The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-03-02
AN OLD VIKING SHIP.
"A Curious Exhibit to he Seen At tho
Wnrld'x Fair.

"A Curious ExlibIt to he Seen at ths
I Worlds Fair.
i One of the most interesting exhibits al
che Worlds fair will be ono made bv the
Norwegian government, says tho New York
Times. II will be an old viking ship manned
\ by a crew Of hardy Norwegian sailors. II
i will resemble In every respect the ships that
the Norsemen sailed the world over many
centuries ago..
Tho story Of the finding OF the model OF
ths ship that will be shown is very curious:
Near the town cf Sandeljord, on the coess
OF Norway. ia a mound which IL called she
"Kincsmound." It was the tradition that
the bones Of some viking rested IN TINS
mound. In 1880 a sailor who was more "d-
venturoua than most men in the ~neiRhbo'-
hood. and certainly moro curious. began
digging in the cave, and AS he was At work
his spade struck n plank. That led to the
discovery Of the outlines OF a ship.
The sailor went no further in the work,
but told the village authorities of his find,
and they in turn notified the royal univer,-
action to have tho mound opened and the
contents preserved. The ground. however.
was yery hard and the opening of the
mound was postponed till the spring.
Then the university had ii opened, and
there was found the skeleton OF an old vik-
mo anJO aOu IuS pitg Vi ~ = RASp"ohy
one of the crew who had sailed in her.
Aroh:eologists said that the ship was one
that had been used in the ninth century.
The ship aud the skeleton were taken out
and we're placed in the university at Chris
liania. When the Worlds fair was brought
before tho people OF Norway patriotic oiti~
xens determined to build q vessel similar in
all respects to this old viking ship and send
il over to the worlds fair. A popular sub
scription was started. the fund was raised
without any trouble and tho vessel was
built.
She is 16}5 feet over all, 1914 feet beam.
depth of hold 5$4 feet from the upper side
of her keels on to the ratings. The bow
and stern of the vessel are very much
higher than the craft is aMidships and the
vessel is altogether without deck. She Is
built like the original. Of oak. and the
planks overlap.
This boat 10 fitted with thirty-two oars,
each being feet long. Her lines
are graceful IS those OF d modern yacht
md there is no doubt that she could and
will make good speed. She will be AIMED
by a picked crew of twenty men commanded
by Capt. Morgan Anderson, who is known
az the mar who eight years ago three times
attem pied to sail from Norway to America
in a boat eighteen feet long and only gave
it up after his boat had capsi2sa three
times.
The voyage will be made to this country
to prove by actual experiment. that it was
not at all improbable or a difficult thing for
Left Erickson to cross the ocean in ono Of
these boats over !. 200 years ago. as history
now says he did. The vessel will arrive in
New York about the middle of May.
There has been but one difficulty which
the committee in Norway has had to con-
tend With. The vessel needs only twenty
mon. but the com mittee has been absolutely
overwhelmed with requests from the best
sailors in Norway to be allowed to be one
of the picked crew, and it is quite certain
that many will be disappointed when the
selections are made.
c.. Ravn, the Royal Commissioners Gem
eral of Norway to the fair, says that the
vesael will proceed to Chicago from New
York by way Of the Erie canal.