The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-28

the northern coast Of either OF the arctic
countries Therefore we shall scarcely err
In the assumption that the balloon has de-
scended somewhere In the vast wilder
ness of TIE polar seas and landed its oc-
cupsnts upon the pack ice. al latest, one
week after the ascent--that is, in the sec
ond half OF July. What. in this case. are
the prospects that the three daring aero
nauts viii again reach an inhabited re-
gion? According to reports the balloon is
furnished with provisions for about three
months. weapons. ammunition. small
sledgsS and boat. but what Will such an
equipment avail should IL be necessary
TO travel hundreds of miles over the
rough. uneven fields OF ice. which often
rise into actual hills, and, in summer,
are covered with melting SHOWS and pools
of water?
IF it were possible for Nansen, with
dog sledges and the best and most COM
plete outfit, to advance only about 10
kilometers norttwsrd from the ship. and
IL required the whole summer -four
months to traverse the distance Of 900 10
600 kilometers TO Franz Josef Land, We
shall probably commit no mistake in be-
lieving that IL the balloon descended on
the pack ice Andree could not succeed in
reaching land during the few months be-
fore October. Then he would be COM
PEELED to spend the winter on the pack
ice, without any adequate supply OF pro-
visions and other resources needed to en-
dure the long arctic winter. No reliance
can be placed upon obtaining food enough
by hunting on the pack ice in the au-
tumn and winter. Even the polar bear
a na ,fcrt+ Of win e.
treats 10 the land and no longer roves
over the fields Of ice. hansen himself sue
eeeded in preserving his own life and his
companions only by building a hut on
the land and being able in the autumn to
shoot walruses and polar bears enough
to live upon during the winter. For An
dree and his comrades. assuming that
they spent the winter on the ice, there is
scarcely a possibility that they are still
alive.
But even supposing that the balloon
landed on the northern coast OF Green
land, which, as has been explained, Is
extremely improbable on account Of the
distance, there is little chance of a safe
return Although here, it might be posi-
BILE by killing musk-oXen, bear, and seals
and building a hut in the autumn TO sur
vive the winter. the distance 10 the
nearest Esquimaux settlements on Mel
vile Bay, by Kennedy Canal and Smith
Sound. is too great to be crossed by An
dree with the extremely limited resources
at his disposal. Only an accidental meet
ing with an expedition sent to search the
northern coast of Greenland in case the
latter should penetrate so far would offer
a prospect of rescue. The case would
be the same if the balloon should have
been driven toward the northeastern
coast of Greenland. Here. too. the sole
hope of rescue would lie in being sought
by an expedition. The most favorable
chance would be that the balloon had been
driven back toward the northern coast of
Spitzbergen or Franz Josef Land and
landed there: then at least there
would be the possibility that the aero
nauts might have escaped to the western
coast OF Spitzbergen and been received
on board of one of the numerous vessels
engaged in hunting seals But the lat
ter does not seem to have occurred, other
wise news of it would have already
reached U.S.
Small Chance of Return.
From all these considerations. which re-
suit directly from the experiences gar
nered during numerous journeys In arc
TIC regions, there is, unfortunately, but a
very small probability that Andree and
his companions will return home. From
the purely humane standpoint we may
lament this result and most deeply regret
that so much ability, scientific aspiration,
and human energy should be lost; but I
cannot help remarking that, according to
our present knowledge of the nature of
the arctic regions, the conditions of the
ice, and the distribution of land and
water, balloon voyage over the arctic
Ice, even were Ii successful, could con-
tribute little or nothing to the further COM
pletion of our knowledge. If the balloon
could be kept even at the moderate height
of 800 meters above the icy wilderness,
the observer, for want of conspicuous
landmarks in the frozen desert, whieh
from above looks almost like vast plain.
would be unable to determine what course
the balloon was taking. The compass
here is absolutely useless. 1t will prob
ably show the direction toward the mag
netic north, but not that in which the
balloon is flying, which can be decided
only by stationary objects on the earth.
Astronomical locations of places are also
extremely difficult in a balloon. so that
not even the geographical latitude, far
less the longitude, could be ascertained.
SO, If the balloon really does reach land
again, it would be impossible to prove
what course it had taken and what lati-
tudes had been gained. Its occupants
would have seen vast stretches of ice:
perhaps here and there some water: per-
haps lonely island-that would be all.
And as we have long been tolerably well
informed concerning the distribution of
land and water in the vicinity of the
north pole, and are also, in the main.
with the conditions of the TEN.
perature and the ice, il Is difficult TO per-
ceive what scientific value an ENTERPRISE
so daring and perilOus as Andree's can
have. Scientific balloon ascensions for
the closer investigation OF the condition
and movement of the air strata in the
like those made from the
Institute In Berlin in the
balloon Phoenix, are undoubtedly of
great utility. and the balloon is admi
rably adapted to such uses: but in The
present condition of aeronautics it is bv
no means suited to geographical inyesti-
cations. Such attempts, especially when
associated with such extreme peril TO lie
as under any circumstances existed in
the Andree enterprise, are to be CON
demned. That life can and, If necessary.
ought to be risked for the solution OF
scientific problems, especially to promote
geographical Investigations, is a matter
Of course. and / am certainly the LAST
maa 10 dissuade any one from a geo
graphical enterprise which involved dan
ger to life; but there must be a certain
probability of success. and. above All
The problem 10 be solved and the gain TO
science and human life and Industry
must be worthy OF the stake. Both are
lacking in the Andree enterprise, which
can only be characterized as an adven-
lure sprinslns from vain ambition, and
though we must hope and wish that the
Oyerboid aeronauts are still alive and will
return, such an attempt TO ny over the
north pole by means of a balloon Is M,
worthy OF serious scientific investlga-
ton"