The evening times., 1899-01-31
SECRETS LOCKED IN
POLAR ICE Fields
Mysteries Of Andree's Arctic
Balloon Trip
Queer Bundle Sighted Oh Iceland
FlOes by a Sealer.
Prince Louis Expedition in Search
of Means to Tell the story of
the Explorers Fate.

New York, Jan. 31.-A dispatch to the
journal" from Stockholm, says:
Winter has so certainly sealed up all of
the passages to the arctic ice that all hope
of finding Professor Andree and his COM
panions has been abandoned.
A few weeks ago a tempest blew down
the balloon shed on Danes Island, from
where the start was made. This now lies
a picturesque mass of dismembered tim
Der, curiously suggestive Of the fate of
the expedition itself.
The Swedish papers contain yet another
stcry of the probable fate that has be-
fallen Andree's expedition. Professor Ma
thorst has been visited by sailor who
wss member Of the crew of the Antarc-
tic during her voyage late last summer.
This sailor, who is described as perfectly
trustworthy man, gives the following de-
tails of a statement made TO him person
ally by the captain OF a Norwegian sailing
vessel, the Harold Haarsager, engaged
in seal catching in the pack ice between
Iceland and Greenland:
Fourteen days before the summer SOL
stice of 1898 our vessel entered the ice be-
tween Iceland and Greenland, in &c deg. 80
sec. n. latitude and 2S deg longitude west
of Greenwich We there came across
seals, and all the boats were put out TO
catch them. One boat, with crew of
five men, rowed past mass of ice, upon
which a heap somewhat resembling twigS
or bundle of steel wires was plainly 10
be seen Unfortunately, no further atten-
tion could then be paid to the unwonted OBJ
ject as fog arose and the men feared that
they might not be able TO regain their ship.
Hence they rowed quickly back 10 the
Haarsager.
When the captain heard the report Of
these men. he remained riding at anchor
several hours, in the hope that the fog
would lift. AS the fog still continued and
the ice was beginning to drive. the captain
ordered the vessel to be steered in the di-
rection indicated by the five men, so that,
if possible, he might come across the piece
of drift ice in question. But the fog was
persistent, and the vessel was compelled 10
make its way out of the ice without having
cleared up the matter.
The sailors now express their great re-
gret that they did not at the time pay
more attention to the heap ofEtwigs, and
they excuse themselves by the fact that
at the time they had not the slightest
thought of Andrees balloen, and that they
were occupied with the thought OF regain
ing their vessel. The object thus seen
may be something left 3. behind by the
/ Fran
| Although little hope remains that the
! mystery of the balloon viii ever be cleared
| up, it is a fact that Prince Louis OF Savoy,
! Duke of the AbruZzi, has gone to Christ
! iania TO personally superintend prepara-
| tions for his expedition to the, North Pole.
! He expects TO sail next, summer for the
! island of Spitzbergen. whence he will pro-
| ceed 20 Franz Josef Land, where the ex-
pedition will pass next winter, In the fol-
| lowing spring-in fact, about February,
! 190G-he expects TO push on and reach the
| North Pole in March OF that year.
This expedition is TO cost Prince Louis
about $3.50. coo. King Humbert, who is very
partial 10 his nephew, the prince. has him
self subscribed the greater portion of lhis
| sum. AS a collateral search this Italian
prince hopes 10 find evidence that Will tel
| of Andrees fate.