The story that I have posted today to my blog is not my story. I read it a few days ago and thought it so interesting that I decided to post it here for you to read. I hope you enjoy it!
Balloonists that disappeared when trying to reach the North Pole. The story that follows was written by Mr. Branden Phillips
Taking Flight
Although still regarded as reckless by many, Andreé’s plan impressed Sweden’s King Oscar II. Alfred Nobel, the wealthy inventor of dynamite, provided the funding, eager for his country to make a mark in Artic exploration. Andreés scheme attracted global attention. The press would be updated via buoys and carrier pigeons. On July 11, 1897, following many frustrated delays, Andree and his crew...Nils Strindberg, an assistant professor of physics and photographer, and Knut Fraenkel, a civil engineer...lifted off from Danes Island, Spitsbergen in their balloon, dubbed the Örnen (Eagle).
When it was inflated for the first time in 1896, Andreé’s balloon was leaking hydrogen gas. To make it airtight, the silk was doubled and varnished on both sides. Although no balloon had flown more than 36 hours, it’s maker said this balloon could stay aloft for a month. Seeing that it still leaked gas, however, an original member of the team, Nils Ekholn, backed out of the mission. He was replaced by civil engineer Knut Fraenkel. After briefly soaring above the crowd, something went wrong: Either a sudden cold current of air or the effect of the hanging drag ropes caused the craft to be forced downward so sharply that the car struck the water. Onlookers screamed as Andreé released ballast. The balloon climbed and was visible for about an hour, calmly soaring away to the northeast. It was the lst time the three men were ever seen alive. “Among the mysteries of the fates of several North Pole explorers, that of Andreé and his balloon expedition may be the greatest,” said P.J. Capelotti, professor of anthropology at Penn State University and the author of The Greatest Show in the Artic. “He used a novel, daring, and, as many thought, foolhardy technology all but guaranteed to appeal to the imagination.” Over a week after the launch, one of Andreé’s carrier pigeons was intercepted with a message. Written on July 13, it stated: “82 deg.north latitude...Good journey eastwards, 10 deg. south. All goes well on board. This is third pigeon post.” No other messages, however, were found. “Where is Andreé? is the question being asked the civilized world over,” declared the Galvelston Daily News on August 6. Years would pass before two buoys were found, both dropped on the day of the launch. One read: “We are now in over the ice which is much broken up in all directions. Weather magnificent. In best of humors.” Expeditions were sent to find the three men, but no trace of them or the balloon was found. The mission was lost.
Unexpected recovery. More than three decades later, the mystery would be solved. In August 1930 a team of Norwegian scientists were studying glaciers aboard a seal hunting vessel. They took advantage of the unusually warm summer to land on White Island. Exploring the island, they were surprised to find the remains of a boat sticking out of the ice. In it was a hook with the words “Andreés Pol. Exp. 1896” stamped on it. More than three decades had passed, but the fate of the Andreé expedition was finally known. After further exploration, the remains of Andreé, Strindberg, and Fraenkel were recovered, as were their diaries, logbooks, camera, and film. The three men’s bodies were transported back to the Swedish capital, Stockholm, where they were cremated and buried. The diaries and photographs clarified much of what had befallen the crew after takeoff on July 1897. The Örnen had remained airborne for nearly three days as it drifted northeast. Andreé’s sense of wonder is apparent from his journal entries. It is not a little strange to be floating here above the Polar Sea? To be the first that have floated here in a balloon...We think we can well face death, having done what we have done. Isn’t it all, perhaps, the expression of an extremely strong sense of individuality which cannot bear the thought of living and dying like a man in the ranks, forgotten by coming generations? While this entry was being written, the mission was already running into trouble. Shifting winds pushed the craft westward from July 12. Hydrogen gas was leaking from the balloon, which was hovering at low altitude. Fog caused a layer of thick ice to form on the balloon’s surface, weighing it down. To stay aloft, they threw out ballast and some equipment, but to no avail. For long stretches, the balloon bounced along the ground “about every 50 meters.” On July 14 the team decided to jump ship and abandon the mission, 300 miles away from the pole. They were never seen again! So ends my story for today. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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