402 LETTERS FROM THE ANDREE PARTY. 



Science. Later in the same year he presented them in England before 

 the International Geographical Congress. He estimated that he would 

 require for his project a little over 136,000. In time the money was 

 provided, mainly by the generosity of Mr. Alfred Noble, who died, 

 however, before An dree could make his start; Baron Oscar Dickson, 

 who died soon after the start; and the King of Sweden. Andr^e had 

 now been studying balloons with great care for some years. He had 

 himself made a number of ascensions, and he had had some very thril- 

 ling and dangerous adventures. With the money he required made 

 secure, he set about the construction of a balloon especially suited to 

 his purpose. 



THE EALLOON. 



The " Ornen " was built by M. Lachambre, the well-known balloon 

 maker of Paris, at an original cost of $10,000. The balloon proper was 

 originally 97 feet through from top to bottom; and at the widest part 

 67^ feet through from side to side; After the failure to make a start in 

 1896, Andree decided to enlarge it, and it was carried back to Paris, 

 cut in two at the middle, and an additional section inserted about 3^ 

 feet high. The perpendicular diameter was thus increased by about 

 that much, but the horizontal diameter remained as before. By this 

 enlargement the volume of the balloon was increased 10,600 cubic feet, 

 becoming in all 170,000 cubic feet. It is made of silk — three thicknesses 

 throngh the upper two-thirds, and two through the lower third, all 

 varnished twice over, inside and out. Over all the seams are laid pro- 

 tecting strips, and to doubly insure tightness these were varnished at 

 the edges, just before the start, with a varnish especially devised for 

 this use. There are two valves about halfway up the balloon, nearly, 

 but not quite, opposite each other; and there is a third at the bottom. 

 The latter works automatically; the others are controlled by ropes 

 attached to them on the inside and coming out of the balloon at the 

 bottom beside the third. 



The balloon is encased in a heavy netting of hemp, woven above, 

 with much intricacy, of 384 separate ropes, and ending below in 48 

 " suspension " ropes, to which is attached what is known as the " bear- 

 ing ring." This ring is a part of great importance; it is to the balloon 

 much what the keel is to a ship. It is about 7^ yards in circumference, 

 is made of wood, and is braced with cross-bars. 



To the bearing ring is attached the car, or basket, by six ropes, each 

 about li inches in diameter. These ropes are knitted into the wall of 

 the car, and fastened securely at the bottom of it. Above the car they 

 are encircled and braced by five horizontal ropes, equidistant from each 

 other, which thus form a series of guard rails. Above these, about 6J 

 feet from the roof of the car, is yet another; it is much shorter, and 

 draws the suspending ropes into a circle of about half the diameter of 

 that made by the lower ones. 



The car is cylindrical in form, about 6^ feet iu diameter and 5 in 



