REACHING THE NORTH POLE BY BALLOON.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2810, 2 May 1895, Page 3

REACHING THE NORTH POLE BY BALLOON.

Another attempt is to be made to reach the North Pole, this time by ballooning. Herr Andre, a Swedish aeronaut, has (writes the Age's London correspondent, under date 22nd February), explained his plans before the Stockholm Academy of Sciences, and has asked that the requisite funds, about £7OOO, should be provided. If this sum be granted,he expresses his confidence in being able to reach the North Pole from Spitzbergen in less than a month after starting. A similar proposal was made nearly 15 years ago by Commander Cheyne, but in addition to a balloon, the expedition was to be despatched in a whaler, and provided with the necessary boats, a steam launch, and provisions for three years. But the plan failed to meet the approval of the experienced Arctic navigators of the Royal Geographical Society. Mr Andre proposes to rely exclusively upon his balloon, which he hopes will sail nearly 600 miles due north, and then due south back again. The proposal is made in utter ignorance of what the meteorological conditions of the upper strata of the Polar regions really are, but it is most probale that they are quite as variable as the currents further south. And if we know nothing of the medium through which Harr Andre proposes to fly, we know just as little of the country over which he proposes to soar. It is doubtful whether any land exists, and if by any accident the balloon were compelled to descend on broken ice fields all the explorers would meet with a terrible death. The Swedish Academy have not so far expressed any opinion on the project, and there is no reason to believe that it will be favourable.