The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-14
HERR ANDREE's FATE.
Unable to Sail Out of the North Pole
Territory.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
Some interesting facts have just come to
light in regard to Andree and his balloon,
and from them one can readily see why
the fate of the daring adventurer IS still
mystery to us On the morning of July ID
a seal-hunter killed a carrier pigeon which
had come from Andree's balloon. the incl
dent occurring TO the west of Phipps ISL
and, one of the most northern points OF
Spitzbergen. "a month later this. news
reached Sweden, being carried thither by
fishermen. Quite recently the seal-hunter
who killed the pigeon arrived at Stockholm.
and then the contents of the message which
the pigeon had borne became known. The
dispatch reads:
July 10. 1890 o'clock, noon, latitude 50
5 minutes, east.-Good speed towards the
east: 10 degrees to south. All we'll on board.
This is the third pigeon that we have sent
out. ANDREE."
The dispatch is causing much excitement
and good deal of apprehension in Swe-
den. The reasons are obvious. When the
balloon started for the north it was going,
in the opinion of experts, at the rate or
forty-fOur kilometers an hour Now. NOV
ing. at this rate and ever in the same di-
rection, 1t would have arrived at the pole
twenty-four hours later. Yet the above dis
patch shows that forty-eight hours after
Its departure the balloon had only reached
a distance of 220 kilometers from Spitz-
bergen, or, in other words, only fifth Of
the distance. which separates Sptzbergen
from the pole, and that 1t was no longer
going towards the north, but towards the
east
NJ. EkhOlm, the WelI-knOWn Swedish me-
teoroogist, gives a lucid account of An
dree'S voyage during the first two days
after his ascent basing his statements on
the above dispatch and on the informa ton
which he has received from Norwegian fish
ermen in regard to the temperature and
winds that prevail on the north coast OF
SpitZbergen. If we would understand NJ.
Ekholm clearly, we must remember that.
wherever there is a barometric depression
the wind moves around the center in an
inverse sense to that in which the hands
OF q watch move. Thus. the south wind
which was blowing at the time of Andrees
departure, was influenced by the presence
of cyclone or the center of the baromet-
rical depression in the west of SpitZbergen.
Now, according to NJ. Ekholm, the ball
loon. impelled by this wind. arrived in
some hours at the center of the cyclone III
which. as is well known, there is a zone
of calm variable breezes, and in this
position 1t remained immovable about TWEEN
ty-four hours. During this time the
cyclone, which at Andree's departure was
in the west of Spitzbergen, moved in an
eaSterly direction across the Arctic ocean.
On the 18th, about noon, the center must
have been near Francis Joseph's Land and
consequently, at the point where Andree
must have begun to blow westerly wind.
which took him toward the east, ten de-
grees to south, as he tells US in his dis
patch.
Since then. however. what has become OF
the bold adVenturers? Mr.. Ekholm thinks
that the balloon has been unable to leave
the polar zone. and that consequently no
news will be received before next summer.
At this point Mr.. Charles Ribot, of the
Geographical Society, wisely reminds as
lost some OF the long guide ropes. which
were to be used for the purpose of steering
the balloon and of rendering Ii manage
able as far as possible.