THE PROPOSED ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 90, 15 April 1880, Page 1

THE PROPOSED ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Commander John P; Cheyne, R.N.* responded oh Jan. 24 to an invitation from the members of the Royal Artillery Institution; at Woolwich, to explain his scheme, r for the scientific, exploration and discovery of the North Pole, by means of a steamer, sledges, aid- balloons; He stated that Lord Derby and six members '' of Parliament had joined the central committee. The; hon. members are— Sir Charles Dilke, Mr J, H. Huleston, Mr William T. Charley, Mr William Gordon, Dr. , Cameron, and Colonel Alexander. It is proposed to hold a meeting at the Mansion House shortly, to •; be presided over by the Lord Mayor; to finally decide on the expedition. The plan, sketched is as follows : — If the estimated Cost—viz.,* £30,000— is forthcoming, the expedition will- start in \ June. Her Majesty's Government will be asked tb lend their steam store-ship Discovery for the purpose. It is also in contemplation that a shooting party in connection with Cook's tours will,; accompany the steamer to some of the ,<• Arctic bays; where there is sotaesplen- ; did shootings— wild ducks flying about there in flocks of sixty sit a; time, four or five flocks often passing every minute. ; Commander Cheyne' purposes iviutering the first year in as high a latitude as : possible. The sledges will start about March 30, 1881. When the sledges are baffled by obstacles, recourse will be had to balloons. These are expected to start about June next year^atjwhiph time the- sun will bei v shining Jin : the '-■ Arctic regions " day and night/ : .The; balloons will be inflated at starting by

passing steam throiighirott filings, and will be afterwards manipulated by means pf.a supply of .pure, condensed hydrogen. Three balloons will bo employed, each hayings a lifting power, of. fciio 1 $ tons. . The Wloon'pa^ty ."^iU^nwist qfi seven , persons^ ;'w.ith ! ,w;flter and provisions for "sfty r one: days ; : hjut it t is expected they i, will preach the iNpr.th^oie.in frqm thirty ; io: forty hours, af^ril^yingi the sledges. 'The 'e^ipring'part^.wiil jemaiin; at the -North I^qle about "a:sjtekV-fpr 5 ; scientific qbsQryati6n,, f and will despatch a balloon,, tp.^Rus^^ for the purpose .^qf tele- : graphing the^iiews^ to j^ngland. The .: iritelligence^it is;thpught, 4ma rbp conyqyed from r! the ■ North, r Pole,,>^ia St. Kete^shurg^ "tp ?1 London, L vrithiri{ three (days. :_., The v. Arctic.. regiqns,,>*will be photographed from thejballqqnt every , hour, the distance to be , traversed by the balloon being estimated at 500 miles. Mr; Coxweil: is , to explain, the .balloon arrangements at the next meeting. The proposal to pay out a small telegraphic wire from the baloon in transitu? 30 as to join the ship with the North Pole, has been, abandoned. It was stated that the Duke of Cambridge had consented to allow military officers to act on Arctic committees, and, at the conclusion of the address, it was arranged that a committe — forming the sixtieth of the local committees throughout the country — should be formed,