The evening times., 1898-04-04
BOUND FOR KL0NDIKE.
French naIIoonfsts VIII Search for
Gold and Andree.


New York. April 4-From Paris there
arrived yesterday a most wonderful bal
loon. in charge of party of scientists
sent out by the French Geographical So
ciety.
With it the gold fields of Alaska are to
be inspected, mapped and studied. and
Andree is to be searched for. Ii is also
the intention to hunt up and locate the
North Pole.
The head of the expedition Is Antony
Varicle, a member of the Geographical
Society, and The founder of the French
Electrical Engineers Society. He has
aiken up aeronautics only within the last
two years. but he has made the most
successful air voyage on record.
Accompanying him are DIR. Arthur
Terwagne. secretary of The expedition
nj. Ferret, geologist; Leon Bureau. civil
engineer and mining expert; Henry
Bouillier, aeronaut; Nj. Richard and NJ
Magnier. carpenters. Mrs Bouillier is
also here but will not go ON the balloon
voyage
The balloon, packed in twelve large
cases. came over with them on La Bre-
| tagne and NJ Varicle did not leave the
ship for the Hotel Martin until he had
satisfied himself that ii had not been In
jured. The party will today buy twen-
| ty tons of iron filings. besides ascertain
| ing whether the customs authorities VIII
let their belongings go through to Ju-
neau free of duty. If Collector Bid
well decides adversely, the balloon will
| be taken in bond through to Glenora. Il.
&.
NJ. yarcle and his companions told all
| al hp hal IpFWaRnP
| acting spokesman.
| please understand" said he, that this
| is neither a relief expedition nor a
| moneymaking scheme. 1t is a scientific
| expedition sent out by the French gov
ernment. We are to study the geo
| graphical. geological, Typographical. me
| teorological and aerostatic conditions of
! Alaska, from Juneau to the KlOndike.
| and We shall also recommend route for
/ a railway.
I'VE hope to start making the hydro
/ gen for our balloon in Juneau by May
l. 1t takes four days to generate the
| 5000 cubic meters of gas for the bal
/ loon and that done We shall start of.
| Only four of us will 90 on the trip-MM-
| Yaricle, Ferret, Bureau and myself.
I'VE can give no idea of the length
| of the trip for we have new conditions
| to meet and study, but / am sure that
we will succeed. 1t now takes two
| weeks for a quick trip across Chilkooi
| pass to Dawson City. We ought to dc
| this in side of two days We will no;
| take any relief supplies with us. but. OF
| course. If we found any need we should
| come back and get some.
| After we have finished our work we
shall make a trip in search Of our very
| good friend Andree. We do not believe
| that he Is dead. We think he is strand
| ed in some little Siberian village"
| DR.. Terwagne then explained the
workings of the balloon. 1t has not
| the familiar TOP shape. 1t looks more
| like great sausage lying on its side
| Just beneath the balloon. running its full
! length is a wooden boom, on which is
| swung the car. The car can by means
| OF guide ropes be hauled along the boom
| to either end of the balloon when il is
necessary to trim ship"
| Extending from the car to the balloon
/ is a large square sail that can be spread
| in any direction. In the center of the
| car is the frame of a triplet bicycle. the
power from which goes 10 either fan
! at the stern for propulsion of one un-
| derneath for ascension. Under the car
are runners. and ii may be used as a
| sled. Iron scoops attached TO ropes will
| hang from the boom. These scoops will
| be fitted with snow. ice or earth as bal
| last. 10 enable the aeronauts TO keer
| about seventy-five feet from the ground
| With sail and fans Mr.. Varicle car
| beat against the wind just as a ship
| tacks. He claims that not a particle OF
| gas can escape. and is certain that he
| can stay afioat I'm the air for at least q
| week. He recently spent thirty-foul
! hours above the earth with this balloon
| and on January "a of this year flew from
Paris to Hamburg In twenty-four hours
just the time il took him to get back by
! train