Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-02-23
FATE OF ANDREE.
SEEMS TO BE THE MYSTERY
OF THE CENTURY,
Nearly Two Years Since He Sailed Away
Toward the North Pole In n Balloon
and No Word Has Been Received from
Bim-Some Are HopefuL

NJ. Lachambre, the aeronaut. who
made the balloon in which his friend
NJ Andree started on his tourney to
the north pole on the 11th OF July
1897 has again explained his reasons
why he does rot despair Of seeing him
one day back in France safe and
SOUND, says the London Standard. He
says that when Andrew few his thir,
pigeon, which is the only one th.,
was found, he had previously intimat-
ed MS position and complained of be-
Ing carried westward which would
throw light on the satisfaction shown
by him in returning southward Il
may, therefore, be regarded as almost
certain that the balloon passed within
nifty or sixty miles to the east of the
seven islands OF S2itzbergen, whore
the pigeon was found. Mr., Walter
Wel!man, who is very competent in
such matters, and is himself preparIpg
polar expedition, declares that un-
DER such meteorological conditions tie
balloon must have been carried first
southwark over the open portion of
the Bering sea and then toward Franz
JOSEF land. If the passengers in the
car OF the balloon then touched terra
hrma II coud not have been elsewhere
than within the limited space between
Bering sea. Spitzbergen, Nova ZembIa
TO the south and Franz Josef land and
the polar ocean to the north-that is
TO say, beyond the S5th or S6th para,-
lei 1t is thought improbable that the
aeronaut drifted as far as Siberia or
Nova Zembla, for in that case thew
would certainly have succeeded in
communicating with the civilized
world. The general movement OF the
tempest which prevailed toward the
east precludes the hypothesis OF the
balloon having drifted toward Green
land or Spitzbergen. NJ. Lachambre.
therefore. considers there can he hut
three hypothesis concerning the spot
at which the balloon touched ground.
The first is that it reached Franz Josef
land. In that case Andree would have
recognized the impossibility Of pro-
ceeding northward and would have
come southwark. The explorers would
have easily reached Cape Flora on the
S0th parallel, where Jackson left a
comfortable house and abundant pro-
visions for wintering II they had
failed in reaching that spot they
would, according to NJ. Lachambre.
certainly have been able to construct
iCehouses for themselves and TO shoot
sufficient bears, seals and moose to
feed upon. The second hypothesis is
that the balloon fell into the sea to
the southeast OF Spitzbergen. Being
questioned a few days before his de-
parture as TO what he would do Il
such an accident happened, Andree re-
piled; I'VE shall be drowned" The
third hypothesis is that the balloon
may have been carried to the north
east Of Franz Josef land. In that case
the aeronauts would probably have
perished. In admitting that they
reached the ice fields Of the polar
ocean with their equipment and guns
they would, in eight weeks march.
have been able to reach land. But
with the exception of a stray bear
they would have had nothing to live
or. With tho provisions they carried
with them It would have been nec-
essary for them to reach land before
the end OF September, 1897, and in
that case news would certainly have
been received from them before now.
Summing up his opinion, NJ. Lacham-