The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-01-05
ANDREE' 5 BALLOON
Report of Its Landing at
Reindeer Lake Confirmed.
RECORDS FOUND IN BASKET.
Danish Explorer May Have Crossed
Arctic Circle Nearly Twelve
Years Before Peary Reach
ed North Pole.
RECORDS FOUND IN BASKET.

Prince Albert, Sask., Jan. 4.-The
finding of Andree's balloon at Reindeer
lake, in the arctic circle, 800 miles
north of here, is confirmed by William
Irvine, Hudson Bay company trader
from Fort Good Hope. and a party
will be sent up to bring back the relic.
Irvine says that the Indians have
several books which were found in
the basket of the balloon, and these
are the records kept by Andree of his
trip across the frozen north land.
The Danish consul at Montreal has
directed the sending out of an expedi-
ton to bring back the remnants of the
explorer, and the Swedish government
/ by cable has agreed to pay all the eX-
penses of such a trip and provide men
/ to take charge who are well versed in
northern exploration world.
/ 1t is believed that Andree in his bal
( loon may have crossed the north polar
circle in July, 1897, nearly twelve
years before Commander Robert Il.
Peary reached the north pole.
The Rev. DIR. Turquetil, the mission
]
wan and the Mackenzie river district
brought in the original news of the
discovery. Bishop Pascal of this city
is authority for the story told by the
missionary.
DR. Turquetil speaks Cree, Chippe-
wayan and Blackfeet fiuently and read
lily understands the Eskimo language.
He is stationed in the far north at
Reindeer Like. Il settlement almost en-
tirely inhabited by Chippewayans.
Within about six days travel by dog
sleigh east from Reindeer lake by the
Hudson Bay seas or seven days travel
in a northerly direction from Fort
Churchill is the Eskimos' land. This
territory is almost fifteen days dog
sleigh travelling from this place.
The missionary was anxious to visit
this new territory and to learn some
thing of the customs of the Esktmos.
A number of Chippewayans agreed to
accompany him. The district was
reached after about eight days travel
ing. Turquetil carried a small revolv-
er, and this is the instrument by which
he first received information of white
men having visited the country.
The natives were greatly interested
in the missionary's novelty and exam
ined it closely. TurQuetil, after show
ing them irs use by killing birds fly
ing about in the thickets, handed 1t to
one of them for examination.
"That looks like the thing that white
man had" said one of the Eskimos to
his companions.
"Yes," returned the other.
"What white man?' inquired Tur-
quetil.
The Indians said that "a white house
had fallen from the sky, that 1t was
covered with ropes and that three men
were in it,"
They also told where the house had
fallen. adding that the men, who were
very hungry. had died shortly after
their arrival. The Eskimos had used
; the ropes and were still using them In
padding their canoes and fixing their
tents.
Dr. Turuuetil in relating his story
here said he believed that Andree and
his companions had shot some deer OF
other animals after arriving, and the
Eskimos, becoming angry, killed them
Irvine, who has for many years beer
In CHI rye of the Hudson Bay post a
Fort Good Hope, says that Indians II
his district told him they saw the bal
5 loon travelling very low and watched
it for hours before it descended. L
= had three men in it.
: Solomon August Andree, the Swed
> ish aeronaut and explorer, left Danes
[ island. Spitzbergen, Denmark, on Jul!
II, 1897, in n well equipped balloon u
: sail over the north pole.
} Andrees balloon was slXty-seNei
, feet In diameter. with n capacity o
e 10000 cubic feet. Its speed was esu
mated at from twelve to fifteen mile
an hour, at which rate the pole shoul'
have been reached in six days, pro
yided a favorable and constant win'
z had been blowing
Two days after his departure mes
y sage was received by carrier pigeon
a which stated that at noon on July 1
= they were in latitude 82.2 degrees an
longitude 1913 degrees and maxim
n rood progress. This was the last wor
n received from the explorer.