By Balloon to the Pole.

Hastings Standard, Issue 422, 10 September 1897, Page 4

By Balloon to the Pole.

HERR ANDREE'S VOYAGE. INCIDENT OF THE CAPTURED PIGEON. The Berlin correspondent of the Daily News reproduces in full the despatch sent by the representative of the Lokal-Anzeiger at Dane's Island, Spitzbergen, describing the ascent of Herr Andree and his two companions on their adventurous balloon voyage to the North Pole :

" The morning of July 11 " (says the correspondent of the Lokal-Anzei-ger) " brought sunshine and blue sky. The rain-soaked things could now be dried. Moreover, a south wind was blowing, not softly, but right freshly, and it was a genuine south wind. From on board the Svenksund the crew at Divine service were chanting. I sat in silent devotion in my tent, and listened. Scarcely had the ship's bell struck eleven than I became aware of unwonted activity on board. While I was still pondering over the matter I observed several men at work on the upper portion of the front side of the balloon house. A moment later the planks were being thrown down, the beams sawn through, and screws and rivets loosened. Truly this must be in earnest. I hurried with all speed to the scene, and I learnt that Herr Andree intended forthwith to attempt the ascent. With almost painful expectation the men were putting forth most strenuous exertions. Andree himself presently appeared on the scaffolding above, and shouted his commands to the men through the medium of a speakingtrumpet. He and his companions were already clad in their travelling costumes—Andree and Strindberg jn a dark blue, Fraenkel in a gr3y suit, with collars of wolf's fur.

" In Peak House a pair of trial balloons were inflated and let loose, and the breeze carried them in precisely the desired direction. On the beach the crew were busy laying out the drag-ropes to prevent the possibility of their tangling. With a crash the loosened portion of the tower's front wall fell out. Inside the tower the greatest activity prevailed. In every corner stood men regulating the ropes by which the balloon was held. Everyone helped, even the commander of the gunboat. The ballast bags were hung in a narrow circle so that the balloon might rise. Then, when the north wall had been removed as far as the centre of the building, this circle was still further reduced. " At last the lashings were secured to the last bolt, and the balloon swung some two metres from the ground. I helped Strindberg to fix the pigeoncages above the car, where also the food supply is stored. The cook carefully stowed in a small barrel the dinner which would be the first to be eaten aloft. Fraenkel brought up a few "glasses o| beer for ipa mediate use.

The car was quickly put in order, superfluous ballast-bags were severed from their fastenings, several of them being placed in the car for'preliminary use. From the west side of tbe balloon waved the Swedish colors, and beside them a white silk flag adorned with a bine anchor, the happily conceived, and it may be hoped luck-bringing, gift of a lady. Immediate?!)' under the balloon was fastened diagonally a bamboo, to which sails like wings were attached on either side. By means of ropes the aeronauts ean manipulate these sails from the car. " Shortly before half-past two Andree was quite ready for the journey. Heartily shaking hands with those assembled in the balloon house and nodding to the astonished trappers who stood watching, he addressed warm, deeply-felt words of thanks to all those whose hands he could not reach owing to their inability to leave their posts. With sturdy handshakes Fraenkel and Strindberg also took their leave, Strindberg appeared to be deeply moved, and indeed the solemnity of the moment impressed all spectators. Then Andree called loud, 'Fraenkel! Strindberg!' Standing in the car, the three severed the thin ropes holding them, Andrea counting one, two, three. At three the last cord binding them to the floor of the tower fell away. Proudly and majestically the balloon rose, passing directly through the open northern portion of its former dwelling. Andree gazed with happy confidence on those who remained behind, and then, he and his comrades waving their cap 3, he cried out, ' Greetings at home to Sweden.' Those who had a photographing apparatus took yet another snapshot. " Running to the shore, we all saw the balloon floating some 180 ft over the water. A moment of intense followed, for the balloon was driving right on to a jutting prominence of rock on the oast side of Sweerenburg Sound, and threatened to collide with it. Suddenly, however, a gust of wind coming through the Sound from the south-east sent the air-vessel back to sea in a north-westerly direction, and struck it so strongly above that for some seconds the car was trailing along the water. At the same moment we discovered that the three drag ropes, from whose assistance Andree had hoped so much, lay quietly on the beach. The swivel fastening them to the ring must have been loosened at the moment of the ascent. But how that was possible will never be explained. As they had a reserve stock of ropes with them for ballast, the loss of the three ropes will not, however, be irreparable. Meanwhile, they had thrown out several ballastbags. A few minutes had passed only since the time, only 85 minutes after 2, at which the start was made, and the balloon was seen moving exactly as Andree had wished over the fiat peninsula Hollaendernaes towards the north. It is true that at the north end of Sweerenburg Sound a southwesterly air curront caught it again and apparently drove •it towards the craggy cliff of Vogelsang, but with shaded eyes we could perceive it sail a few yards above this danger point and proceed completely free at last once more directly north. It was precisely 3 o'clock when the balloon disappeared on the northern horizon."

A Reuter telegram from Stockholm, dated July 22, says " The journal which has close relations with Herr Andree, states this evening that the carrier pigeon caught near Stavanger could not have been despatched by the explorer, as it was arranged that his pigeons should be marked with the words, ' Andree Expedition, a.d., 1897.' " Berlin, July 23.—The Hamburgischer Correspondent states that on July 13 about 1000 carrier pigeons belonging to several pigeon-flying societies, were released at a point about 280 kilometres north-west of Heligoland. Each pigeon wore an aluminium ring with an indicative number or letter. For instance, the letter V signified a this year's bird, and the letter W one of last year's birds. It is believed, adds the journal, that the pigeon captured at Stavanger and believed to have been despatched by Herr Andree is one of the carriers in question.