The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30
THE 1NDREE BALLOON HOAX.
It Originated with an umasisntive BLACK.
snith's Wifs ut Caribeo.

II Originated with al imaginative Biack-
smith's Wire ut Caribeo.
WINNIPEG, Jan. 2s.-Before Prof. Andree left
for the Arctic regions an illustrated circular was
sent from Sweden to the remote %outposts OF the
Northwest Territories and British Columbia,
requesting trappers, halfbreeds. Indians, Hud-
son Bay officers. and all persons who might be
In the northern part Of this continent during
the summer to be on the lookout for the cx-
plorer's balloon. Pictures OF tho balloon were
scattered through the northern trading posts.
and the inhabitants wore asked to give all as.
sistance to Prof. Andr6e IL his aerial ship
should land in taeir vicinity. This wholesale adj
vertising has lad an amusing result
Barely had rrof. Andree and his balloon taken
themselves off toward the Pole. when there was
q perfect epidemic Of balloon visitants over all
the higher ATTITUDES of North America. The lone
bachelors of the plains putting solitary pipes at
their shanty doors during the long evenings,
imagined they saw Andree apparitions in the
curling wreath of their own tobacco smoke.
The cowboys, out on the big ranches, for lack of
something to do in their idle days. took to dis
covering Andrea balloons In every black speck
that darkened the sky; and the Indians, too,
had a hand In the balloon inventions. Lying be-
fore their camp fires at night, any of the north
ern lights assuming circular shape was tho
white mans air ship. All these things were
duly embellished and set forth in local sheets,
and in more than one. place some ways created
q sensation by sending up q fire balloon and
having q laugh at the expense Of the papers re-
porting Andree's appearance.
and now the joke is on the savants of the Stock
holm Academy: I,e despatch sent out tho
S Sas re ssE ath intel ihe rS5e t6nt o seWspS al s sersona
worthy Of credence saw Prof. Andree's balloon
early in August in British Columbia" can be
tons With Which the Westerners amused them.
selves last summer Altogether II is too bad.
selection Of a great variety Of silly yarns. that
sent SEN to the stockhoim Foreign Once. ""'
A buxom lady, the wife ofa mining company's
who lived In a white. tent near Quesnelle Lake.
everybody %sas bod f IN TIE north ri Vyasn seeing t balloons M.s so
one afternoon during the first We ok OF August
the good sId woman 9Rnx f called Su hss shsh str from fro Pr .he
Andree., To be, sure. according, to their own
words. they made a mistake and looked south
balloon. Said Mrs. Blacksmith, whose pride
was not only to be printed but to be sent ali the
way TO the Swedish Government, 'I noticed a
round, sfa Y Eosdp :, object in In u the 81. sk i.-os As =. I
# descended. i could see two objects, one much
smaller. apparently suspended from the larger
could plainly see that tho object was a balloon.
with a large basket hanging under L. It finally
commenced TO SWING Dack ana Iortn ana move
very fast in that direction" pointing east.
Asked II she had ever seen a balloon. certainly
know; cvery one has seen them, attached to
the end of a vendors stick.
No one else around the mine either saw or
heard of this balloon; but the pretty fairy story
found Its way to the nearest printing office, and
ESQ, Assistant Secretary OF the Geological So.
ciety of the Pacific. San Francisco, and he wrote
to the manager of the Cariboo mine, and he,
ver:ise the mine in all his life, so he wrote town
all the details of the aerial visitant and not q
few remarks on the mine, adding. II regret that
there are no other persons in the vicinity who
saw the balloon."
The whole story went from Cariooo to San
holm. where the public devoutly hpped it had
been buried: but here comes the balloon ghost
stalking through the land again. One wonders
II this thing is to go on in ever-recurring cycles.
and II the Swedish Government can be per-
suaded to call in those circulars.