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

and while these men have daring. they
are stu utterly lacking In experience.
They might not be over fifty miles from
their starting point. and in case of IRENE
diabls shipwreck. might be compelled to
the hazards OF taking to the Ice and go
to destruction before getting back over
tho distance 10 the islands. These men
were not Nansens, and IL on this unstable
Arctic surface, In the polar summer. when
interrupted footing is the rule, and when
there are still dozen chances to one OF
drifting In the wrong direction, It will
be seen that their situation would be most
desperate.
II Is the writer's judgment that the An
dree expedition met with disaster before
much distance was made: that the disas-
ter came primarily from the action OF the
drag feature. which was resorted 10 as
soon as II became evident that the air
current was no longer bearing poleward.
Now let us consider the hypothesis that
the drag ropes were cut and dropped
into the sea and the airship with its
trio of occupants went on unframed. The
decreased weight would call for the re-
lease Of over 1900 feet of hydrogen. as
there was. all told at least half a ton
Of cable. II more weight was lost the
gas sacrifice was correspondtngiy greater.
Our aerial mariners would now have the
vast circumDolar Arctic waste before
them. During the summer ~ 1887, I, IL
not known that there were other human
beings than those assembled AT spilK-
bergen. on a polar circle l. 300 miles In
diameter. on circle 1 $50 miles across
a few scattered whsiers might have been
disposed. Within the vast space within
the boundaries OF the Arctic circle there
would be a human population OF probably
less than 900. on an area having a
diameter q $500 miles any kind II human
ity would be scarce and tho civilized
article would not have furnished one per-
son on an average, 10 an area Of the
size Of the state 81 Washington. There
were then no extreme northern gold de-
velopments.
II may be accepted as fact that with
in sixty hours from emhsrkation on this
polar quest, this party II still alive, had
but one supreme thought and hope aud
that was 10 get as far from the pole as
possible. In this time mentioned the
three balloon explorers would accumulate
such n stock % new IDEAS as would make
3 whole lot The utter futsfify and IN
utility % their scheme would have. IN
this time passed It's dawuing In thl.
e&prsc1ous drifting where were they 70
,ng and when would they get thsreT II
ts questionable that they would make
scientiac observations. man hearing
the roar % flames IN his house roof DOES
NO aAAft W NtfNNAiA us EA1Eks or 10 note
the temperature Indicated ~ HIS thsr-
roueter There could - no motive 70
sacrifice any more 81 their hydrogen and
asisht anywhere IA thiA Inorganic interior.
49, they could not Afford the loss o. any
bsoyAncy, thsir only hope q ultimate de-
nverRncs
Them Well, what would you sor What
could you da7 Let the balloon Goat and
trust 10 blind luck was this coating
round ana round. back and forth. th,k
way ard that or sun trending Indirect
iy IN general direction Clouds, foss.
saline. winds. mirage images against the
sky. perhaps "AlsskAs Silent CITY" would
loom up-a simple phenomenon that has
50 perpIsxed sc entiSts," rarhelias. zenith
ra!nhoWE. ard all the odds and ends OF
queer phenomena, may have confronted
these fil-stsrred pole hunters and stIil
the errAtic wind gave no consolation and
made no sign Of intelligent mercy.
But there must come = tine when, n
even sxains; their will. they must come
TO earth, water or ice. and when they
cannot rsascend again. Where this was
no ono seems to know. and II may never
be known
We DO know THAI there Is a limit 20 tho
aSiiss4nG capacity Of any gas and that