Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-01-05
TO THE NORTH POLE IN AN AIRSHIP
MS Is the Assignment Given Walter Weman the Well Known
newspaper Correspondent by a Chicago Newspaper

will be 1900 miles. It is a part Of our
project to motor only with Favorable
winds and to anchor our ship to the ice
and lie to- in unfavorable winds of We
locity exceeding one-haR the normal
speed Of our craft. The ship win be
euuipped for safe anchorage in the highest
winds ever known in the Arctic regions.
In fact, the ship will be subject to the will
and the hand of the navigator, just like
a steamship upon the ocean.
"Besides the $500 pounds of fuel mem
TONED. the ship will carry Ave men.
comfortable car to live in (which is also
a boat in case Of need), food and sup
plies for rs days, and complete shedding
outfit ready for use should II be neces-
sary to abandon the airship and take to
the Ice If at the worst our ship carries
only two-thirds Of the way to the pole,
we have an alternative method Of travel.
by winch we may reasonably hope to COM
plete our task and make our return to
land in safety. At no time will our air
shin be out of touch with the surface of
the earth Our guide rope, so called,
but in our case a smooth, tapering line
of STEEL is to drag It's lower end over the
ice, to keep the ship at a fairly stable
height (150 to 200 feetl, the altitude most
favorable to wireless telegraphy and
TO maintain under ordinary conditions
the vertical stability of the craft Wire
less telegraph stations will be established
at Spitzbergen and Hammerfest, Norway
600 miles distant. Further than this
wireless equipment will be carried in our
airship, and It will be our effort to send
frequent II possible, daily. dispatches to
the outside world throughout all the time
the expedition is in the Arctic regions
our project has been carefully, thor
oughly and technically developed. 1t Is
an attempt to seize on what may be
called the psychological moment, or
golden hour in the progress OF the arts,
the practical achievements OF aerial
navigation by gas inflated bags, the
amazing perfection Of the inner combus-
ton motor with its surprising lightness
of weight it's great economy and efficiency
Of fuel consumption, together with that
more complete knowledge OF Arctic con-
dItions acquired in recent years. with
these arts reduced to harmonious COM
bination by studious and striving mind,
II perhaps needs only the hand OF the
man OF action. bold, yet not too bold,
to transmute the project into success"
What was considered at the time the
most foolhardy expedition ever under
taken in search OF the north pole was un-
dertaken by Andree in 1897, from the
very eroup of islands chosen by Mr.
Wellman for his airship attempt. An
dree started from Spitzbergen in a bal
loon with two companions, Strindberg and
Frankel. and was never heard of again.
Their balloon was of the old fashioned
kind, airships not having undergone
much development at that time. 1t was
an immense affair, capable of carrying
three men. a large quantity of provisions
and even a boat. should the explorers
be forced to resort to its use.
The expedition was camped at Spitz-
bergen for a long time before a favorable
slant of wind gave the opportunity for
the start The companions Of Andree.
Strindberg and Ffankel saw the three
intrepid explorers disappear in north
| erly direction, theft balloon sailing along
| in a moderate breeze. Long guide ropes
that were intended to serve as partial
| steering gear trailed across the Ice pack
! as the balloon moved along. Within less
than half an hour the explorers had
pa ssed from sight. They were never seen
again.
From time to tine reports came that
Andree's balloon had been sighted at
Vsrious places in he Arctic, but none of
these reports was ever substantiated. In
1900 Andrees will was opened in Paris.
One OF its first clauses contained the dec
laration that he never expected to return
alive. Perhaps he is the real holder OF
the farthest north record; nobody knows