The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-13
Brother of the Intrepid
Explorer Confident
Party Still Lives.
HIS ELABORATE THEORIES IN
FAVOR or THEIR PRESERVATION.
They Have Probably Landed at Some Point
in the Unknown Noth--Will
Not Abandon Hope
Till Autumn.

yt RNST ANDREE, brother OF the
~ explorer, S. A. Andree, believes
"A that his brother Is still alive
and that he will be heard from
LIZ by the latter part of the COM
ing summer. Ernst Andree is
thoroughly acquainted with his brothers
plans and IL better able to discuss the
probable fate of the polar expedition than
any other living scientist. He has made
n study of the movements Of the north
ern ice pack, of aerial currents in that
latitude. and Of the known bodies of land
in proximity to the pole. He assisted
the explorer in designing equipping and
testing the balloon in which s. A. Andree
and two companions started from Norway
for the north pole July II, 1897. A note
dated July IS. 1897, was brought back by
a carrier pigeon four days after the start
was made. No word has been received
since from the party.
Ernest Andree advances the theory that
the balloon was blown about by conflict
ing currents of air and finally set down
at point from which II would take the
party three arctic summers to reach the
neghborhood Of Hudson bay.
IL expect to hear from my brother dur
ing the coming summer or autumn" says
Ernst Andree, but in case he does not
return by that time | must admit that
the chances of his being seen alive again
are very slim"
Herr Andree scouts the idea that the
balloon has been wrecked, and aserts
that the party could travel In II with
even more safety than in sedges. 1t was
put together. he says. without regard to
expense, and every precaution possible
was taken to make 1t absolutely safe and
able to resist violent shock. More
over, In the water the balloon was almost
as manageable as boat. In case a
landing had been made in the water. Herr
Andree argues that II would not have
been necessary to reach shore for long
time. unless the party chose There
would have been much danger In crossing
the ice on foot IL that should have been
necessary. Herr Andree believes. but very
little either In the balloon or in the cur
rents of air. The balloon either encoun-
tered winds blowing directly toward the
south. and all winds there blow south
or else It was caught In a zig-zag cur
rent In the first case, II would have
been carried to some point on the land
from where the party could have been
heard from within a short time. But
IL the machine had been at the mercy OF
zig-zag winds II would undoubtedly have
been carried TO a point from which be-
tween two and three years would be re-
duired for the journey back to civiliza-
ton. Herr Andree believes that this
has happened. and points out that there
meet conflicting air currents within
thirty-six hours after II started Know
ing this, Ernst Andree declares that he
had not expected to hear from his
brother until late last fall or some time
during the coming summer. The party
was provsoned for nine months. This
store was ample to supply them until
they reached the 30th degree OF latitude,
no matter where they landed Below
the Goth dpurTR the Is
piled with game, and the exploring party
carried plenty OF guns and ammunition
TO Kill It. Had the wind which prevailed
at the time the start was made continued
for three days the balloon would have
been blown to some OF the expected points
The party carried several buoys which
they expected to throw out one at n time
as they passed each degree OF latitude.
Buoy No. l was never heard from No
was thrown overheard at II O'Clock on the
same morning that the start was made
and was afterward picked NY on the coast
OF Iceland one large buoy which was
90 have been thrown into the water when
the northermost point expected had been
reached. was found on the north shore
OF King Karsland One curious thing
about this buoy. and one which has been
taken to Indicate that the sparty must
have been wrecked Is that the screw
fastening OF the message receptacle was
missing when TIE buoy was picked un
This screw was securely fastened in the
top OF the receptacle, and Herr Andree
argues that IN case 81 a wreck the screw
would have becu fastened on. Rs II must
have been ordinarily when the buoy hung
toniecturcs that. having reached a
certain point, the PARTY despaircd
~ getting farther and prepared TO
throw the buoy overheard In adjusting
the message the buoy wac accidentally
dropped into tho water before the screw
had been fastened again Even n
wreck had been imminent Herr Andree
conicctures that there would have been
plenty 81 tlmo Tor preparing a message
As O. the territory IN which the bal
loon landed, Herr Andrce figures that Il
must have been several hundred miles In
diameter In that case he believes that the
eNplorers spent there the winter of ~
In the spring % lS9S they would accord
ing Co plans have started toward the
maAact', uolc. az Hujsous hay Even II
they had Travelled as fast az hansen dil
they would have hgen Obliged 90 satni
tho winter ot '% quite q distance from
the pole The winter OF 80 would have
been passci eco point fur hey rnrth
4 gaoa portion then of ~sa-
sons travelling Nouij have remained
before tho party cun)4 reach British Co-
umNA and comm unicate with civillzaJ ou
Shoulf the gsArty not have Travelled as
fast AS HANSEN was able to ao she eN-
plorrr- oauld not oe heard from untl
lato iu the autumn 81 1880
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