ANDRÉE AND
HIS BALLOON

THE DEPARTURE OF THE BALLOON.

Copyright Archibald Constable & Co.

ANDRÉE AND HIS
BALLOON

By HENRI LACHAMBRE
and ALEXIS MACHURON

WITH COLOURED FRONTISPIECE AND
FORTY-FOUR FULL-PAGE
ILLUSTRATIONS FROM
PHOTOGRAPHS

Westminster
ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE & CO.
1898

Butler & Tanner,
The Selwood Printing Works,
Frome, and London.

TO A. S. ANDRÉE

A FERVENT BELIEVER IN THE
AËRIAL CONQUEST OF THE NORTH
POLE WE DEDICATE THIS BOOK

H. LACHAMBRE
A. MACHURON

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Andrée

SALOMON AUGUSTE ANDRÉE.

Introduction

On the afternoon of Sunday, the 11th of July, 1897, the balloon Ornen left the port of Virgo, Spitzbergen, carrying in its car Messrs. Andrée, Strindberg, and Fraenkel, the bold explorers, starting for the conquest of the North Pole.

All the papers of the day were immediately filled with discussions in various strains, pessimistic or favourable comments and prognostications, articles full of hope or criticism,—each, in short, looking upon this extraordinary expedition from its own point of view.

The first part of this bold enterprise is accomplished, and now we are confronted with the terrible question: Where are they?

The comments took their usual course. However, towards the middle of August we heard that one of the carrier pigeons belonging to Andrée’s expedition had been killed, on the 22nd of July, by one of the seamen of the fishing boat Alken, between the Spitzbergen North Cape and the Seven Isles, in about 80° N. Lat. This pigeon carried a message, which was confirmed, more than a month later, when the whaler Alken returned to Hammerfest; it was couched in the following terms:—

“13th July, 12.30 p.m., 82.2° N. L., 15.5° E. Long. Good progress towards the north. All goes well on board. This message is the third brought by a pigeon.—Andrée.”

Andrée, therefore, appears to have despatched three pigeons in less than three days, and the balloon seems to have covered, during this time, a distance of scarcely 187½ miles—a fact which is accounted for by the calm which reigned on the second day.

No other trustworthy news has since come to hand. Much noise was made about a telegram originating from Krasnoïarsk in Siberia, which announced that a balloon, believed to be Andrée’s, had been sighted on the 14th of September, for some minutes, in the province of Jēnisseisk.

This message was rather vague. Supposing that the balloon remained in the air for more than sixty days (which is still within the limits of possibility), it ought to have crossed, in order to arrive at that point, over 625 miles of inhabited land, without being perceived, which is rather doubtful. On the other hand, Andrée would not travel such a long way in regions where communications are comparatively easy and where he would have been in perfect safety, without effecting a landing and stopping on his journey.

Knowing the temperament of these heroes, who start with high courage towards the unknown, in order to try to lift the veil which still hides those mysterious regions from mortal eyes, and after having read the narrative of the wonderful voyage of Nansen and his companions, shall we despair?

Has not Andrée already been highly favoured by chance and accident? Has he not already, in his career as an aeronaut, escaped from dangerous situations in which many others, perhaps, would have perished? Let us hope, then, that his lucky star will not forsake him, and that fortune, which favours the brave, will bring back to us, victorious, the three savants who have a full claim to our unstinted admiration.

I may add that the preparatory stages of the expedition were very troublesome; obstacles of all kinds, bad weather, and, in particular, contrary winds, made two attempts futile. Only on the third attempt were the explorers able to leave terra firma finally and float in space towards this inaccessible pole, the search for which has already cost science so many illustrious lives.

In fact, a first expedition organized in June, 1896, went to Spitzbergen, at which place a balloon and all the plant necessary for its inflation were fitted up. But after a long wait for the south wind, which did not come, the explorers were compelled to return to Europe, as the season was too far advanced.

Now, before narrating the preliminaries of the second expedition and commencing the story of our voyage across the polar sea, it seems expedient briefly to recapitulate the history of the Swedish expedition to which we have had the honour to belong, and to give some details as to the construction of the aerial ship, and the work accomplished last year on Dane’s Island.

An undertaking bristling with so many difficulties could not possibly be carried through in an inhospitable country in a season which lasts barely two months; and this fact the reader will be able to appreciate later on.

H. L.

The Engineer Andrée
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Salomon-Auguste Andrée was born on the 18th of October, 1854, at Grenna, a little town in the province of Smoiland. His father was a chemist. The rather severe training received at the hands of their father, imbued the children of the Andrée family at an early age with the spirit of obedience and punctuality. Their father died some years ago, and their mother, a distinguished lady, died in the spring of 1897.

After finishing his educational course young Andrée entered the technical school, an institution exclusively intended for civil engineers,—artillery and army engineers’ officers having a separate Higher School. He chose the mechanical engineering section of the school, and left it an engineer. He thereupon worked for some time (as is frequently the custom in Sweden) as a simple mechanic in a workshop, sharing in every respect the life of an ordinary workman. Later on, he travelled abroad for purposes of study.

The knowledge he thus acquired, both theoretical and practical, procured him the distinction of being appointed, at the early age of twenty-six, assistant professor of pure and applied physical science at the technical school.

At the age of twenty-eight, in 1892, he took part in a Swedish meteorological expedition to Spitzbergen. He wintered there until the next year, directing the experiments and observations on atmospheric electricity.

In 1884, Andrée was appointed chief engineer to the Patent Office,—being a newly created post,—and from 1886 to 1889 he occupied, at the same time, a professor’s chair at the technical school of Stockholm.

However, his position at the Patent Office, being a post of the highest importance, claimed all his time and energy, and Andrée found himself obliged to resign the professorship.

But he could not give up the idea of scientific aerostation, a problem which had always haunted his mind since his early youth.

The Swedish Academy of Science, which counts among its members famous men like A. Nordensjold, G. Retzius, G. Mittaz-Leffler, the mathematician, H. Hildebran and O. Montelius, the antiquarians, and others known and esteemed by the learned world, turned their attention to Andrée’s projects, and in 1892 he received from the Academy and the “L. J. Hjerta Memorial Foundation,” a subvention for the purpose of undertaking scientific aerial navigation—an honour which was unprecedented in Sweden.

From that time Andrée devoted himself to aerial navigation, and made his first ascent at Stockholm in the summer of 1893.

He has since made a number of ascents for scientific purposes, some of which were of a most perilous nature—one resulting in a disaster in the Baltic. On another occasion he was carried from Gothenburg over the Baltic, after having traversed the whole of Sweden. The reefs round the Isle of Goëland presented the greatest difficulties to his landing. This last attempt nearly cost Andrée his life; but these “little accidents” were not calculated to discourage a man of his temperament.

He made several experiments at steering by means of a guide-rope and a sail, and came to the conclusion that it would be possible to direct the course of the balloon even while keeping it at a low altitude.

Thereupon, early in 1895, Andrée presented to the Academy of Sciences a well matured project for exploring the regions of the North Pole with the aid of a balloon; the start was to be made from Spitzbergen, where the inflation of the balloon was to be effected. The estimated cost amounted to about £7,177.

A National subscription was opened, which was completed in a few days by four generous donors.

Mr. A. Nobel, of lamented memory, subscribed £3,588.

The King of Sweden, wishing to show the interest taken by him in the expedition, gave £1,656.

Baron Dickson, well known for his liberality, also gave £1,656.

The sum was completed by Mr. R. Lamm and some other donors.

Mr. R. Lamm, moreover, undertook to supply all the mechanical part of the various apparatus.

Having once settled the financial aspect of the question, Andrée made several journeys all over Europe, in order to obtain personal interviews with foreign scientific celebrities and gain them over to his views concerning this bold enterprise. He visited, one by one, the aeronautical establishments, procuring at the same time samples of the tissues employed, and obtaining the opinions of various constructors.

Thereupon, on his return to Stockholm, he carefully tested the samples which he had brought with him; he felt interested in the English and German products, but gave preference to the French industry. Finally his choice fell on Chinese Pongee silk, cemented together in double, threefold, and fourfold layers, and varnished, this tissue having been advocated and experimented with for several years past by M. H. Lachambre, to whom Andrée entrusted the construction of the balloon on condition that M. Lachambre should follow the expedition to Spitzbergen, where the benefit of his experience would be at Andrée’s service.

The Aerial Vessel
Description of the Balloon for Andrée’s Polar Expedition, and the Appliances Constructed at the Aerostatic Workshops of Vaugirard.

After studying the question for a long time, Andrée finally decided to give his balloon the cubical contents of 158,924 feet, and the shape of a sphere terminating in a slightly conical appendage.

This sphere, fitted with two lateral regulating valves, one lower automatic valve, and a “rending flap,” measures 22 yards in diameter, by 1,431 yards surface; it is enclosed in a net of hemp cord, terminating in systems of “crow feet,” and suspending ropes attached to the car by means of a “load ring.”

The upper part of the balloon is protected against rain and snow by a varnished silk cover, the apex of which is fixed to the upper pole of the envelope, and the lower margin to the meshes of the net.

The Envelope.—In making up the envelope, 600 pieces of best quality Pongee silk, each from 18 to 19 yards long by about 18 inches wide, were used. From each of these a piece was cut off which was tried in both directions—that of the chain and that of the weft; then the pieces were classified according to their strength, in order to be subjected to the operation of cementing or joining together.

All these pieces, after being cemented together, were tried again before being used. The trials were made by means of a Perreaux dynamometer, with strips about 2 inches wide by 4 inches long, under the control of Messrs. P. de Nordenfeld and Noël, engineers of the Nordenfeld Company, to whom Andrée had entrusted the task of testing the materials used in the construction of his balloon.

VIEW OF THE LOWER PART OF THE BALLOON.

The tests gave the following results:—For double tissue, the breaking strains varied from 5,291 lbs. to 7,936 lbs. per yard, for threefold tissue from 6,854 to 12,125, and for fourfold tissue, made up of the best single pieces found, from 13,227 to 15,873 lbs. per yard.

The minimum resistance demanded by Andrée was fixed at 2,204 lbs. per yard and per single thickness of Pongee. This minimum was therefore greatly exceeded.

The cemented pieces were classified according to their strength, for distribution over the surface of the balloon as the strain demanded.

The upper part of the envelope is a disc 19 feet 8 inches in diameter, formed by twenty-four widths of fourfold silk. The adjoining part, consisting of threefold silk up to 13 feet 1 inch below the equator of the sphere, is composed of forty-one zones made up of forty-eight widths each.

The remainder of the balloon, down to the lower parallel, having a diameter of 23 feet, is of double material, being made up of twenty-two zones of forty-eight widths; and finally the lower part, including the appendage, is of threefold silk, and consists of five zones of forty-eight widths, and three zones of twenty-four widths each.

The portions made up of threefold and double Pongee are joined together by an intermediate zone in which the various widths of material are alternately made up, half of threefold and half of double tissue.

In each zone the various widths, or pieces of material, are identical in shape; twenty-seven different templates had to be designed in order to determine the exact shape of the various pieces or widths of material, the total number of which is 3,360. The cutting out of these pieces was effected with the aid of a cutting blade guided by a steel rule, following the outlines of a template. At first those belonging to one and the same zone were joined together, and the zones were then joined so that the various pieces or widths overlapped each other in such a manner as to give the balloon the aspect of a structure of bricks or freestone.

The cemented joints of the various pieces are ½ inch wide; they are then sewn by a machine, with three seams made with fine silk in the double or threefold material, and four rows of stitches in the fourfold material.

These joints or seams are then covered, outside and inside, with a strip of single silk 1⅕ inches wide, cemented on with a special varnish recently discovered by M. Lachambre.

The strips cemented by this new process have the double advantage of rendering the seams impermeable and restoring to the joints the resistance of which the stitching deprives them.

The varnish used for this cementing meets all requirements; it preserves the natural suppleness of the material, is unaffected by the balloon varnish, which has linseed oil for its basis, and is proof against water and changes of temperature.

The tests made with the joints thus constituted, proved that their resistance was greater than that of the adjoining parts, and Andrée, who only desires an equal strength throughout, naturally was very well satisfied with this result.

The seams are 4,811 yards long, with three or four rows of stitching, representing a line of single stitching equal to a length of 15,310 yards, and the total length of the cemented strips is nearly 9,842 yards.

The two hemispheres of the balloon were first formed; their weight was 2,116 lbs., and before proceeding to the last equatorial closing seam, they were given three coats of Arnoul’s varnish (the best balloon varnish hitherto tried); a fourth coat being given after the two halves had been joined together, on the premises of the “Palais du Champ de Mars,” remaining from the 1889 Exhibition.

Net.—The net of the polar balloon is composed of 384 hemp cords, ⅙ inch thick by 211 feet 7 inches long, each having a breaking strain of not less than 873 lbs. (in the tests made the minimum result was 925 lbs., while the maximum was 1,190 lbs.).

Each cord is jointless; its two ends are fixed, at the upper pole, to a cordage ring or crown measuring 26 inches in diameter and 2⅓ inches in thickness. There are no knots in this net, the cords being interwoven at their crossing points, one being passed through the other; it was in this way that the “Henri Giffard” captive balloon was finished in 1878.

The crossing points are strengthened by ligatures of fine twine.

VALVES FOR WORKING THE BALLOON.

The circumference of the net, all the way up, consists of 192 meshes, the dimensions of which vary according to the area of the zone they are to cover. These meshes, the number of which is no less than 19,000, represent a length of twine amounting to nearly 16,404 yards.

The lower part of the net is formed by a system of three zones of crowfeet or cringles, each zone reducing, by one-half, the number of meshes composing the next upper zone.

The first row of crowfeet is mounted on thimbles of nickeled brass, the second and the third on wooden pulley-blocks, having sheaves of lignum vitæ; and forty-eight suspending cords, each fitted at its end with an eye, complete the net and form points for tying it to the retaining ring by means of toggles. These suspending cords have a diameter of ⁷⁄₁₀ inch, and a bearing-strain of no less than 6,613 lbs.

The net thus constituted weighed 776 lbs. In order to preserve the cordage from moisture it was impregnated with vaseline, except in the upper part, which was covered with a projecting cover of varnished silk; after this operation the weight of the net was 974 lbs.

Eight detachable equatorial cringles were fixed to the equator of the net. They were to serve for holding up the balloon, and preventing it from oscillating, in the shed which was to shelter it at Spitzbergen, while awaiting a favourable wind for the departure of the expedition.

Protecting Cover.—A spherical calotte of single silk, varnished with four coats and vaselined, and having an area of 1,560 square feet, covers the upper part of the balloon. It is finished in the same way as the balloon, being composed of overlapping widths to the number of 720.

The seams, having a width of ¼ inch, are hooked together, and sewn with two rows of stitching with silk thread. They are not covered with cemented strips. Their total length is 656 yards.

The vertex of the protecting cover, of conical shape, is of double silk. It rests on a small wooden structure, likewise of conical shape, the base of which, placed on the material at the upper pole of the balloon, is surrounded and held in place by the crown of the net.

The lower zone, terminating the protecting cover, is of double silk. Its extreme edge is put round a hemp bolt-rope, ³⁄₁₀ inch in diameter, which is sewn into the material; ninety-six eyes made above this bolt-rope are intended to receive thongs for fixing the protecting cover to the meshes of the net.

This protecting cover weighs 88 lbs. Its object is to protect the top of the balloon against rain, and more especially to prevent incrustation with snow between the meshes of the net.

Valves.—The balloon has no valve at the top, because its action would probably be affected by snow; but it is provided with two manipulating valves, of equal dimensions, one being placed at the equator, and the other one metre above the equator. These are at 150 degrees angular distance from each other.

These valves, constructed on a system of Andrée’s, measure 9⅘ inches in external diameter. Each is formed by a disc of aluminium bronze, 9 inches in diameter, and under normal conditions rests on a circular piece of walnut wood, but can be withdrawn therefrom by moving it along a screw which occupies the centre. This movement is effected from the car of the balloon by means of two cords for each valve, passing through the interior of the balloon and issuing from it near the appendage through four tubes, arranged in pairs.

Gas-tightness is obtained by a circular rubber band, against which the outer margin of the valve disc rests. The orifice for the escape of gas measures 7⅘ inches in diameter. In order to fix the valves to the balloon, two openings, 7⅘ inches in diameter, are made in the material. The margin around these openings is strengthened by collars, 19⅖ inches in diameter, of threefold material, cemented and sewn on; the seat of each valve is applied internally to the material of the balloon, the margin of which is caught between two rubber bands, and thereupon pressed against the seat by an external wooden hoop and bolts.

These valves do not present any external projection against which the cord of the net might catch.

The automatic valve closing the appendage was suggested to Andrée by M. Lachambre, and was adopted. It measures 39 inches in external diameter, with a discharge orifice 34 inches in diameter. The valve disc, of threefold Pongee silk, is 35⅘ inches in diameter. It is provided with two glazed windows, in order to enable the aeronauts to inspect the interior of the balloon. This disc, which is slightly conical, is fitted upon a walnut-wood ring, which acts as a seat, in which it is held by the traction of six spiral springs of steel wire, fastened on one side to the end of the wooden spokes of the valve, and on the other side to the top of a small frame fixed on the seat. The frame, mounted on the wooden ring or crown, is formed by twelve nickeled steel tubes.

The valve is guided in its course by a central steel tube, sliding in another tube, which serves as an axis for the frame. A small cotter limits its action, the length of which is equal to one-half of the radius of the discharge orifice. The joint is rendered gas-tight at the periphery of the valve by means of a brass blade resting on a rubber band stretched in a groove of the seat.

The valve commences to open under the action of an internal pressure corresponding to ³⁄₁₀ inch water column. In order to fix it to the balloon, it is placed in the interior of the appendage, the margin of which, held between two rubber bands, is kept tight against the seat by an external belt or ring of brass, fastened by bolts.

“Rending Flap.”—The rending flap is 4½ yards high, and has a surface of 4⁷⁄₁₀ square yards. It is formed of threefold Pongee silk, and is rectangular in shape, terminating in a curvilinear triangle, the point of which is turned upwards. Its vertical axis is at an angular distance of 105 degrees from each of the two manipulating valves; the lower base, which is 35⅖ inches wide, reaches down to 19⅗ inches above the equator. The seams joining the material of the “rending flap” to that of the balloon are similar to the seams of the various widths, and are likewise covered with cemented strips.

In the interior of the balloon the upper extremity of the “rending flap” is of fourfold silk; its edge is put round a stick of hard wood, to which a rope for pulling is fixed, by means of which the rent is made. This rope descends to the car after having passed through the lower part of the envelope, near the appendage, in a tube.

In order to make the rent with ease, which will require an effort equal to a traction of about 220 or 250 pounds, Andrée intends to use a small grapnel, which he will attach to the end of this rope and throw to the ground at the proper moment.

THE BALLOON IN THE 96 FEET GALLERY OF THE CHAMP DE MARS EXHIBITION.

Thereupon the balloon will be emptied very rapidly, and all dragging along the ground will be avoided, however violent the wind may be.

Of course Andrée will not make use of the “rending flap” until he is travelling over hospitable regions and wishes to terminate his aerial voyage and alight definitely.

Bands for Protection against water.— Sundry Details.—Above the appendage, at the parallels measuring 16 feet 4 inches and 22 feet 11 inches respectively in diameter, there are fixed, by one of their edges, two vertical circular bands nearly 4 inches high.

These bands are of single silk; their purpose is to form gutters for carrying off any water which might run down the material of the balloon, and thus protect the car in which the observers are stationed from rain. In the interior of the appendage there is another band, differently placed, forming a circular trough, intended to receive any water that might result from a strong condensation of the gases contained in the balloon, and thus prevent any accumulation of such water over the automatic valve. Between the external band, of 16 feet 4 inches in diameter, and the appendage, and facing the tube through which the rending cord passes, the inflating nozzle, which is 19 feet 8 inches long, is fixed.

The two cords which control each of the manipulating valves are worked by pulling: one, being that which opens the valve, is painted blue; the other, which closes it, retains the natural colour of the hemp.

The cord acting upon the rending flap is coloured red.

Along a meridian traced on the envelope coloured marks are made, with figures indicating every 546 yards of cubic contents of the segment above each mark. This will admit of the progress of inflation at Spitzbergen being rapidly ascertained.

On two other meridians, suitably situated, are shown the positions for the straps to support the sails with which the polar balloon is to be provided.

The Car.—In the construction of the car, the use of iron or steel was prohibited, so as to avoid interfering with the action of the magnetic instruments. Its form is cylindrical, measuring two metres in diameter, from centre to centre of its sides, which are of cane basket-work mounted on a framework of chestnut-wood; eight handles of wicker-work are attached to the cylindrical part, at a convenient height, to facilitate the transport.

The bottom is strengthened by wooden crossbeams placed externally and fastened to the basket-work by bolts and brass plates put on the inside.

The cylindrical part is truncated on one side, having a plane surface which is to form part of an inclined plane intersecting the lower floor of the car, and extending from this floor to midway up the cylinder, the length of the chord formed by the plane intersecting the base being 51 inches.

When the balloon touches the ground, rolling of the car will be avoided by this flat surface, which will rest and drag on the ground. Internally, the upper margin of the side is fitted all round with about 100 cords terminating in buckles or eyes. To these cords, which are passed through the basket-work, instruments and various objects are to be attached. The roof of the car is a disc or cover, likewise of basket-work, slightly convex in order to prevent any accumulation of water. The margin of the periphery of this cover forms a cavity into which the margin of the car is inserted, thus preserving its peculiar shape. Cross-pieces of wood fixed inside the cover or roof impart to it the necessary rigidity to support the observers; entrance to the car and exit therefrom is effected by means of a trap-door which moves on hinges.

Above the flattened part, the cylindrical side of the car is fitted with two square windows with glass panes of 5¾ inches side; the bottom of the car has two square openings of 7⅘ inches side, closed by wooden trap-doors.

The car is covered with tarpaulin having openings corresponding to those in the basket-work.

The tarpaulin of the roof forms a vertical rim 3⁹⁄₁₀ inches in width, perforated with holes for draining off rain-water. The car is suspended by six hemp ropes 1¹⁄₁₀ inch thick. Their respective strength is from 17,636 lbs. to 19,841 lbs. They are interwoven with the basket-work, and joined together at the bottom of the car by a hexagon of rope.

START OF THE VIRGO FROM GOTHENBURG, 7TH OF JUNE, 1896.

Above the roof they are joined to each other by five horizontal ropes placed at equal distances and forming a kind of balustrade 3 feet 3 inches high, which was to be covered in later on either with tarpaulin or some other enclosing material.

The thickness of these horizontal ropes is ⅕ inch, except the uppermost rope, which is ³⁄₁₀ inch thick.

About 6 feet 6 inches above the roof, the hexagon formed by the six ropes is drawn together by a hexagon of rope-work measuring 3 feet 3 inches inside diameter.

The upper end of the suspending ropes terminates in an eye or loop joining it to the ropes of the load ring.

On the circumference of the upper edge of the car six brass balls are fastened, at equal distances from each other, forming the lower part of a system of ball links which are to carry a structure intended to support the scientific instruments. This structure was made at Stockholm under the supervision of Andrée.

The fitting up and equipment of the car was also carried out under his supervision.

The aeronauts will generally be on the flooring of the roof, for the purpose of observations. The interior of the car forms their sleeping apartment, where they will each rest in turn.

Marks of the Expedition.—All the articles comprising the aerostatic equipment are marked with the words “Andrée’s Polar Expedition 1896,” which are branded upon wooden articles, engraved on metal articles, and painted with a durable paint on the protecting cover, the envelope, the tarpaulin of the car, and the ballast bags.

Some ropes of the net and the suspending rope are fitted with small plates strongly fixed to them, on which the above mark is engraved.

The articles not affording sufficient space for the whole mark bear the abridged mark “Aée’s Exp 1896.”

The following articles were made at Stockholm; viz., the “load ring” connecting the balloon with the car, the provision basket, the guide-ropes, sails, etc., as well as the plant for making pure hydrogen gas, a description of which will be found later on. Only the gas conducting pipes, which are of silk, and the ballast bags, were manufactured at Paris, being supplied from the Vaugirard factory.

Exhibition of the Equipment and Plant at the Champ de Mars (Old Buildings of the 1889 Exhibition).—The order for the articles described above was given by Andrée to M. H. Lachambre at the end of December, 1895, and delivery was to be effected between the 15th and 20th of May, 1896, failing which the contractor made himself liable to an enormous progressive fine, in proportion to the number of days of delay, and if delivery was not made before the 3rd of June the order could be cancelled. But the work was executed within the stipulated time, and towards the end of April the whole plant was conveyed to the Champ de Mars, into the 30 m. gallery, in order to be examined there by the Commission.

According to a clause of the agreement the envelope was to be inflated with air, and before the last varnishing to be submitted to an internal pressure equal to 3 inches water-column.

This trial took place on the 3rd of May, in the presence of Messrs. de Nordenfeld, engineer of the Nordenfeld Company, Gaston Tissandier, Colonel Renard and Commander Renard, managers of the Central Establishment of Military Aerostation of Chalais-Meudon. The openings of the balloon were provisionally closed; the valve in the appendage was replaced by a wooden hoop covered by a disc of material containing a glazed window, 7⅘ inches in diameter, thus permitting inspection of the interior of the balloon. The latter was inflated by means of a ventilator supplying about 70,633 cubic feet of air per hour.

Andrée’s experts, who had followed up the manufacture step by step, then examined minutely all the parts, and declared the material to be faultless, and quite in accordance with the desires expressed by Andrée.

After this examination, which showed that the envelope inflated with air did not lose its contents to any appreciable extent, the balloon was emptied, and was then given the last coat of varnish. This having been done, it was again inflated for the purpose of drying.

The net suspended by the crown, in the centre of the central dome, and with the suspending ropes attached to the balustrade of the first gallery, presented the appearance of a vast tent, the summit of which was 131 to 164 feet above the ground.

STAFF-OFFICERS OF THE EXPEDITION.

The car, the valves, and in short all the articles made at Paris were exhibited at the Champ de Mars. A little balloon of 1,148 feet, fully equipped, and inflated with air, suspended by the side of the polar balloon, served for comparison. This exhibition, which was not arranged with a view to profit, was thrown open to the public from the 10th to the 14th of May.

The 10th of May was reserved for special guests, and M. Félix Faure, President of the French Republic, was the first visitor. He took much interest in the various parts of the balloon, which he examined at length, and in the details of its construction. He expressed his best wishes for the success of this interesting expedition.

There were present at the same time as the President, M. de Nordenfeld, Swedish engineer, M. Gaston Tissandier, Colonel Renard, and Commander Renard, who had also watched the work in its various stages, and had co-operated therein to a certain extent.

The Swedish colony was represented by M. Dué, minister plenipotentiary, and Gustav Nordling, vice-consul.

Among the other guests were Messrs. Poubelle, Prefect de la Seine, Admiral Sallandrouze de Larmornaix, General Mathieu, M. Decauville, senator, M. Coulet, solicitor to the Swedish Legation, etc.

During the next four days over 30,000 persons came to see the North Pole balloon, and expressed their good wishes for the success of the three bold Swedish explorers whose courage is universally admired.

A. M.

FIRST PART
TWO MONTHS AT SPITZBERGEN

I
The Departure

I left Paris on the night of the 2nd of June, 1896, to accompany Andrée and his companions to Spitzbergen, as had been arranged. My mind was much taken up with speculations as to the ultimate fate of the expedition, and the responsibility I had undertaken weighed rather heavily upon me.

Without stopping at the various stages of my journey, Cologne, Hamburg, and Copenhagen, though all of them very interesting towns, I arrived at Gothenburg, where I was received by Captain Andrée, brother of the explorer; and although much fatigued by forty hours’ railway and boat travelling, my first visit was to the good ship Virgo, which was to be my home for several months, and convey me towards the northern regions.

Andrée, who left nothing to chance, had chosen his vessel well, and his brother superintended her loading and equipment.

When I arrived work was proceeding with feverish activity, and it is almost impossible to conceive the quantity of goods which were stowed away in this small vessel of 300 tons. I was present at the embarkation of the barrows of sulphuric acid which had been brought from England.

We have a select crew, composed almost entirely of engineering students from the technical school of Stockholm, and officers who have taken berths as ordinary sailors in order to follow the expedition; one can see that there will be no more lack of brave and generous hearts than of scientific heads.

On the morning of the 5th of June, the three explorers arrived from Stockholm. At night a grand fête brought us together at Baron Dickson’s, one of the generous promoters of the enterprise.

Saturday evening, 6th of June.—Popular fête at Lorensburg Park; numerous speeches and enthusiastic toasts; reading of telegrams and kind wishes for the success of the expedition. The tables are adorned with magnificent bouquets of natural flowers enclosed in pyramids of ice. The effect is most picturesque, and this is certainly an idea which has never yet suggested itself, as far as I know, to the minds of the managers of our great culinary establishments; I now give them the benefit thereof. What can be more attractive than the picture of flowers and chandelier-lights reflected in these miniature icebergs?

Sunday, June 7th.—I arrived at the port at 8 a.m. The Virgo has been dressed in her gala bunting; her masts are resplendent with many-hued streamers. At the stern proudly floats the splendid silk flag presented by the ladies of Gothenburg. The deck is adorned with flowers and ribbons; I am touched at the sight of my national colours.

All the vessels in port are dressed with bunting, and crammed with spectators. An army of photographers, who all have their cameras pointed at the Virgo, are preparing to immortalize the vessel as she now appears.

The launches and all the boats, large and small, are making the Virgo their rendezvous. The rest of the population is on the quays and the neighbouring buildings.

M. Vieillard, a friend, who came to accompany me, left me at nine o’clock; we arranged to meet at Spitzbergen.

I saluted Baron Dickson, his daughter and his niece, who were on the quay. His son came to the Virgo to shake hands, and wish me a good voyage.

The three explorers also arrived with their friends crowding round them. The partings were very touching, and the emotion, in which all present shared, reached its height when precisely at ten o’clock the signal for starting was sounded.

The Virgo is slowly moving.

The enthusiasm becomes indescribable. An immense hurrah, four times repeated, is volleyed from every panting breast. Handkerchiefs and hats are waved frantically, the cheers burst forth with redoubled vigour. Andrée, Ekholm, and Strindberg, appear at the bulwarks with their bouquets and their ribbons: they signal their adieux and acknowledge ours.

THE FIRST FLOATING ICEBERGS.

Then we, too, have our share in this grand and most impressive manifestation.

The flag of the Virgo dips by way of salute, and then rises again, and at this moment the cortége of vessels and boats forms up around our vessel, which has progressed a little towards the open sea.

Something like a hundred boats follow in our wake. On several of them bands are playing, and a regular procession commences. Those who have no boats follow along the quays; it is a veritable tide of human beings.

A few inevitable collisions occurred between some of the impetuous small craft, but most happily no serious accident is to be regretted.

The sun is shining gloriously; the sky, too, has put on its festive garb, and seems desirous of encouraging the bold explorers leaving for the conquest of the North Pole.

We are now out in the open sea.

At one o’clock we are assembled on the quarter-deck, and the introductions commence:—

Herr Andrée, former pupil of the higher technical school of Stockholm, Director of the Patent Office, and commander of the expedition;

Herr Ekholm, doctor of natural philosophy, chief of the Meteorological Office of Stockholm;

Herr Strindberg, former student of Upsala University, second master at the Free University of Stockholm;

Herr Svante Arrhénius, hydrographer, chief of the Stockholm University, professor of natural philosophy;

Herr Grumberg, naturalist, master at the Stockholm University, higher school;

Dr. Carl Ekelund, physician to the expedition;

Captain Hugo Zachau, commander of the Virgo, which ordinarily plies between Gothenburg and Hull.

Nor must we forget the stewardess Charlotte, a complaisant Swede, wearing a coquettish little white toque, of the comic-opera style, trimmed with a pretty ribbon bearing the badge of the expedition. This charming person made me three pretty curtsies, and an acquaintance was soon formed between us. It is she who will wait on us at table. She seems much at her ease on board the Virgo, and she has better sea-legs than I have. She has made a napkin ring with ribbons for each of us; mine bears the French colours. She is, moreover, very amusing. There is also the cook, who excels in the preparation of omelettes aux anchois—but I must not anticipate.

After the introductions we taste the brandy and whisky; we drink toasts for the success of the polar expedition; then several speeches are made. At three o’clock we assemble for dinner in the dining saloon. The captain does the honours at the table; he is a jolly amphitryon, and robust both physically and morally. The meal passed off very gaily.

I was seated near Strindberg and Professor Arrhénius, with whom I can speak in my own language, and also learn a few words of Swedish. This, in fact, is simply by way of retaliation, as I have been appointed “professor of the French language” by acclamation.

We take our coffee on deck, smoking delicious Havannahs presented to the expedition. Gently cradled by the waves, I abandon myself to revery. How many things I have seen since my departure, and how far away from home I am already! Nevertheless, I have only reached the first stage, and much excitement is still in store for me.

I have taken possession of my cabin, which adjoins the kitchen and dining saloon, and am settling down there as comfortably as possible, but not without difficulty, as the place allotted to me is very small.

At eight o’clock the dinner bell once more unites us round the table, and the evening is spent in frankest cordiality. The voyage commences very promisingly.

II
Out at Sea

June 8th, 1896, 10.30.—We have been under way for twenty-four hours; we are in sight of Norway, off the Forsund, at a distance of nine miles from the coast, but the mist prevents us from seeing very far. The fir-clad mountains are vaguely outlined to our right, and the Virgo is heading due north-west. There is nothing for us to do but take life as it comes. I commence my diary in my cabin. The sea, though a little rough, has not yet troubled me. Andrée alone has already paid his tribute.

Tuesday, June 9th, Coasts of Norway.—Sea rough, general discomfort, moral prostration; I am unable to write. The Virgo rolls heavily. At the present moment, 6 p.m., it is as light as at midday.

Wednesday, June 10th, 6.30.—The temperature has gone down considerably; we have crossed the polar circle. A steamer has kept company with us this morning at a distance of 7½ miles on our port side. Sea rough.

Thursday, June 11th, 10 a.m.—In sight of the Loffoden Islands; sky overcast; some few rays of the sun; sea smoother; the vessel still rolls.

Friday, June 12th, 9.30.—At last we are in the straits which lead to Tromsö. I was so ill to-night that I should have thrown myself into the sea had I forgotten, for one moment, my duty and my family.

DANES ISLAND AND THE PIKE HOUSE.

At 11 p.m. I sent for the doctor; it seemed to me that I was going to die all alone in my narrow cabin. He ordered me champagne and sleep. Charlotte, the stewardess, brought me some oranges, and took off my boots, which I had not had the courage to take off for four days. Oh, Charlotte, my fair Scandinavian maid, with your clear eyes, your engaging smile, your gay face, and your lithe but robust physique, how you must have pitied “the French gentleman,” as they called me, who but the other day was so nimble, so sure of himself to all appearance, and who has suddenly become more inert and helpless than an old cap that has been cast away by the skipper!

And in spite of the horrible tortures I suffered, I was vaguely conscious of the strange humour of the situation of having my boots removed by dainty female hands better adapted for millinery than for such a rough task.

Have you ever been sea-sick? If you have, you will understand me. How well I then understood what is narrated of Cicero, who, having taken refuge on board a vessel in order to escape the assassin sent out for him by Marc-Antony, preferred returning to Gaeta, to face the death which he feared, to enduring any longer the tortures of sea-sickness.

The bay bristles with high granite mountains with snow-capped summits. The Virgo makes signals for a pilot, who is a long time coming; she stops from five o’clock to nine awaiting him, and strange to say, when the noise of the engine ceases we have a feeling of sadness. It is as if something was wanting from our lives.

At last, at half-past nine the much-wished-for pilot arrives, and the Virgo resumes her route towards Tromsö, the promised land.

We are now floating on a lake whose banks are clad with verdure. I behold with some amount of pleasure the objects surrounding me.

What a contrast! On the right a group of well-built, brick pilots’ houses, on the mountain slope, facing the sea. Heavy cumuli cover the summits of the rocks; above, the sky is of a pure blue, and the bright sun pours floods of golden light over the landscape.

On the left there is a church standing all alone, the rendezvous of the fishermen who inhabit the coast in summer.

The sailors are getting ready the boat which is to set us ashore, as there is no quay at Tromsö, and the Virgo will remain at anchor in the roads.

The bay is getting narrower and villages succeed each other, with telegraph lines on both banks. Numerous Norwegian fishing boats are ploughing the sea. The air is pure and dry.

The Virgo glides majestically over the waves like a large bird. The landscape becomes animated and really fairy-like.

At eleven o’clock we sight Tromsö with its steeple, its wooden houses and villas rising in tiers one above the other on the slope of a very fertile mountain. The pilot is still steering the Virgo. Objects appear larger and more distinct; there is the harbour, with its vessels at anchor.

At ten minutes past one we arrive opposite Tromsö. We drop anchor at about five furlongs from the shore. As I have already mentioned, there is no landing stage. We are already surrounded by several boats. There is M. Aagaard, the consul, coming to welcome us. Then the telegraph messenger appears, to hand Andrée a package of telegrams. Lastly there are the friends of the explorers, and the members of the Geological Commission, who are going to travel with us as far as the Ice-Fjord.

We take a seat in a boat which puts us ashore in a few minutes.

June 14th.—We left Tromsö at 1 a.m. in splendid weather. The farewells of the inhabitants, who came flocking in crowds to cheer us, were very touching, and the Virgo resumed her course towards the north.

The sun was shining so brilliantly, as I have said, that I could scarcely realize whether it was midday or midnight.

Although less solemn than at Gothenburg, our departure was very imposing. The whole town was assembled on the quays, and all the boats of the port were formed in line to do us homage. There were tourists in steam-launches and fishing boats. In short, the whole populace of Tromsö had made a point of being there to wish us God-speed.

In the boats there were many well-dressed ladies; in one boat, in particular, there were five females frantically waving their handkerchiefs to the sailors.

Then Tromsö receded into the background, and will soon be nothing to us but a memory, a vision looked back to with regret.

Sunday passed without any incident. On Monday night we fell in with the first icebergs, and progress became more difficult.

DANSK-GATT.

June 16th, noon.—Since the morning we have been running along the coast of Spitzbergen, my future home, the place of my temporary exile. The progress of the boat is slow and perilous, in the midst of floating ice-blocks, which threaten to crush us at every moment. It requires all the experience of the captain and all the vigilance of the man at the wheel to avoid a catastrophe.

The ice pilot is on the look-out in the rigging, and indicates by signal the open channels.

We have seen a large number of birds, whales throwing up an immense stream of water, seals, etc. Three of these animals were disporting themselves on an ice-floe within gunshot. They were at once saluted by a discharge of guns, which did not hit them.

A variety of birds, very common in these regions, among them the auk, or fulmar (a kind of wild duck), which dives immediately it is pursued. This is, moreover, the way in which these birds seek their food, like all birds of the polar regions, for they live on fish. The steward of the vessel has just killed two with one shot. These birds have a very clumsy flight, their tail is very short, and it is only with the aid of their web feet that they steer themselves.

Yesterday, while passing near the Isle of Beeren-Eiland, which was hidden from our view by the fog, we saw myriads of birds of all kinds, among others a large number of sea-gulls.

This morning the thermometer stood at 2° above zero (Centigrade), 35·6 Fahr.

There was hoar-frost all along the rigging, and the sailors on the watch above cannot be overwarm.

We met a Norwegian sailing boat which was hunting walrusses, and had been cruising for several days in sight of Spitzbergen; they gave us some useful hints as to the state of the ice. Every now and then a sailor took soundings; the depth was from 15 to 20 fathoms.

The Virgo has just stopped her engines; the officers are holding a council. We are at the 76th degree of latitude, and we have not much further to go in order to reach Ice-Fjord, where we shall put in first before proceeding to Norsk-Oarna.

To the right the mountains covered with eternal snow; in front of us an impassable ice-field. There is an open passage near the coast, but the captain does not know the depth of water there. He is examining his charts. We shall have to wait. However, I fear a delay which will not suit Andrée.

III
The Installation

Wednesday, June 17th, in lat. 77° N.—After having vainly sought a passage during the whole of yesterday, the captain considered it wise to take refuge in the Horn-Sund Bay, a small natural port to the south-east of Spitzbergen, where he cast anchor this morning at four o’clock.

Here we are secure from all danger, and shall patiently wait till the sea is open, which will not be long.

Our little harbour is a marvel of creation; a ring of mountains covered with snow, the summits of which were this morning veiled in mist. Immense glaciers, from which portions detach themselves with a fearful crash, animate this white landscape, while at the same time they inspire us with a feeling of vague dread. Gigantic icebergs, resembling in their shape and bluish colour immense crystals of copperas, are drifting about in the middle of the bay—a veritable oasis, where the temperature is very mild, notwithstanding the snow which covers the ground almost entirely.

The sun is very hot, casting a golden reflection over the whole of this charming picture, which the birds enhance by their glad song, as if to testify to their joy and love of life.

At 9 a.m. we set foot on terra firma with undisguised satisfaction. Andrée, Ekholm, and Strindberg go ashore equipped with their instruments. They fix our bearings and determine the magnetic declination.

In fact, they have been working incessantly since we went to sea. They are true men of science, in love with their work, learned, yet making no show of their knowledge. The geologists have found a vast field for their researches, and the botanists have been able to collect at their ease. However, while the fauna is varied enough, the flora is very scanty, being confined to a few lichens, with mosses of a pretty green colour, cochlearias, and dwarf saxifrages, the tiny violet flowers of which are charming to behold.

Some climbed the mountains and descended the slopes on ski, the beloved snow-shoes of the Scandinavian. Others went hunting with the arms presented by Swedish armourers to the Polar Expedition. As for myself, I was content to admire this imposing nature, and tried to utilise my modest talents as an amateur photographer, in order to perpetuate on negatives the splendid picture in which the Virgo was set, now appearing reduced to Liliputian proportions.

Our general quarters were established on the ruins of an encampment which had belonged to a party of Siberian hunters who spent the whole of last year on this spot.

There are many fragments of driftwood cast ashore by the waves, and numerous bones; a sailor picked up an enormous vertebra of a whale, and the doctor extracted a molar from the jaw of a bear (the bear was no longer there to protest).

The pilot went to explore the sea from the top of the mountains. No change this morning in the state of the ice.

We reassembled on the Virgo for lunch at two o’clock. Andrée went in the ship’s boat to shoot seals, but without hitting any. After lunch we returned to the shore, and each of us occupied himself according to his taste. The sky cleared up, and a very cold and cutting east wind arose. The boat was tossed about a good deal as we returned, and the current drove before it all the pieces of ice floating in the bay. At 11.30 p.m., at the moment when I am writing these lines, a sun-ray is falling through my porthole, and the wind is whistling with some violence.

Saturday, June 20th, 4 a.m.—Pleasant awakening at the mouth of the Bay of Ice-Fjord, opposite the Raftsund, which has been at anchor since last night.

Weather dull, a fine cold rain. A boat comes towards us, bringing a correspondent of the paper Aftonbladet, of Stockholm, who is to accompany us to Norsk-Oarna.

ARRIVAL OF A GENERATOR.

A small boat brings my friend Vieillard, who is the bearer of despatches for me. We spend two hours together, and my joy is great at seeing him again, and at last hearing news from my family. Then the moment of parting comes. M. Vieillard rejoins his vessel in order to return to France; he takes with him my letters and despatches. I take several negatives of the Raftsund, a splendid boat; and the Virgo then continues her course towards the north, after having exchanged the customary salutes.

The sea is free from ice, and the Virgo is now going ahead full speed.

Sunday, 21st.—Towards 2 a.m. we arrive in sight of the Norsk-Oarna Islands, the place intended for the erection of the shed and the future centre of our operations.

During the morning we take a reconnoitring trip by boat round the islands in order to find a favourable place, accessible to our vessel, the unloading of which will be very difficult in the absence of a landing quay and all the plant usually available in any port.

The charts which we possess of this region are very inaccurate. Andrée takes a survey of several points of the coast. The huntsmen in the boat bagged about ten eider-geese. We gave up the idea of establishing ourselves here, and in the afternoon we reached the Isle of Amsterdam, 7½ miles to the south-west.