the dominion of the air-第43部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


eighties。

Some　ten　years　later　than　this　M。　S。　A。　Andree；　having　obtained　sufficient　assistance；　took　up　the　idea　with　the　determined　intention　of　pushing　it　to　a　practical　issue。　　He　had　already　won　his　spurs　as　an　aeronaut；　as　may　be　briefly　told。　　In　October；　1893；　when　making　an　ascent　for　scientific　purposes；　his　balloon　got　carried　out　over　the　Baltic。　　It　may　have　been　the　strength　of　the　wind　that　had　taken　him　by　surprise；　but；　there　being　now　no　remedy；　it　was　clearly　the　speed　and　persistence　of　the　wind　that　alone　could　save　him。　　If　a　chance　vessel　could　not；　or　would　not；　〃stand　by；〃　he　must　make　the　coast　of　Finland　or　fall　in　the　sea；　and　several　times　the　fall　in　the　sea　seemed　imminent　as　his　balloon　commenced　dropping。　　This　threatened　danger　induced　him　to　cast　away　his　anchor；　after　which　the　verge　of　the　Finland　shore　was　nearly　reached；　when　a　change　of　wind　began　to　carry　him　along　the　rocky　coast；　just　as　night　was　setting　in。

Recognising　his　extreme　danger；　Andree　stood　on　the　edge　of　the　car；　with　a　bag　of　ballast　ready　for　emergencies。　　He　actually　passed　over　an　island；　on　which　was　a　building　with　a　light；　but　failed　to　effect　a　landing；　and　so　fell　in　the　sea　on　the　farther　side；　but；　the　balloon　presently　righting　itself；　Andree；　now　greatly　exhausted；　made　his　last　effort；　and　as　he　rose　over　the　next　cliff　jumped　for　his　life。　　It　was　past　7　p。m。　when　he　found　himself　once　again　on　firm　ground；　but　with　a　sprained　leg　and　with　no　one　within　call。　　Seeking　what　shelter　he　could；　he　lived　out　the　long　night；　and；　being　now　scarce　able　to　stand；　took　off　his　clothes　and　waved　them　for　a　signal。　　This　signal　was　not　seen；　yet　shortly　a　boat　put　off　from　an　islandthe　same　that　he　had　passed　the　evening　before…　…and　rowed　towards　him。　　The　boatman　overnight　had　seen　a　strange　sail　sweeping　over　land　and　sea；　and　he　had　come　in　quest　of　it；　bringing　timely　succour　to　the　castaway。

Briefly　stated；　Andree's　grand　scheme　was　to　convey　a　suitable　balloon；　with　means　for　inflating　it；　as　also　all　necessary　equipment；　as　far　towards　the　Pole　as　a　ship　could　proceed；　and　thence；　waiting　for　a　favourable　wind；　to　sail　by　sky　until　the　region　of　the　Pole　should　be　crossed；　and　some　inhabited　country　reached　beyond。　　The　balloon　was　to　be　kept　near　the　earth；　and　steered；　as　far　as　this　might　be　practicable；　by　means　of　a　trail　rope。　　The　balloon；　which　had　a　capacity　of　nearly　162；000　cubic　feet；　was　made　in　Paris；　and　was　provided　with　a　rudder　sail　and　an　arrangement　whereby　the　hang　of　the　trail　rope　could　be　readily　shifted　to　different　positions　on　the　ring。　　Further；　to　obviate　unnecessary　diffusion　and　loss　of　gas　at　the　mouth；　the　balloon　was　fitted　with　a　lower　valve；　which　would　only　open　at　a　moderate　pressure；　namely；　that　of　four　inches　of　water。

All　preparations　were　completed　by　the　summer　of　1896；　and　on　June　7th　the　party　embarked　at　Gothenburg　with　all　necessaries　on　board；　arriving　at　Spitzbergen　on　June　21st。　　Andree；　who　was　to　be　accompanied　on　his　aerial　voyage　by　two　companions；　M。　Nils　Strindberg　and　Dr。　　Ekholm；　spent　some　time　in　selecting　a　spot　that　would　seem　suitable　for　their　momentous　start；　and　this　was　finally　found　on　Dane's　Island；　where　their　cargo　was　accordingly　landed。

The　first　operation　was　the　erection　of　a　wooden　shed；　the　materials　for　which　they　had　brought　with　them；　as　a　protection　from　the　wind。　　It　was　a　work　which　entailed　some　loss　of　time；　after　which　the　gas　apparatus　had　to　be　got　into　order；　so　that；　in　spite　of　all　efforts；　it　was　the　27th　of　July　before　the　balloon　was　inflated　and　in　readiness。

A　member　of　an　advance　party　of　an　eclipse　　expedition　arriving　in　Spitzbergen　at　this　period；　and　paying　a　visit　to　Andree　for　the　purpose　of　taking　him　letters；　wrote：〃　We　watched　him　deal　out　the　letters　to　his　men。　　They　are　all　volunteers　and　include　seven　sea　captains；　a　lawyer；　and　other　people　some　forty　in　all。　　Andree　chaffed　each　man　to　whom　he　gave　a　letter；　and　all　were　as　merry　as　crickets　over　the　business。。。。　　We　spent　our　time　in　watching　preparations。　　The　vaseline　（for　soaking　the　guide　ropes）　caught　fire　to…day；　but；　luckily　no　rope　was　in　the　pot。〃

But　the　wind　as　yet　was　contrary；　and　day　after　day　passed　without　any　shift　to　a　favourable　quarter；　until　the　captain　of　the　ship　which　had　conveyed　them　was　compelled　to　bring　matters　to　an　issue　by　saying　that　they　must　return　home　without　delay　if　he　was　to　avoid　getting　frozen　in　for　the　winter。　　The　balloon　had　now　remained　inflated　for　twenty…one　days；　and　Dr。　　Ekholm；　calculating　that　the　leakage　of　gas　amounted　to　nearly　1　per　cent。　per　day；　became　distrustful　of　the　capability　of　such　a　vessel　to　cope　with　such　a　voyage　as　had　been　aimed　at。　　The　party　had　now　no　choice　but　to　return　home　with　their　balloon；　leaving；　however；　the　shed　and　gas…generating　apparatus　for　another　occasion。

This　occasion　came　the　following　summer；　when　the　dauntless　explorers　returned　to　their　task；　leaving　Gothenburg　on　May　28th；　1897；　in　a　vessel　lent　by　the　King　of　Sweden；　and　reaching　Dane's　Island　on　the　30th　of　the　same　month。　　Dr。　　Ekholm　had　retired　from　the　enterprise；　but　in　his　place　were　two　volunteers；　Messrs。　Frankel　and　Svedenborg；　the　latter　as　〃odd　man；〃　to　fill　the　place　of　any　of　the　other　three　who　might　be　prevented　from　making　the　final　venture。

It　was　found　that　the　shed　had　suffered　during　the　winter；　and　some　time　was　spent　in　making　the　repairs　and　needful　preparation；　so　that　the　month　of　June　was　half　over　before　all　was　in　readiness　for　the　inflation。　　This　operation　was　then　accomplished　in　four　days；　and　by　midnight　of　June　22nd　the　balloon　was　at　her　moorings；　full　and　in　readiness；　but；　as　in　the　previous　year；　the　wind　was　contrary；　and　remained　so　for　nearly　three　weeks。　　This；　of　course；　was　a　less　serious　matter；　inasmuch　as　the　voyagers　were　a　month　earlier　with　their　preparation；　but　so　long　a　delay　must　needs　have　told　prejudicially　against　the　buoyancy　of　the　balloon；　and　Andree　is　hardly　to　be　blamed　for　having；　in　the　end；　committed　himself　to　a　wind　that　was　not　wholly　favourable。

The　wind；　if　entirely　from　the　right　direction；　should　have　been　due　south；　but　on　July　11th　it　had　veered　to　a　direction　somewhat　west　of　south；　and　Andree；　tolerating　no　further　delay；　seized　this　as　his　best　opportunity；　and　with　a　wind　〃whistling　through　the　woodwork　of　the　shed　and　flapping　the　canvas；〃　accompanied　by　Frankel　and　Svedenborg；　started　on　his　ill…fated　voyage。

A　telegram　which　Andree　wrote　for　the　Press　at　that　epoch　ran　thus：〃　At　this　moment；　2。30　p。m。；　we　are　ready　to　start。　　We　shall　probably　be　driven　in　a　north…north…easterly　direction。〃

On　July　22nd　a　carrier　pigeon　was　recovered　by　the　fishing　boat　Alken　between　North　Cape；　Spitzbergen；　and　Seven　Islands；　bearing　a　message；　〃July　13th；　12。30　p。m。；　82　degrees　　2　minutes　north　lat。；　15　degrees　5　minutes　east　long。　　Good　journey　eastward。　　All　goes　well　on　board。　　Andree。〃

Not　till　August　31st　was　there　picked　up　in　the　Arctic　zone　a　buoy；　which　is　preserved　in　the　Museum　of　Stockholm。　　It　bears　the　message；　〃Buoy　No。　4。　　First　to　be　thrown　out。　　11th　July；　10　p。m。；　Greenwich　mean　time。　　All　well　up　till　now。　　We　are　pursuing　our　course　at　an　altitude　of　about　250　metres　Direction　at　first　northerly　10　degrees　east；　later；　northerly　45　degrees　east。　　Four　carrier　pigeons　were　despatched　at　5。40　p。m。　　They　flew　westwards。　　We　are　now　above　the　ice；　which　is　very　cut　up　in　all　directions。　　Weather　splendid。　　In　excellent　spirits。Andree；　Svedenborg；　Frankel。　　（Postscript　later　on。）　Above　the　clouds；　7。45；　Greenwich　mean　time。〃

According　to　Reuter；　the　Anthropological　and　Geological　Society　at　Stockholm　received　the　following　telegram　from　a　ship　owner　at　Mandal：〃Captain　Hueland；　of　the　steamship　Vaagen　who　arrived　there　on　Monday　morning；　reports　that　when　off　Kola　Fjord；　Iceland；　in　65　degrees　34　minutes　north　lat。；　21　degrees　28　minutes　west　long。；　on　May　14th　he　found　a　drifting　buoy；　marked　'No。　7。'　　Inside　the　buoy　was　a　capsule　marked　'Andree's　Polar　Expedition；'　containing　a　slip　of　paper；　on　which　was　given　the　following：　'Drifting　Buoy　No。　7。　　This　buoy　was　thrown　out　from　Andree's　balloon　on　July　11th　1897；　10。55　p。m。；　Greenwich　mean　time；　82　degrees　north　lat。；　25　degrees　east　lon。　　We　are　at　an　altitude　of　600　metres。　　All　well。Andree；　Svedenborg；　Frankel。'　〃

Commenting　on　the　first　message；　Mr。　Percival　Spencer　says：〃I　cannot　place　reliance　upon　the　accuracy　of　either　the　date　or　else　the　lat。　and　long。　given；　as　I　am　confident　that　the　balloon　would　have　travelled　a　greater　distance　in　two　days。〃　It　should　be　noted　that　Dane's　Island　lies　in　79　degrees　30　minutes　north　lat。　and　10　degrees　10　minutes　east　long。

Mr。　Spencer's　opinion；　carefully　considered　and　expressed　eighteen　months　afterwards；　will　be　read　with　real　interest：

〃The　distance　from　Dane's　Island　to　the　Pole　is　about　750　miles；　and　to　Alaska　on　the　other　side　about　1；500　miles。　　The　course　of　the　balloon；　however；　was　not　direct　to　the　Pole；　but　towards　Franz　Josef　Land　（about　600　miles）　and　to　the　Siberian　coast　（another　800　miles）。　　Judging　from　the　description　of　the　wind　at　the　start；　and　comparing　it　with　my　own　ballooning　experience；　I　estimate　its　speed　as　40　miles　per　hour；　and　it　will；　therefore；　be　evident　that　a　distance　of　2；000　miles　would　be　covered　in　50　hours；　that　is　two　days　and　two　hours　after　the　start。　　I　regard　all　theories　as　to　the　balloon　being　capable　of　remaining　in　the　air　for　a　month　as　illusory。　　No　free　balloon　has　ever　remained　aloft　for　more　than　36　hours；　but　with　the　favourable　conditions　at　the　northern　regions　（where　the　sun　does　not　set　and　where　the　temperature　remains　equable）　a　balloon　might　remain　in　the　air　for　double　the　length　of　time　which　I　consider　ample　for　the　purpose　of　Polar　exploration。〃

A　record　of　the　direction　of　the　wind　was　made　after　Andree's　departure；　and　proved　that　there　was　a　fluctuation　in　direction　from　S。W。　to　N。W。；　indicating　that　the　voyagers　may　have　been　borne　across　towards　Siberia。　　This；　however；　can　be　but　surmise。　　All　aeronauts　of　experience　know　that　it　is　an　exceedingly　difficult　manoeuvre　to　keep　a　trail　rope　dragging　on　the