New Britain herald., 1930-08-27

Passage. Nansen-a friend ana dd- wiser of Andree, by the way-had just won fame by his attempt to get to the pole in his ship, Tram.
 The northland was country of mystery. silence and danger.
 Andree's balloon was a sphere of silk, approximately so feet in diam eter, carrying large wicker basket This basket was decked oyer, with railing about the deck and equip rlent on the deck for navigator and observer. Inside were three hunks. One o~the party was to sleep while the other two were on duty on the upper deck.
 Took Carrier Pigeons
 Andree took along g. carrier pigeons 10 substitute for the then undreamed-of radio, and 13 buoys which were to be dropped to the sea from time to time. Aboard were provisions for four months-choco- late, pemmican, preserved meats and vegetables and fruits, and lemon juice to prevent scurvy. Andree knew that the balloon might land in uninhabited country, SO he prepared for an extended trip on foot. ,Snowshoes were carried, and two sledges, and firearms with which the explorers could kill game
 To be sure, there was always the chance that the balloon would be forced down in the open sea; and when friend asked Andree what they would do in that case, Andree remarked quietly, Then we shall | drown
 Finally on Sunday, July Il, 1S97, Andree found weather conditions Favorable. Last messages were sent. Strindberg. 24-year-old university professor, was to have been married before the trip began, but at the last moment he and his f1anCee had de- Cided to postpone the wedding until 1 Strindberg returned; so Strindber% had q last letter and a last tele- gram to send,
 The Take-Of
 The three explorers got in the basket Andree told Q friend, Don't 1 be uneasy if you do not hear from US for a year, or possibly for two years" The ropes mooring the bal loon were cut. and the great bag sailed aloft. A sudden gust Of wind carried it out over the bay and near ly dashed it down into the water, i but ballast was hastily thrown out and the balloon shot upward, and ! sailing off to the north on q fresh breeze. A unique sail device, by which Andree hoped to be able to steer his craft, was brought into play. and the balloon vanished to the northward.
 Days passed, and nothing was heard. In September it was learned that a carrier pigeon had landed on q ship near Spitzbergen some time before. This pigeon hore this mes sage, signed by Andree;
 July 13, 12:30 p. m, S2.2 degrees north latitude. 155 degrees east Longitude. Good progress toward the north. All goes well on board. This message is the third by carrier pigeon"
 The message showed that the bal loon in two days. had traNeled aoou' 200 miles to the north,
 Months later some of the huoS' were found on the coasts of Iceland and Scandinavia, All however hac been dropped before this message had been sent.
 Wild Rumors Discredited
 As the years passed and 1t became obvious that the explorers had dle6 in the northland, all sorts of Wllc rumors sprung up, One report salt the balloon had come down In th' north of Canada, and that its occu pants had been killed by Esklmos who then plundered the basket an' , tore up the bag to make tents an' } clothing. ~Later there were mysterl ous reports of a balloon landing Il ; Siberia. but these also were exploded l At last it was taken for grante' , that the real fate of the party woul
 never be known: and this assump ton persisted until the mystery wa l finally cleared up by the finding c ? the areonauts' bodies in the Arcti 9 wilderness that is Franz Josef Lanr f Evidently hostile winds were tn t prime cause of the disaster. Fran