on Sweden. than In the
| Thorsell residence in Bellevue
q