1862-Duc de Grammont Caderousse killed Mr. Dillon at Paris for a newspaper attack, October. 1868-Paul de Cassagnac and M. Lissagaray, journalists (the latter run through), Sept. 4. 1870-Don Enrique de Bourbon killed by the Duc de Montpensier, near Madrid, after much provocation, March 12. 1873-Paul de Cassagnac (wounded) and M. Ranc, Paris, July 7. 1873-Prince Soutza kills N. Ghika at Fontainebleau, Nov. 27.

1878-M. Gambetta and M. de Fortou; neither hit, Nov. 21.

1884-Capt. Fournier and H. Rochefort, for attack in Intransigeant; both slightly wounded, Oct. 10.

1888-M. Hobart killed M. Felix Dupuis (artist), who resented satirical verse, Paris, April 29.

1888-Gen. Boulanger, seriously, and M. Floquet, slightly wounded, July 13. 1892-Capt. Mayer killed by Marquis de Mores, Paris, June 23.

1895-M. Hippolyte Percher (Harry Alis) killed by M. le Chatelier, near Paris, March 1.

1897-Prince Henri of Orleans and the count of Turin, at Paris; both wounded, Aug.15.

5.101.969.31

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We are indebted to Mr. Edward Grafstrom, C. E., of Columbus, O., a personal friend of Mr. Andree, and in receipt of late letters from those associated with him, for the material used in the following notes upon this daring undertaking. As the attempt to reach the north pole by a balloon, desperate as it is, is the outcome of careful engineering study, planned and practically carried out by engineers, the subject is of interest to members of that profession. The fact that Andree was backed in his efforts by King Oscar of Sweden and by Baron Dickson, and that his plans had the approval of the Swedish Academy of Science, are sufficient guaranties that there was some chance of a successful outcome, and that failure could not be charged to any lack of intelligent preparation.

Soloman A. Andree was born in 1854 in Grenna, Sweden. At the age of 18 he entered the Polytechnic institute of Stockholm, and then served an apprenticeship in the great machine shops of Motala, employing 5,000 men. Later he traveled extensively, visiting the Philadelphia exposition in 1876 among other places, and on his return to Sweden he became master mechanic at the Spannhults shops, and in 1880 he was appointed instructor in applied mechanics at the Polytechnic institute at Stockholm. In 1882-83 he was a member of the Swedish expedition to Spitzbergen and spent a long winter there in observing atmospheric electrical phenomena. In 1884 he was made chief mechanical examiner of the Swedish patent bureau, and still holds that position. From 1886 to 1889 he was also acting professor in experimental physics at the Stockholm Technical college. In 1892 he was selected by the Swedish Academy of Science to undertake a series of balloon ascensions in their interest and at their cost, and he made five trips in all, one of them across the Gulf of Finland. The academy published the result of his observations during these trips. Two years ago he laid before the academy his plans for examining the polar regions from balloon. He estimated the cost of the expedition at $35,000, and toward this sum the king at once subscribed $8,000, Baron Dickson subscribed another $8,000, and the late A. Nobel, the millionaire discoverer and manufacturer of explosives, famm added $17.500. To this sum Civil Engineer

$1,500.

a

With this sum available Mr. Andree went to work. After consulting the best authorities on the continent, he finally contracted with Mr. Henri La Chambre for the construction of his balloon. Mr. La Chambre had previously constructed many balloons and had himself made about 300 ascensions. His companions for the trip were selected from a number of volunteers. Mr. Nils Strindberg is 25 years old, a bachelor of science of Upsala university, and he has made a special study of atmospherical and electrical phenomena. He is also an expert in aerial navigation, is trained in outdoor sports and is an expert photographer. The second companion, Mr. Knut Frankel, is 27 years old, graduated in 1892 as a civil engineer at the Polytechnic institute and has passed examination for admission to the Royal Engineers. He is strong and hardy, a champion skater and snowshoe runner and an experienced hunter in arctic lands. Mr. Frankel will attend to the "bird's-eye view" mapping and measuring,

while Mr. Strindberg will have charge of the various instruments. Lieut. Swedenborg, who went to Dane's island as an alternate, and has now returned to Sweden is a son-in-law of the arctic explorer Nordenskjold.

of

From an illustrated article in Le Genie Civil the following further notes are made relating to the transportation and inflation of the balloon itself on Dane's island. The first expedition left Gothenbourg, on June 7, 1896, for the preliminary work, accompanied by Mr. La Chambre, the builder of the balloon, a scientfic staff from the University of Stockholm and a corps of assistants selected entirely from the engineering students of the Polytechnic institute of Stockholm. After close examination various points Mr. Andree finally selected the north coast of Dane's island as a point of departure. This island lies just south of Amsterdam island, off the west coast of Spitzbergen and in about latitude 80 degrees north and longitude 10 degrees east from Greenwich. In a straight line across the pole the distance from Dane's island to the north coast of the American or Asiatic continent is about 2,112 miles. The expedition landed the case containing the balloon, the hydrogen gas generators and the material for erecting a scaffolding in which to inflate the balloon, protected from wind, etc. This scaffolding was octagonal in shape, built in four stages, each 16.4 feet high, held together by bolts. It was surmounted by a balcony accessible by two stairways, and was covered on the outside by sheetiron plates swung on wire ropes. The hydrogen gas generator, with a base of sulphuric acid and iron filings, had a capacity of 60 cubic meters per hour. The setting up of the plant was accompanied with many difficulties, as the envelope of the balloon alone weighed 3,080 pounds and the network weighed 990 pounds more.

By July 21, 1896, all was ready to inflate the balloon and the gas generator was started. But snow commenced to fall and the heavy coating on the balloon added to the trouble, and finally, when the balloon was partially inflated the pump used in connection with the production of gas failed and the supply of gas stopped. Then, too, the prevailing wind came from the north and northwest instead of from the Under these adverse conditions, and with a supply of gas in the balloon that it was estimated would not last more than forty to fifty days, Mr. Andree reluctantly gave up his first attempt, and on Aug. 21 the party sailed for Sweden with all its appliances.

south, as expected.

As described in Le Genie Civil the balloon itself was arranged as follows: The balloon was of the ordinary form and made of exceptionally good material, but beneath it was suspended a closed car, lighted by two lateral windows and covered with canvas. In the middle of this car Was a sort of sleeping apartment, fitted with reindeer-skin sleeping bags. The sides of the car were provided with compartments for holding books, charts, instruments. arms, ammunition, toilet articles and cooking utensils. This last operation was performed by an alcohol lamp inclosed in a cylinder so arranged as to be lowered about 33 feet below the car through an opening in the bottom. By special mechanism connected by a cord with the car a match could be struck and the lamp lighted, and

this lamp was blown out through a rubber tube before the apparatus was hoisted into the car again. A mirror, arranged at an angle of 45 degrees, enabled the travelers to watch the flame. In this cylinder were also inclosed small vessels in which any liquid could be quickly boiled. At a distance of about a meter from the roof of the car was a circle mounted upon a ball support so as to maintain a horizontal position, and upon this were arranged the sextants, theodolite, barometer, thermometer and the photographic apparatus.

were

This car was suspended to the balloon belt by six cords, held out by a cable in a hexagonal form, and between the cable and the roof of the car were six canvass pockets, with compartments intended to hold objects or instruments for instant use. Attached to the suspension belt of the ballocn was a flat rim, divided into boxes and carrying four baskets, in which anchors, buoys, cordage and other accessories. To an opening in the rim was suspended a rope ladder attached to the tail of the balloon and leading to the This arrangement permitted an inspection of the balloon by bull's-eyes in the safety valve and the rim afforded a place of refuge if for any reason the car had to be abandoned. To the suspension belt was also fixed a differential pulley and tackle, to be used in manipulating the guide

car.

rope,

whose action, combined with that of sails fixed to the belt by hempen cords, was expected by Mr. Andree to assist in keeping the balloon in the required direction and in guiding it generally.

These guide-ropes were made in several sections, united by screw-unions. By the aid of a wrench with two beveled pinions it was possible to turn the guide-rope around its own axis and unscrew the lower section if this were caught between blocks of ice; the rope would be lengthened by again adding a new section at the top. By an ingenious attachment of a peculiar steel spring to each joint the resistance to unscrewing at each joint was such that the bottom section always became first detached when the winch was turned. These guide-ropes were coated with vaseline to render them buoyant and to enable them to glide easily over the ice. The suspension belt of the balloon was held up by forty-eight cords, and in the intervals between these were fastened sleds, canoes, oars and masts, which were to be used in case the voyagers had to abandon the balloon, and lastly, in canvas sacks were inclosed all manner of preserved food, chocolate, compressed bread, concentrated milk, champagne and Bordeaux wines, alcohol, etc. These sacks alone weighed 2,200 pounds, and served as ballast in case of

need.

to

currents blowing over Norway toward the north. At this rate he would reach the north pole in about forty-three hours after the start and cross to Bering sea in six days. These air currents generally deviate the west, but Mr. Andree believed that he could overcome this by the use of his sails and guide-ropes, or drag-lines, as previous experiments had demonstrated that he could thus share his course 27 degrees to either side of the direction of the wind.

The actual start was made on July 11, 1897, under somewhat hasty conditions, accounted for by favorable winds, etc. At this time the wind was blowing a 22-mile gale from south-southwest. If this wind kept up Mr. Andree should make the total passage in about four days, and, says Mr. Grafstrom, he may have descended about July 15 at some point east of 180 degrees west longitude between the Gulf of Anadyr, in Asia, and Mackenzie bay. If so, he would probably make for Port Barrow, often touched at by whalers, or he may have met whaling ships at some of the small islands north of Bering strait.

On the morning of July 11 the several trial balloons sent up sailed directly to the north, and Mr. Andree determined to start. It being Sunday, a short service was first held on the deck of the supply ship Svenskund, and at 10:30 o'clock a. m.

were commenced. preparations The balloon shed was partially torn down, the ballast, supplies, instruments, etc., were packed away, and at 2:15 o'clock p. m. the great balloon, inflated with 150,000 cubic feet of gas, was ready. Andree, Frankel and Strindberg climbed into the car, and at 2:35 o'clock p. m. the last line was cut and the balloon was off on its voyage of adventure. At the height of 200 feet above the ground a sudden gust of wind drove it across the island and there was some the strong southwestern breeze caught it danger of it striking the high cliffs, but in time and sent it out over the sea.., It was at first pressed down so hard by the wind that for some seconds the car dragged in the water, but it soon began to rise, cleared the rocks of Fogelsang island by a few feet and then settled down to a steady progress northward and vanished from sight at about 3 o'clock p. m., at a height of about a half-mile above the sea.

After the departure it was discovered that three of the drag-lines, upon which Andree so much depended, had been torn loose and were left upon the balloon shed. Their loss accounts for the height to which he rose above the sea. It was hoped that when they were torn away the manipulating gear of the sail and ropes was not injured, as without these he was at the mercy of the wind alone, and if this should veer he might drift past the objective point hundreds of miles away. But as the ballast of the car consisted largely of reserve lines the lost lines were probably soon replaced. Andree took with him some carrier return of pigeons, no authentic story of their flight_from Andree's balloon has been received. The ultimate fate of these brave men is yet to be disclosed-if it ever will be told at all.-Engineering News.

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