222 TWO BALLOONISTS WHO FAILED 



cover of cloth highly saturated with oil. The object of the double balloon is 

 that the air between the two balloons will guard against sudden changes of 

 temperature, and also prevent snow and water from gathering on the varnished 

 silk. From the oiled surface it will at once slide off, particularly when the bal- 

 loon sways from side to side. Instead of the usual ventilator on the top of the 

 balloon these are placed one on each side, as experience has shown that from 

 this ventilator the greatest loss of gas is made. To support the net a heavy 

 iron ring is placed under a wooden roof resembling what is known in polar 

 language as 'Nunatak.' Below the balloon is placed an automatic ventilator 

 opening at a pressure of lo mm. and permits the escape of superfluous gas. 



"A novelty is the broad girdle surrounding the balloon in its lower part. 

 This is for the purpose of guarding against wind pressure. When the lower 

 part of the balloon commences to be empty of gas, the wind makes a hollow in 

 the balloon and the girdle will prevent this. 



'The balloon has a diar^ter of 20.5 meters (one meter is 39.37 inches) 

 and has a volume of 4,500 cubic meters. The gondola is made of wicker, round 

 in form, covered with a roof with two sleeping-places, as there will always be 

 a man on watch. The mattresses will serve as life-preservers in case of ne- 

 cessity, and the gondola has a slanting form to facilitate sliding along the ice 

 if so near an approach to the earth is found necessary. The gondola is also 

 provided with a trapdoor to empty the water if the balloon should take a 'dip.' 

 "M. Andree has devised an ingenius contrivance for directing the balloon. 

 The efficacy of this device has been tested by a trip. It is composed of a rudder 

 sail secured to the apex of the balloon and to the car by a rope, so that it can 

 move freely, and a guide rope which can be adjusted to different positions for 

 180 degrees of the circumference of the ring which is secured to the car. 



"The guiding is assisted by means of this guide rope, which is allowed to 

 drag on the ground or in the water. The eyelets are intended to receive the 

 hook of this guide rope. When the hook is attached to the central eyelet the 

 balloon will move in the line of the wind, but by adjusting the guide rope to the 

 other eyelets motion in other directions is obtained. 



"The balloon carries 23,100 kegs of ballast, provisions for four and a half 

 months, ammunition, a boat, heavy clothing, and every necessity that expe- 

 rience has shown is required." 



Andree went to Spitzbergen, arriving there June 19, 1896. The balloon 

 was then inflated, but this took so long that Andree deemed it too late in the 

 season to start, so the expedition was delayed for another year.' This change 



