S. A. Andree Essay
During the late nineteenth century Arctic exploration was a global obsession. Various nations devised intricate strategies to conquer one of the most treacherous landmarks. Among all the journeys at that time, none were as fascinating or as doomed as Sweden’s S.A. Andree’s mission to cross the North Pole in a hydrogen balloon.
On July 11, 1897, a large ceremony was held as Andree and two other crew members, Knut Fraenkel and Nils Strindberg, took off with the legendary balloon called The Eagle. The crowd confidently whooped and cheered as the three adventurers steered the balloon towards the horizon. In just thirty minutes however, disaster struck.
Just as the balloon began to soar through the sky, the weighted ropes that the crew was using …show more content…
None of the men abandoned hope as they wrote positive diary entries and snapped hundreds of photographs. Their goal was to reach shelter before winter, however, this ideal was discarded after three months of arduous hiking. In late October the men realized that the ice was drifting away from their destination, and they needed to find an Island in which they could persevere through the winter. As swiftly as possible, they moved their supplies to a sterile island and mysteriously died there nine days later.
No one knew what had happened to the courageous group of men for thirty years. Finally, in 1927, a group of seal hunters uncovered their camp on a small island. There they found the men’s journals, photos, and other remanis. Scientists speculate that the men could have died from infected polar bear meat, exhaustion, or hyperthermia, as their cause of death is still unknown.
Although the men perished, It is evident from their diaries that they maintained a positive spirit as they persevered throughout the expedition. Even their last journal entries were optimistic, when they realized they were at the brink of death. Without their prominent enthusiasm the men would not have been able to persevere for so long. This may be a positive influence on those that are often negative to show that if one is optimistic they may be able to conquer what seems
On July 11, 1897, a large ceremony was held as Andree and two other crew members, Knut Fraenkel and Nils Strindberg, took off with the legendary balloon called The Eagle. The crowd confidently whooped and cheered as the three adventurers steered the balloon towards the horizon. In just thirty minutes however, disaster struck.
Just as the balloon began to soar through the sky, the weighted ropes that the crew was using …show more content…
None of the men abandoned hope as they wrote positive diary entries and snapped hundreds of photographs. Their goal was to reach shelter before winter, however, this ideal was discarded after three months of arduous hiking. In late October the men realized that the ice was drifting away from their destination, and they needed to find an Island in which they could persevere through the winter. As swiftly as possible, they moved their supplies to a sterile island and mysteriously died there nine days later.
No one knew what had happened to the courageous group of men for thirty years. Finally, in 1927, a group of seal hunters uncovered their camp on a small island. There they found the men’s journals, photos, and other remanis. Scientists speculate that the men could have died from infected polar bear meat, exhaustion, or hyperthermia, as their cause of death is still unknown.
Although the men perished, It is evident from their diaries that they maintained a positive spirit as they persevered throughout the expedition. Even their last journal entries were optimistic, when they realized they were at the brink of death. Without their prominent enthusiasm the men would not have been able to persevere for so long. This may be a positive influence on those that are often negative to show that if one is optimistic they may be able to conquer what seems