Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-02
ARCTIC VESSELS.
How the ships for the Polar Seas are


TIE TWO ERw VESSELS PoR THE BRITISH
ARCTIo KxPEDITIoE-Ios CRUSHING AND
The London Daily Telegraph Of December
II, in the course Of an article suggested by the
rev Arctic expedition, b as the following: "But
what is a whaling ship hke?" will be the cues
ton which those who are interested in watch
ing the progress of the expedition will ask. To
scribe the ship which Sir Leopold MeCHntoek
is said TO have selected, the Bloodhound, aud
also the new ship Arctic, now being CONSTRUCTED
by Alexander stephens u Sons, of Dundee, and
Just offered 10 the government for the POisr eX-
hibition. Messrs. stephens have built Lesrly
all the whaling vessels that are now in use, and
the Bloodhound was turned out of their yard
about two years ago, frst-class vessel. In
length she lie 100 feet from stem TO stern; her
breadth is about 20 feet, and the extreme depth
OF her hold Is feet. Her builders tonnage Is
cosy the tonnage under the main deck $40,
while that in the forecastle is 2s. Her gross
tonnage Is $50, and her netregister is $40. As
matter OF fact, she will carry 600 tens with ease
The Arctic is much larger vessel, being 40
feet longer, is 81 feet broad, and proportionate-
ly deep; but in point OF strength the vessels are
pretty equal. Her power 70 resist the pressure
of the ice. and TO bore her way through the foe
is immense; she has q prodigIous thickness of
solid wood forward aud the front part OF the
vessel Is again protected by cross pieces OF iron
bark wood. while over sill Is a skin of iron five
eghths OF an inch thick covering che bark wood.
the forefoot and run, and her keel. for about
twelve feet from the stem. Inside tue veSs 1,
just above where the "desd wood" ends, the
bows, which, like all the rest of the ship are
bullt OF five inch oak planks, are strengthened
by huge diagonal beams OF osk, a foot square IN
size, ten of them being placed on either side TO
hold the prov of the good ship together and
make II quail to combating with almost any.
thing. The reason for 30 much strength AZ this
particular point should be stated here. wneu,
in 1850, the expedition Of the Pioneer, IntrepiJ,
Resolu and Assistance sailed TO search for Sir
John Franklin, an experiment was tried for
the brst time which has since been found by far
the most successful OF any yet attem pied; it was
nothing more or less than charging the ice with
full steam power, and cutting way through it.
In the old days of sailing vessels such q course
would have been considered perfect madness,
but with good engines and q screw propeller,
things may be attempted which, with sails alone
would be simply impossible, and this WAS one OF
them. After this the experiment was made az Ain
and again, and with success, and then in build
ing vessels care was taken to fortify them sps-
ciaily for this perilous work. 1t was thought
that not only should the stem of the vessel be
thus strengthened, however, but that II should
it would rise on to the top OF the foe, and then
with its whole weight crush the frozen surface
to pieces. In this way the Bloodhound, and IN
deed the whole feet of whslers are built, and q
terrible power thus possess. A narrow crack is
seen in a field of ice, stretching far away, but
leading to open water, as indicated by the hue
OF the sky and the glass of the experienced
watch In the crows nest aloft. Steam is got up
to full power, body OF men detached to look
after the screw, and TO raise it by means OF "A
lifting gear the moment 1t appears to be in dan
screws are carried-if it be broken. 1t is good
gun metal, though, this screw, sad will stand
tremendous wrench or blow before it yields.
Other hands have been deputed to look to the
boats and to be ready to launch them on to the
Ice In case the vessel gets "nip" and is cut In
halves, while others watch the effect OF the
sharp-cntting Prov; The vessel is going to
bayonet lowered may Tush at a stubborn AMI
hitherto invincible foe; it is going to assert
superiority of art over nature, and illustrate
q ~ AT M wi ma han cal ri
vances have gwen to man. With a terrible rush
forward, the vessel strikes the foe at the weak
est part. The ice would perchance resist were
the impact that of two exactly perpehdicul ar
bodies. But the sliding st~m rushes upw arc A.,
and in q moment the bow of the ship is above
the Ice. second more, and down it comes with
all its weight upon the fioe- The CONCEALED
plate can stand no such load as this, and, crack
ing in every direction, il gives way to the force
brought TO bear upon 1t. Onward the stea
goes, the screw being still carefully watched
broken ice, till another charge has to b
made and another victory won over the
stubborn stubborn foe; In this way the great
ingenuity Of man achieves sue ;esS.
Atlast the ice field is cut through, open water
Is reached, the vessel being none the verse for
the efforts 1T las made, or the shocks il has re-
ceiTed. So much for the stem of the ship, but
the sides must alsO be protected; for in Arctic
Voy aging there Is often experienced danger
which TO other mariners, in other sess, is all
unknown. 1t would seem as thOng ga nature, e1
asperated at the temerity of man in breaking
through the bounds she has set to him, avenges
herself by making trap OF his very ingenuity.
The good ship has thrust herself forward into
into the ice, and all liz hopeful, when suddenly
an extraordinary pressure is noticed. The 10
Is closing upon the ship. Or perchance th e
steamer IL in open water: ice IL on either side,
ana she is calmly moving forward when breez
springs Va, the foes begin to move, and, TO ID @
horror OF those Oh board, converge upon her.
Now is the moment of her immnen peril. She
may percEance find bay into which She can
run, or solid piece of ice into which she ma
escape by means OF cutting with saws aud bis.
ing with g1npOwder-a little hsroor of refug
called bOck-snd thus leave the projecting ice
to withstand the shock which her sides coaid no;
bear. But il may be thar she cannot thus a. t
the hug OF tie ice, and that she is 'nipped' be.
fore che can do aught to save herself. Gradu-
ally, yet surely, the pressure Increase; the
starting timbers tell by their creaklng that the
pressure IL more than they can well withstand.
The crisis has come, and Ii lie to be seen whsthe
or not che can pass through it. There are only
three ways by which she may escape. The
pressure may cease, it often has ceased in the
memeTy OF living sailors, at the very moment
when destruction is impending, and mems
hearts quake for fear. Or perchance the ice,
with that curious vacillatiOn which it sometimes
exhibits, may suddenly slip below the vessel
and, hosting her up ont OF danger, carry her
away in the drift ~ lower lattudes and open
water. Or the sides OF the vessel may be strong
enough to bear the hug with which the ice +
about to greet them. To this end the sides OF
the ship are immensely strong. OF course there
would be no chance for any vessel, however
strong, were the ice to close rapidly upon il
with what is known as 'sea-way," urging it for
ward over any great span of water; but thess
occurrences are comparatively rare; more fire.
quently the ship gets a "nip" when in a lane
which is SO narrow already that the closing ice
has 10 chance of obtaining momentum, and
thus escapes.