The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-28

would be entirely unavailable. When the
ship started on her aerial voyage the
drag-ropes In readiness were not at
tached, but coiled in the basket OF the
vessel were the extras provided to fall
back on II necessary. The departure was
made under considerable mental tension
and several things beside attaching the
ready drag were overlooked.
Considerably more detail might be gone
into. but this will suffice for this part OF
the subject
II has been stated that at the time OF
departure from the island rendezvous the
wind bore directly toward the pole. This
was considered so all important that
there had been a delay of something like
two weeks awaiting this wind direction
The parties were on the ground for this
same purpose in 1896 and deferred the
voyage until the ensuing year principally
because of what was considered unpro-
pitious wind. 1t may be mentioned that
the personnel Of the trio of voyagers was
changed In substituting DR.. Fraenkel for
a predecessor who had married since as
sembling for this enterprise the year be-
fore and who. with his SO recent matri-
monial venture. then declined the trip.
As the wild goose would fly, the distance
from the point of departure to the pole
would be about $50 miles. A steady IA
voring twelve-mile- an-hour breeze would
tnen wait tnem 10 the polar point Soy
In ffty-fve hours AS the Spitzbergen
group OF islands is far within the Arctic
circle all the region northward OF the
latitude OF these islands, say eighty de-
grees, had from the eleventh day OF
July, still a continuous stretch of day ex-
ceeding two months. Cloudy or fair wind
or no wind, the sun made the circle OF
the heavens above the horizon week In
and week out, and there was perpetual
w w n factor
Of these polar explorers.
But here comes the all important ques-
ton that meteorologists may still be IN
voked to answer, namely: What warrant
had Prof. Andree to conclude that the
favoring breeze direction at Amsterdam
island was continuous and would thus
continue for several days? Six hundred
and fifty miles Of an air line would ex-
tend from Chicago across Northern Iowa
well into South Dakota, or 1t would ex-
tend from Chicago into Central Pennsyi-
vania, and Is there any officer connected
with the United States signal service pre-
pared to say that there Is any chance
whatever of a straight blow toward any
point OF the compass for 600 miiesf And
thus for forty-eight hours? Knowing
something as We do Of the character OF
this capricious atmospheric sea It's
"highs' and lows" its varying tempera-
lures, its curving isothsrmal lines. etc,
etc.--in view OF all this. what did II sig
Nifty, as presaging q continuous poleward
journey, that the wind at the hour of
starting was toward the northf
From how far southwark had the north
ward bearing wind current already come.
as II bore past the balloon station? II,
az Is as likely as not, the current moved
In a great circle and as a whole moved
forward after the plan OF q spinning top.
with continually DETECTING axis. then
what7
1t Is entirely safe to conclude that here
arose the nrst serious condition that con-
fronted the Andree expedition. There
was no thought and. perhaps, no means
Of knowing whittier the wind that started
that balloon on its Inflated voyage, was
a waxing or waning proposition. and to
know this was Of the utmost Importance.
We may assume then, almost with the
confidence OF certainty, that before even
the frst Atty miles had been made the
balloon direction began to change; II
would really be most remarkable II II
had not. Multitudes of thunderstorms
develop move over the landscape. expend
their force wane and vanish as an aerial
exhibition. often in less than one-fourth
OF the distance Of fifty miles.
Prof. Andree would well know that
few points In variation: so far from his
intended goal, meant much more Of
miss than would such variation signify
when further on the journey.
In such an emergency what would no
do? We may assume that tho drag ropes
would be lowered so that, with the re-
tarded airship movement. the sail could
be set to add Its effect to correcting tho
direction. Suppose the northward course