Salomon-Auguste AndrÉe was born on the 18th of October, 1854, at Grenna, a little town in the province of Smoiland. His father was a chemist. The rather severe training received at the hands of their father, imbued the children of the AndrÉe family at an early age with the spirit of obedience and punctuality. Their father died some years ago, and their mother, a distinguished lady, died in the spring of 1897.

After finishing his educational course young AndrÉe entered the technical school, an institution exclusively intended for civil engineers,—artillery and army engineers’ officers having a separate Higher School. He chose the mechanical engineering section of the school, and left it an engineer. He thereupon worked for some time (as is frequently the custom in Sweden) as a simple mechanic in a workshop, sharing in every respect the life of an ordinary workman. Later on, he travelled abroad for purposes of study.

The knowledge he thus acquired, both theoretical and practical, procured him the distinction of being appointed, at the early age of twenty-six, assistant professor of pure and applied physical science at the technical school.

At the age of twenty-eight, in 1892, he took part in a Swedish meteorological expedition to Spitzbergen. He wintered there until the next year, directing the experiments and observations on atmospheric electricity.

In 1884, AndrÉe was appointed chief engineer to the Patent Office,—being a newly created post,—and from 1886 to 1889 he occupied, at the same time, a professor’s chair at the technical school of Stockholm.

However, his position at the Patent Office, being a post of the highest importance, claimed all his time and energy, and AndrÉe found himself obliged to resign the professorship.

But he could not give up the idea of scientific aerostation, a problem which had always haunted his mind since his early youth.

The Swedish Academy of Science, which counts among its members famous men like A. Nordensjold, G. Retzius, G. Mittaz-Leffler, the mathematician, H. Hildebran and O. Montelius, the antiquarians, and others known and esteemed by the learned world, turned their attention to AndrÉe’s projects, and in 1892 he received from the Academy and the “L. J. Hjerta Memorial Foundation,” a subvention for the purpose of undertaking scientific aerial navigation—an honour which was unprecedented in Sweden.

From that time AndrÉe devoted himself to aerial navigation, and made his first ascent at Stockholm in the summer of 1893.

He has since made a number of ascents for scientific purposes, some of which were of a most perilous nature—one resulting in a disaster in the Baltic. On another occasion he was carried from Gothenburg over the Baltic, after having traversed the whole of Sweden. The reefs round the Isle of GoËland presented the greatest difficulties to his landing. This last attempt nearly cost AndrÉe his life; but these “little accidents” were not calculated to discourage a man of his temperament.

He made several experiments at steering by means of a guide-rope and a sail, and came to the conclusion that it would be possible to direct the course of the balloon even while keeping it at a low altitude.

Thereupon, early in 1895, AndrÉe presented to the Academy of Sciences a well matured project for exploring the regions of the North Pole with the aid of a balloon; the start was to be made from Spitzbergen, where the inflation of the balloon was to be effected. The estimated cost amounted to about £7,177.

A National subscription was opened, which was completed in a few days by four generous donors.

Mr. A. Nobel, of lamented memory, subscribed £3,588.

The King of Sweden, wishing to show the interest taken by him in the expedition, gave £1,656.

Baron Dickson, well known for his liberality, also gave £1,656.

The sum was completed by Mr. R. Lamm and some other donors.

Mr. R. Lamm, moreover, undertook to supply all the mechanical part of the various apparatus.

Having once settled the financial aspect of the question, AndrÉe made several journeys all over Europe, in order to obtain personal interviews with foreign scientific celebrities and gain them over to his views concerning this bold enterprise. He visited, one by one, the aeronautical establishments, procuring at the same time samples of the tissues employed, and obtaining the opinions of various constructors.

Thereupon, on his return to Stockholm, he carefully tested the samples which he had brought with him; he felt interested in the English and German products, but gave preference to the French industry. Finally his choice fell on Chinese Pongee silk, cemented together in double, threefold, and fourfold layers, and varnished, this tissue having been advocated and experimented with for several years past by M. H. Lachambre, to whom AndrÉe entrusted the construction of the balloon on condition that M. Lachambre should follow the expedition to Spitzbergen, where the benefit of his experience would be at AndrÉe’s service.