TRAGIC STORY OF SALOMON ANDREE: How the First Arctic BALLOON Expedition Ended // North Pole 1897

On July 11th, 1897, a small team of explorers decided to reach the North Pole in a slightly unusual way. Salomon Andree organised the first ever balloon expedition to the northernmost part of the planet. A very risky undertaking...
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[@robswystun2766]

Old-timey exploring was wild. "Will this completely insane plan work?" "Who knows? Let's risk our lives and go into the unknown completely unprepared to find out!" "Capital idea! Count me in."

[@mileshigh1321]

"We researched it in a laboratory old boy! What possibly could go wrong! "

[@scottl.1568]

That's the way they it was done back then...

[@arthurpicket3505]

@@scottl.1568 Built different

[@kvltizt]

@@arthurpicket3505 Some of them were quite dumb though lol who balloons to the Arctic in warmish street clothes??

[@redsideburnz]

Don’t try to confuse me with logic and facts…I’VE ALREADY MADE UP MY MIND!

[@nevertimetotryagain]

For a while there I kept thinking it was "boy" not "buoy" and was just totally going along with the idea of them leaving boys with messages all over the Arctic 🤣

[@mrsevelync6900]

It's the British English pronunciation

[@BrunoPanem456]

Lmaooo I was searching the comments like “are we not gonna talk about these little kids being thrown out this balloon !?”

[@penfredrickson5888]

Yeah buoyyy!!! Lol

[@jmh2105]

This makes sense... too bad you realized your mistake...as leaving 'Boys' all over the place, Definitely makes it a more consequential story! i believe i will use this when i 're-tell' this tale.... "Here...the men dropped the first of a Number of Boys - from the balloon - this one , to mark where their monuMental journey had begun. [ during this period of time it shld be noted- Boys were both easier to procure, and easier to carry & distribute as required to mark Position & Place etcetera - Though dropping them from a Balloon was somewhat Novel - at the time

[@fonzy1259]

me thinking it was totally normal to just have kids be used as messengers or something. 😅

[@officedullard8722]

The guy who ditched from the team because he knew it was ill-fated. He must have been VERY happy with that decision.

[@jacobkudrowich]

A whole load of i told you so and a tiny hint of survivor's guilt

[@cnelson1614]

Unless he is or was really depressed from a tragic hand in life

[@cnelson1614]

Unless he didn't want to live, low-key

[@jacobkudrowich]

@@cnelson1614 AKshuAlly if he is or was a psychopath who can't feel emotions hight keyb

[@poutinedream5066]

Yup. That's why I don't even plan to do shit. It's like I've wisely bailed on a million different ill-fated ideas- and yes, I'm very happy I did 🤣

[@accuser_of_the_brethren7816]

I didn't think I'd get remotely emotional due to being a bit desensitized to "I'll fated expedition" tales however, his fiance waiting 12 years just to try to move on yet staying in touch with his family and finally having her heart buried with him made me tear up a little bit at the end there. Understanding how much someone loves another without hearing them explain it but by their own actions is a sentiment as rare as finding one's true soul mate. Bless her for never letting her feelings for him fade even when she knew he was gone.

[@Sanakudou]

I’m always fascinated by stories like this, even when they’re tragic, I always wonder what it must of been like to live in a time when there was such a big, unexplored mystery left for humans to explore. Also, I feel like there’s also a little life lesson to take from this, if you’re fortunate enough to be mutually in love as much as he was with Anna, don’t take it for granted and part ways like he did. It’s tragic how even tho she remarried, Anna still loved him and was never able to ever forget him.

[@poutinedream5066]

Looking at the kind of gear it takes even now, the thought of bringing silk scarves, embroidered handkerchiefs, and thin gloves, etc. It must have been absolutely shocking to encounter the reality of their situation.

[@poutinedream5066]

Looking at the kind of gear it takes even now, the thought of bringing silk scarves, embroidered handkerchiefs, and thin gloves, etc. It must have been absolutely shocking to encounter the reality of their situation.

[@unavailable2204]

There's a fabulous book called "At the mercy of the winds" by David Hempleman-Adams. It's like two books in one contrasting the tragic voyage of the Eagle, and the successful attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon by Hempleman-Adams. He freely admits that it took modern technology, great stamina and determination and a very skilled and dedicated ground crew together with the most incredible good fortune to succeed. Andree really didn't stand a chance and I think it unlikely the feat will ever be repeated.

[@duxvu9873]

Planet is still large and wild, they just managed to convince you that it isn't.

[@Cinerary]

Being stupid and adventurous rarely ends well.

[@LlamaLlamaMamaJamaac]

Once as a teen I went camping with my then-church’s youth group. It rained all night, soaking my pillow and sleeping bag. It was the longest night of my LIFE. Nearly 2/3 of my life later I still remember how miserable it was…. And this was SUMMERTIME. These Arctic/Antarctic exploration stories - particularly when they involve melt - to me are the absolute stuff of nightmares.

[@MikeGreenwood51]

I never really trusted those cotton scouting tents a lot. You know. 2 wood sticks and an orange cotton ridge tent with two guy ropes. They never seemed rain proof. Shower proof but not prolonged rain. There is a spray on water proofing. I endured many a look night or long weekent in blustery hill y mountain rains and kept dry. I would say where I live for any camping out side of summer then a water proof tent is essential.

[@williambrasky3891]

I had a similar experience as a preteen. This time it was a scouting jamboree. It started raining about the time we got there. My dad was thankfully along and suggested it'd be best if we slept in the car instead of a tent given the rain. Waking up warm and dry to emerge and be met be all my miserable, sick classmates who's guardians were more concerned with keeping up appearances, camping as camping should be done despite the warnings firmly shifted my respect away from the macho toughness for toughness sake mentality.

[@hicknopunk]

If you are caught out in the rain, always keep walking. If you keep walking no matter what, you will stay warm enough to be alive, in most climates. You will be miserable, but alive.

[@fiona-lyons]

I hear you! I went to a campsite in the Pyrenees years ago when I lived in Barcelona. I didn't have the right kind of sleeping bag and my feet were freezing. I'm sure I slept ...but it felt like I didn't. It was miserable. And then you see these guys!

[@BluetheRaccoon]

That anyone could be so ambitious and daring to the point of blind faith in an idea amazes me. To believe a balloon could stay in the air for 900 days when one hadn't remained in the air for a week, and to achieve even 30 days at that point would have been a technical marvel is incomprehensible. To not test a balloon concept in-air before bringing it to such climate conditions is absurd. Edited to add: By the mid-point of this video I realized that Salomon Andree had more ambition than knowledge of anything artic-related, and a desperation to achieve regardless of advice or established facts is willful ignorance. There were an astonishing amount of assumptions made.

[@mtcollinson1981]

lol

[@Rokiriko]

You are very kind to them, too kind.

[@ir0n392]

Wasn't it 90 days max, not 900??

[@Itried20takennames]

Reminds me of the guy who decided to test an early parachute design by jumping off the Eiffel Tower, not by using a dummy as he said when asking permission, but on himself. Didn’t work - and he missed the fine line between confidence and recklessness.

[@nicofolkersma2535]

Apparently the world had a lot of that kind of adventurers in those days. People with barely any idea what they were getting into or what to expect at their destination. Main point was often to be the first and take all the glory.

[@laurabell48]

His poor parents and Anna, so tragic. Thank you for this excerpt in history.

[@mauricedavis2160]

🙏😢

[@kevinmurray1407]

Iwas just there! I was on a photo expedition with Wild Photo sept. 1-11 2022. We were on the 12 passenger ship the Virgo. Out for 10 days out of Longyearben Went up to the 82 parallel and on the 4th day after hearing from our guides Ole and Irik about this ill fated attempt we made landfall at Kvitoya and paid tribute to the three fallen explorers. It was a rather disappointing monument at that. Just a slab of concrete with a metal plaque. Still, it was a solemn and sobering moment to realize that after 3 months of hardship they all ended their journey on this forsaken island. Thank you for this documentary it filled in a lot of blanks for me. In addition we had earlier stopped at the launch site. I thought initially that the wood strewn all along the shoreline were remnants of a ship but our guide explained it was actually the hangar used to house and fill the balloon. We did photograph walrus seals and polarbears but no whales.

[@lisatitirangi]

What a fascinating story, brilliantly told. Thank you so much for the work you put into these stories that deserve to be known.

[@mauricedavis2160]

I wholeheartedly agree with your comments!!!🙏👍😷

[@isabellind1292]

It's the most remarkable story of these men's bravery in this expedition. I cannot imagine the state of their feet throughout and they kept soldiering on. It's so heartwarming to hear about the people who cared and loved them all so dearly. This would make a good movie but a true accounting from what we know as opposed to some fictitious "Titanic" production. May they rest in peace.❤🌹

[@KellyfromMemphis]

The part about his fiancé buried her heart with him actually made me cry 😭

[@aleksandralis9134]

True love last forever ♥️

[@lizc6393]

Same. And frankly, given the option I would absolutely do the same with my ex. Love's a hell of a drug.

[@nancygoerlich8526]

I got teary-eyed at that as well.

[@shallendor]

Same here!

[@Hollylivengood]

I wonder if it wasn't a little guilt. You know she had to have looked at the outcome of such a ridiculous expedition, and decided he was a loveable idiot, thank god she didn't spend the rest of her life with him. This might have been true, but of course the man died, so that can make for a lot of guilt.

[@kimseiberling5263]

That was a sad story. Although I’m glad that they were found. Poor Anna.

[@paulsc4273]

I love stories of artic and antartic expeditions. As a child I was facinated by the story of Amundsen and Scotts race to the south pole.

[@jimclark6256]

Scott was an arrogant fool, he even took horses on his trip.

[@chriswhite2151]

Me too. It seems like such a hostile unforgiving environment to take it for granted.

[@unavailable2204]

@@jimclark6256 I thought so too until I read Ranulph Fiennes book about Shackleton. Agreed, Scott was arrogant (no fool), but he also had the most almighty bad luck, exacerbated by a poor late decision to take an extra man to the pole. He should have survived but alas, it was not to be. Have just begun reading the Lawrence Oates biography. As for the use of ponies, they had been proven to work, Shackleton almost made it using ponies on the 1907-09 Nimrod expedition. No doubt dogs were better in the hands of those who knew how to use them properly. Remember too that Scott's was a scientific expedition whilst Amundsen was a glory hunter who misled his backers and the world when he said he was going North. Amundsen (who I do admire), was only ever about the speed. Get there and back quick as possible for tea and medals and flag waving.

[@hni7458]

​@@unavailable2204 Indeed, Scott had a scientific heart, no fool, says I, a Scandinavian!

[@cattymajiv]

@@unavailable2204 True. So sad Scott was robbed of his prize!

[@emilycrewe3794]

While this is an unfortunate story, I think the complete arrogance of Andree and his team sealed their fates long before they ever took off. Their bravery was eclipsed by their foolhardy desires for fame and fortune, and it makes their story somewhat frustrating to listen to (you, of course, did an excellent job of recounting it though). I feel like it should be readily apparent to anyone undertaking such a daunting and dangerous mission as attempting to be the first people to ever reach the North Pole that the smallest of technical issues could easily result in tragedy. Many variables are outside of human control, such as the weather or wind direction, so it should be common sense that the elements over which you do have control must perform reliably and optimally. It should also be obvious that any point of potential failure in a critical system must have a backup. It was absolute lunacy and hubris for these men to even attempt this journey without any testing, training, or knowledge of the actual conditions they would be facing. The fact that they chose to carry on after dropping all their sand ballast upon takeoff, when it should have been abundantly clear that things weren’t going according to plan, indicates that their desire to be first had long since clouded their judgement and common sense.

[@thomasdykstra100]

You are so right! I was captivated by this story when I first heard of it fifteen years back, but after reading "The Last Place on Earth", I saw that the difference between sheer foolhardiness (Scott) and well-calculated risk (Amundsen) was as available as the adventurer desired it to be... "Stupid is as stupid does."

[@Gondor80]

one word "hubris"

[@VonGeggry]

Yup, they took off knowing that the balloon leaked (significantly). They SOMEHOW didn't understand that Ice would develop on the balloon. (I would think sailors could have easily pointed that out...) They took off with no recourse, no one would come with the slightest possibility of saving them. I think I would have shot the balloon right after take off, having to drop all their ballast that early. Fuck this shit, we have a boat, I'm taking that back while there's still a chance of it working. Feel bad for the fiance, and worse for her future husband whom was apparently never seen as fondly as her foolish first engagement.

[@diegonatan6301]

I think that Andree fell for the falacy of the sunken cost having invested his reputation in the project, and the other two let themselves be seduced by his promises.

[@unavailable2204]

@@diegonatan6301 Yes.

[@greyfells2829]

Wild that knowing how to read and having a wealthy family was basically the barrier to being a 'scientist' back in the day. I'm just a guy that takes his labor job seriously, and even I can feel all the red flags and tell that this team was doomed. So much hubris for such a poorly prepared team. If you're going into the wilds in a vehicle, you need to be prepared to walk out on your own damn legs.

[@puppiesarepower3682]

These Chads put aesthetics before reality. Excellent video.

[@Artster8489]

Imagine being lost in an unknown land and having the resolve to collect specimens. These men were born different.

[@WhitneyDahlin]

❓ slightly off topic but it was mentioned in the video that they believed the North Pole was inhabited. Why did they believe that? By inhabited did that mean they believe there was a large Inuit city at the North Pole? Or did they believe that there were more Inuit settlements all across Northern Canada and the Arctic than there actually were?

[@gregbors8364]

@@WhitneyDahlin There is the Ancient Greek myth of Hyperborea, which was believed to be an advanced, temperate kingdom located at the North Pole.

[@cattymajiv]

@@gregbors8364 Sheer stupidity on their part.

[@Nocturnalux]

If they “different” you mean “foolish”, you would be correct. These geniuses even took with them champagne and other heavy and entirely useless and heavy stuff. The whole thing was an ego trip. Nothing more.

[@edwigcarol4888]

"these men were born different" True They became the specimen to be collected..

[@aurorawolfe6060]

"anna made instructions that after her death, her heart be cut out and cremated separately" and buried with Strindberg's ashes. that's both sweet and kinda morbid at the same time. she waited 12 years for him to come back. at the very least, she ended up getting closure about her fiance's death before her own death.

[@TerrificLittleSunday]

It is so beautiful and sad.

[@Nocturnalux]

Not that unusual at the time. Famous writers, for examples, often got two burial sites in the UK: one for their places of birth and another for the heart, to be placed at Westminster.

[@jennifergilbert9596]

Very interesting and I appreciate how low key the background music is.

[@herbb8412]

You asked what other stories we’d like to hear. I say this is just the right kind, stories very few have ever heard. Also, real life photographs are a great feature

[@user-mk3nu3hd4o]

I have never heard about these expeditions and it is incredible how much people are willing to give up, just to dwelve into something of such sorts

[@cattymajiv]

Are you trying to say dwell, or delve?

[@sithlordhibiscus9936]

That was touching. A love like hers is hard to find and I hope they're together again. As for their deaths, I would say it's a combination of exposure, animal predation, disease/injury, dehydration/starvation/other deficiency or surplus of some element. It's rarely just one thing. Dinosaurs didn't die by an asteroid alone; tsunami, fire, volcanism, disease, predation, climate, etc. had already reduced them to just 6 species. It wouldn't be much different from them.

[@williambrasky3891]

What the hell are you talking about? The chain of events theory applies to systems failures. Induvidal People can and do die from singular causes, regularly. When applied as broadly as above a chain of events is indiscernable from any other series arising from the fact there exists a law of causality.

[@b.w.22]

It’s so odd to me that these guys were so obviously unwilling to test their vehicle at all, even though they lived in Scandinavia and without doubt could find somewhere to do this in similar conditions. The deliberate obtuseness is staggering.

[@joannaw5913]

It’s a sad story, but they were almost comically ill-prepared for this journey. I can’t help contrasting their approach with that of Nansen- a consummate polar explorer, and a personal hero of mine.

[@lek0mania]

Nansen exploration was so impressive!

[@rodneystanger1651]

With the balloon so compromised, maybe they shouldn't have been walking and standing all over it. Certainly couldn't help. Great story told very well. Thanks, I enjoyed it.

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

Of course there were holes in the balloon already from the start. Millions of small holes from the fact the balloon was sewn together, because that's how you did it on those days, sewing it together from smaller pieces of fabric. This was a known risk and calculated with, it was also the reason none had been flying for more than three days before all the extra fuel was burned up.

[@paul6925]

I can’t believe how stupid it is to try this without any test runs. Unbelievably insane

[@debbiecoombs739]

Explorers

[@VonGeggry]

They would have pushed on even if the test run went horribly. They must have known the baloon wasn't able to hold air well enough...

[@cordeliachase5241]

I know the reason for this video is the discussion of Arctic exploration, but I was quite moved by the love story. I enjoyed this presentation.

[@scottbubb2946]

I agree with your conclusion. Bear attack and morphine OD. Seems like the most likely scenario.

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

I would have taken those tablets very soon after being frozen with my feet frozen….kind way to go.

[@utl94]

His conclusion? This is an hypothesis laid out by Bea Usman and has some merits but it's not the conclusion of a youtuber.

[@andrewg3196]

Binging your videos Archie. Love your voice

[@xxcxpl]

Great retelling of an epic story. Bravery of those men to float into the unknown is breathtaking. And for our cozy/comfy/wi-fi generations to imagine such a leap out of the "comfort zone" ... Salute and thank you ✌

[@Metusalem979]

Here in Norway Andree has been kind of a laughing stock. But the overall concept proved correct: the Pole would first be reached by flight.

[@rubyred6954]

Damn, imagine a time when you had to use pigeons to communicate?!! STUNNING. I can’t imagine a time where people actually thought flying in a freakin giant BALLOON 🎈into the North Pole sounded like a survivable good idea!. Anna’s sentiment was beautiful

[@joannaw5913]

I think, in their situation, I’d have been knocking back the morphine with whiskey chasers. Oblivion guaranteed .

[@GoodieWhiteHat]

I love your videos. Very interesting, unrushed with good footage. A breath of fresh air. Thanks.

[@WilliamNeish]

What a beautiful story, they should make a movie about these men and Anna. These were brave men.

[@zombrero7870]

This was one of my dad's favorite stories of the Arctic

[@pattymullin8515]

The balloon trip/folly was sadly but predictably doomed from the instant the expedition was thought of. This was due to the obvious fact that there was very little thought given to the reality of the trip. I was absolutely flabbergasted. Honestly, I plan more and wear more clothes when I walk to the corner store. The carrier pigeons were the only realistic brains on the expedition - they left. Unbelievable.

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

The "rope steering" was also completely theoretical, invented by Andree. In theory it would work like a drag anchor after a boat, making it steerable by making the balloon slower than the wind, like you can only steer a drifting boat if you go slower than the stream. In practice it only ties the balloon down, which they quickly learned at the start when they literally had to ditch that idea. In practice, there was no way at all you could steer a balloon in those days but going where the wind took ya, and they somehow calculated the wind taking them straight over the North Pole simply because Andree said so. While in reality the wind took them in a completely different direction. Nothing of what they planned was based in reality.

[@pattymullin8515]

@@ingvarhallstrom2306 Thank you very muchfor posting this 'what the heck was he thinking of' information about the attempt at rope steering. What a compilation of unbelievable and baffling errors!

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

@@pattymullin8515 An incredible shit show of white privilege explorers hubris. They were scientist in their fields, but not in ballooning or exploring. They ordered the balloon from Montgolfiers in Paris for an absurd amount of money, but they didn't test the equipment for even a single journey before they shipped it up to Svalbard.

[@edwigcarol4888]

I love your last sentence 😊 Wisdom in form of a bird

[@jpmtlhead39]

The Shakelton and his crew storie of survival, to me its One of the Greasted testemonies to human resilience,endurance,courage and sheer determination to live,against all odds. Just Amazing.

[@arciks11]

14:30 Good thing getting stranded in Canada would be a piece of cake. Franklin's Expedition:

[@isabellind1292]

Thank you very, very much Archie's Archives for telling the story of these brave men & about this expedition.💓🌹

[@englishcanuck4930]

Thanks for the upload. Thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I can only imagine the effort you've put into it!

[@christinapoisson1501]

Wow! What a story! This held me spellbound! Thank you!

[@hudgatling5266]

I find it amazing that they expected native inhabitants but at the same time expected to "discover" the same place. I also find it amazing that their only intention was to say " we were the first to get there" and return. It was a dangerous expedition for the sole purpose of showing off.

[@jenniferk9242]

This was an amazing video! Great detail of an event unknown to me. It's so hard to find new content like this when you follow several channels of the same genre so I was quite pleased. Great work, thank you!

[@noctis129]

It’s like going into space on a Saturn expedition in a primitive rocket and “hope” for the best.

[@jamesm3471]

Why Saturn? Instead, we should put the first man on the Sun. The secret to not burning up would be to go at night.

[@luciusprepus]

@@jamesm3471 with a lot of solar Cream in case

[@daca4401]

I wait for a new drop every month; and I am never been disappointed

[@telsonater]

This was fantastic. I would love to hear about the Franklin expedition, and the Shackleton expedition

[@shadowshow701]

This was very interesting although you don’t mention whether there were any rescue expeditions who went out to look for them. I remember another balloon story in the arctic led by an Italian guy where the survivors survived on a floating iceberg. A search party was sent out and they were eventually found but I think it was twenty years after Andre however and that they may have had some kind of radio with them. I know people say they were ‘stupid’ or ‘arrogant’ but I think there was something incredibly magnificent about men like this. I don’t agree they did it just for fame and fortune. Many were just filled with a sense of curiosity and adventure. For those where fate was on their side, they advanced human knowledge but many others paid the ultimate price. I’m impressed they survived as long as they did. They can’t have been as helpless as parts of the story suggested early on

[@williambrasky3891]

They got lucky. It doesn't take a competent artic wilderness guide to hunt the polar bears you naturally attract. Cooking meat was like (among) the first practical implementations of human technology. They didn't even wait to see if the wind shift was fleeting. They just took off the second it shifted, after months of sustained winds from the wrong direction. I know the meteorologist dropped out, but it doesn't take a meteorologist to tell you a momentary shift shouldn't be treated as a reliable trend. The only debatable question is whether they'd have been luckier had the balloon failed over water so they'd have quickly drowned instead.

[@rationalbacon5872]

Actually the opium they used would've likely been the best treatment they had at the time for diarrhoea, as it does cause constipation.

[@Xvladin]

Yes, opiates make you not poop

[@mondaytosaturday1013]

I find it really sad that Anna clearly missed her fiance very dearly, even staying in touch with and still visiting his family in another country after she had married and moved away. Two families connected by their love for him :(

[@aaronjohnson3958]

Dude your videos are awesome and so well researched. I really hope your channel blows up! Keep up the good work, I really enjoy the content!

[@TashaBryanRENegade]

Your way of narrating a story is captivating. Never gets boring.

[@darkmaster1616]

A heartbreak can last a hundred years. 💔

[@trj1442]

Wow, that was really interesting. Thankyou for your awesome content.

[@artofnoly9754]

Great presentation. Really well researched. I think those guys were utterly insane, but the grand adventure is an alluring siren. P.S. When I go traveling I always take more than one stove... and I'm only one guy! Primus. The legend lives.

[@garethaustin3137]

"The explorers thought that The Arctic would be always bathing in sunshine." Gosh, they were unlucky to hit it during a freak cold spell.

[@ShadowOfMyWing]

This is food for thought in a survival situation. Even in a desperation of starvation, think twice before over indulging in consuming any kind of liver or similar organ meat.

[@shafferryan6521]

What are the risks?

[@JonW77]

@@shafferryan6521 Well, eating polar bear liver in particular can give you very severe vitamin A poisoning.

[@patriciaclark9957]

Vitamin A overdose

[@aquariandawn4750]

There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity?

[@Cinerary]

No. The line is very clear and separate. You can be both brave and stupid. Many people of this time were so ignorant that they had no idea what could happen to human bodies on these kind of “adventures” which made them falsely brave.

[@aquariandawn4750]

@@Cinerary ignorance and stupidity are not the same thing. Get a dictionary

[@evanbeers1644]

Here from recommended, says it was posted 20 seconds ago. You, my content creator, are blessed by the algorithm. It seems the the death seal was placed when they didn't abort in the first place...

[@martaiswatchingyoutube5063]

the drive of these men to collect specimens during all what happened is sth that amazes me every time hearing about scientists of old times ,I'm such a coward today so its really just incredible to me.

[@JasonWindsor88]

This was an interesting story & well-told. Thank you for your efforts in making this. The level of romanticism for exploration in this period of history is fascinating but boggles the mind. They apparently had an extreme willingness to ignore logical signs to revise and/or rethink the plan & instead pressed on with stubborn, ill-fated zeal. I suppose I feel some sadness for the men but mostly for their loved ones, waiting for good news that would never come.

[@ratratratratrat3750]

so happy you guys posted a new vid! thanks so much for the frequent uploads lately

[@danielconquer909]

I love artic exploration content

[@lauragoodspeed7044]

Crying. Amazing and powerful story, beautifully told! Thank you so much for this great video!!

[@arsenal10141014]

Thank you for creating this. Never heard about these explorers. Brave pioneer’s.

[@Kae6502]

What an amazing story! I never heard of this expidition. Thank you SO much for their story. Well researched, narrated, and edited. Glad I subscibed. :)

[@hubertdenise3100]

So technically they did accomplish a miracle feat by making a balloon fly for more then a day.

[@speed0spank]

"He called himself a civil engineer even though he had no experience with that work" lol sounds about right

[@bdgackle]

I like that they named the balloon "The Eagle". For those that didn't get the reference, an "Eagle" is a type of bird which also can't fly to the north pole.

[@edwigcarol4888]

Albie would have suit a bit better...

[@chaseallen5515]

i cried when Anna gave her heart back to Niel where it belonged after so many years had passed by. a true love story 🌹

[@hubertdenise3100]

The worst lost expedition I’ve heard about was the Franklin Expedition.Over a 100 men were on the ship, and then got stuck.After the ship sank the men had to walk out on the ice and try and find safety.What’s horrifying is that some of the men were still alive and stuck wandering the ice three years after the initial ditching of the ship.Some of the men formed groups and engaged in cannibalism, while others died of zinc deficiencies, and none ever made it.Inuit encountered a few men but sadly the men did not stay with them and perished.Perhaps a few made it to further south and lived the rest of their lives in the wild, or stayed with a few inuit people and died, never known to europeans that they may have lived.

[@unavailable2204]

A similar tale is told in the story of the Jeanette, captained by George W De Long. Heart breaking.

[@gluteusaurusmaximus6133]

Sounds like he froze to death in the seated position with his gun preparing to defend himself from a bear attack after seeing what it had done to his friend. If so, that's very chilling.

[@mainemermaid6596]

Yes. And, I don't think he kld himself. I think he (mercifully) died of hypothermia while on watch over his comrades. With the way they were dressed, and so ill prepared, it's impressive that they survived as long as they did.

[@kittye8340]

They were hunting an awful lot of polar bears, which are very hard to kill. Injuries were very likely to occur and possibly result in infection/pain which may have lead to them consuming pain killers. Alternatively, food poisoning from the bear meat could have caused them problems so they were consuming the drugs for that. I don't think they killed themselves.

[@AnAngryMagpie]

@@mainemermaid6596 mercifully? Hypothermia is slow and painful, its like the worst death possible,, up there with burning and drowning, frostbite is insanely painful,, imagine dying knowing your friend is dead,, you can feel your fingers and toes go painfully numb, than finally, slowly, you die.. A self inflicting shot to the head might not immediately kill you but at least you'd be unconscious for the painful part....

[@TheNuckinFoob]

That was ridiculously in depth... wow! Great video. 👍

[@Cupo666]

Fascinated by the mental gymnastics of dropping a message that reads “we’re the first people to visit the North Pole” while also recognizing that Indigenous people already live in the high arctic and believing there could be a hidden Indigenous metropolis at the pole. I shudder at the thought of what that study about the effects of lack of sunlight on skin colour entailed. YEESH!

[@kathduncan9618]

Beautifully told. Thank you. Mesmerising.

[@tysongalloway5700]

This is the greatest telling of this story imo

[@SandDragon91]

Great video! Always happy when you pop into my feed. Keep up the good work.

[@kristybollan3872]

I enjoyed this very much. Great job on the narrative and including so many photos. I subscribed today. Looking forward to more of your good work.

[@stillnocouch]

Wonderful and interesting story 👍

[@cruisepaige]

OMG I am so pulled in to this story.

[@kira.1631]

Last part made me cry best KZbin Channel

[@DamonNomad82]

I first read about this expedition in a book about exploration called "Into the Unknown". It's a classic example of what happens when ivory tower academics try going into dangerous, uncharted territory armed with only theories and hubris.

[@hni7458]

You know, here in SWE we've heard everything there is to know about Herr Andrées expedition, read loads about it, seen dramatised films etc. I don't think it has ever touched me very deeply - until now. Very well done! WAIT, just noticed; FF'sS it's STRINDBERG, Nils Strindberg - nothing else - like the playwright, the latter his father's cousin by the way.

[@hannahscott9672]

Another excellent video thank you!

[@markriosn7589]

As horrific as it is, I think it's safe to assume that Strindberg was mauled by a polar bear. The "coin sized hole" might have been the bite mark of a bear's canine tooth. I know other bears like grizzlies like to attack heads. He could have been attacked while trying to scare one off or even attacked in his sleep. The others likely came to his defense and either wounded/scared the bear off or killed it with guns but it was too late for Strindberg. They buried him and, with no sign of hope for rescue, decided to best hasten their fate. Such a tale, if true, makes you wish they could have *just* passed away in their sleep from hypothermia. At least they wouldn't have had to see what must have been a truly horrifying sight.

[@lawrencedewan9838]

The coin-shaped hole was found upon Andree. As were a gun and cartridges. Yep, he shot himself. Or did He... Knut took a better path - sweet Morphius... In fact, the circumstances surrounding Nils death seem dubious... You're malnourished and frost-bitten yet You choose to chase off a polar bear unarmed... Insanity...? Lead poisoning...? Or a lie. I suspect Knut in the deaths of both Nils and Andree.. If' indeed, both Nils and Salomon had coin shaped wounds, (not stated in this vid), then this seems nothing less than COLD murder...!

[@mayday6916]

The polar bear attack is very likely. The theory today is that Strindberg was killed by a bear, Fraenckel died from sickness, fever, cold etc. and that Andree was left alone, facing months of arctic night with no hope of rescue. He might have taken his own life then.

[@DeaconPain]

If they were eating polar bear livers it could have contributed to illness, you should never ever eat a polar bears liver.

[@jerryforeman4543]

Quite a story! Thanks for sharing!

[@boycottdisneyoruhatekids]

I fking love Archie's stories!! NO ONE does stories like him! He Definitely Deserves more subs! Sooooo much info and very interesting stories! THANKS ARCHIE!!

[@mirnamisevic1993]

Amazing story and true love !

[@VashStarwind]

Man this channel is very good, great stuff man

[@lizblock9593]

These guys were entirely unencumbered by reality. Good doc though!

[@scottlynch4771]

What’s crazy is they couldn’t get funding for a try across the Atlantic but got it for this even though they probably had a better shot at the later.

[@c.w.8200]

The same problem the Franklin expedition had: too much unnecessary stuff weighing them down. What was it with old timey people that they couldn't escape from the Arctic without... encyclopedias?

[@warrennelson2089]

Great video! This is quality and quantity

[@jeffreyvaughn1838]

Very interesting and well told ***

[@cameroncameron2826]

Incredibly bleak & sad as these bound in by the polar ice histories tend to be. Very tough brave men tragically ill informed themselves, & were swept along by the bravado of the age it seems.

[@BRIDGETTWC]

Wow, that was awesome 👌

[@ananananabop]

Very interesting story. I feel bad for Anna’s husband though. I image the specter of Anna’s love for an idealized man from her youth hung over their whole marriage.

[@y7awsbe2000]

this sounds personal

[@Cinerary]

@@y7awsbe2000lol yes

[@stewartmeetball3417]

Nice a new one

[@Hyreia]

I love how comically unprepared they were.

[@caninecurry5823]

That's really romantic, until you look at it from the second husbands perspective, 30 years and she still loved her ex more lol