REMARKABLE PROPOSALS FOR REACHING THE POLE.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 134, 2 July 1880, Page 2 (Supplement)

REMARKABLE PROPOSALS FOR REACHING THE POLE.

A committee is actively engaged in collecting funds for another Arctic Expedition, the spring of next year being fixed upon for the start. The new expedition is to be of a private character, in the sense that it will be independent of the control of the Admirality, from, whom the loan of a ship is to bo the assistance asked ; and it is to be commanded by Retired Commander

Cheyne, R. N., who has seen A retie service under Captain. Sir James Ross, in Her Majesty’s ship Enterprise, in tho • expedition of 1848-40 in search of Sir John Franklin. Pitts total cost of carrying, out his suggestions is estimated by Commander Cheyne at L'30,000. It is proposed that Canada should be associated with tills country in the conduct of the

enterprise, and the expedition is therefore to be known as the ‘ British-Canadian.’ A large number of local or sub-coinmittves have been formed to collect money in various places, especially' in seaport and other towns interested in niaritime.undertakings. Commander Cheyne proposed to employ balloons as auxiliaries at an early period of the expedition, and as conveyances to tile pole itself, if every other means of getting there should fail. Every effort would be made, in tiie first iustaiici, for the accomplishment of the exploring work by steamer and sledges only, the balloons being employed merely as

elevated stations from which to guide the : course of the expeditions by the survey of * adjacent land and water winch they would render possible. The scheme is to penetrate the unknown Poiar area by Queen’s Channel or Jones' Sound, if Smith's S mad should again present

insurmountable obstacles. Smiths Sound would first be examined by the aid of a rapid balloon ascent, and, if it were free, the ship’s fuel would be replenished from the' coal mine in discovery Bay, and a direct , advance would be undertaken. If Smith's Sound were blocked the ship wo.uid be turned south, and would run up,into 7 and examine Jones’ Souiul .. in ..case

of an impediment m Belcher Channel another rapid ascent wou..iU...J>.e uiade_— in a single small baiioou to ascertain the state of the Bound generally, and e kif, "j Wellington and Queen’s Channels m particular. The most promising route would be instantly chosen, and'followed without delay 7, the steamer being driven to the highest attainable degree of '! latitude, and winter quarters selected, vi During the autumn and winter, depOts of 1 provisions would be laid out in a direction polewards as far as might be practicable ; the crew would be kept exercised for the ' preservation of health, and regular (j,. scientific observations would , be undertaken. On a line calm diy in March.a .... small balloon ascent would bo made in,,. , order to examine the roughness, smoothness of the ice t > the northwardym-i. for the determination of the sledge route a and about the 3rd April the sledge parties' 1" start upon their journeys. If these 11 parties, after all should be defeated, then 1 ■" only would the travelling ' balloons;' bo brought into requisition. Three‘obshrva-;j‘ f toms would have been constructed, , qiio . at the ship’s winter quarters , aud the , Others .30 miles to the northward ami the , southward respectively, , .connected, i.lto-,. Ji t gether by telegrams. In this way the course of the wind could ho .precisely b<■ ascertained, and the balloons would start b* at a time when this course would' take them directly to the Pole. Assuming the Pole to be reached, a return south would be made on the proper meridian, with a /,)' favourable wind, the balloons would bo., ~ arrested on the parallel of latitude of the. . ship’s winter quarters and the rest of ,thq ;i ; i journey, east or west, according to,.(lie; side of the ship upon which the, baiiopnsulJ had dropped, would be made by sledges;,me. The balloons would be tiiree in numberyiqol yoked together. They would- be inflated. 1 by pure hydrogen, partly carried from L--England compressed in reservoirs, partly 1 ‘ produced in what is called' a Woolwich generator, by blowing steam through.iron filings. In the event of any deficiency of gas for the return journey; one balloon ‘,Y\ might be abandoned, and its-'hydrogen used to complete the inflation of the rest. The cars would carry nine men, sledges,: > l. dogs, ami provisions for 51 days and fcney />.. would not start untii June. Such, in a bare < outline is Commander Cheyne’s project. ‘