New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-30
THE VIKING SLIP.

outskirts Of the village 1t was called Kings
mound and the traditions Of the townsfok had II
that Viking buried there with all his earthly
belongings, large part OF which was necessarily n
ship and Its fittings Tie greater number Of the
townsfolk, however had little faith in the old Saga
tale. and only the old women and children glzed at
the mound containing anything more than sand
and rocks
The sailor, however, determined TO satisfy him
self this point and began digging. He dig a
square hole. and had not entered many feet when
his spade struck solid oak plank which, on
further investigation, proved 10 be the side OF
ship. The experts In the Royal University In Chris
tiania Inspected the relic ami pronounced It to be
Viking ship, but of what 1t was impossible to de-
termine until the warm weather Of Nay and June
had sufficiently thawed out the earth to make further
investigations possible. In the early sumner the
entire mound cleared away, and revealed Vik-
ing ship in good condition, and In II n skeleton
OF n man ncased In armor and surrounded with
oars. and other things belonging TO the sup. The
articles In the ship with the armor the skeleton
determined the age OF the ship at about 900 years.
All the woodwork was In good state OF preserya-
ton. 1t was decided that this must have been the
kind OF a craft In which Lief Erickson made his yoy-
TO the North American continent nearly 1000
years ago. The Wiling ship repaired and re-
moved 10 the University at Christianil.
About two years ago II suggested that II would
be proper at the 4ooh anniversary OF the landing OF
Columbus In America 10 prove that the voyage OF
Lief Erickson from Norway and Iceland to the New
England coast perfectly feasible. and it de-
cided reproduce the Viking ship. equip her as nearly
as possible HE the original. her and send her
10 the United states. unaccOmpanicd bv any steamer
or ship Of any kind. A fac smile Of the old Viking
ship accordingly built Of oak at sandefjord by
popular subscription and she will sail early IN May
or April for New York. The dimensions OF the ship
arc l. IL feet all. 10 IA feet beam, while the
distance from the upper side Of the kccsOn to tho
railing Is ) "a feet. The bow and stern are higher
than amldship, and there Is no deck OF any kind.
II IS tWcniy-,evcn tons. 4 PECULIARLY OF her con
structlon l. that her p,anks are cinkcr' built or
overlap, like the weather boarding OF house. There
are thlrty-fwo oars and rOwlocl,. and each oar Is
seventeen feet long. Little sail i carried, FOR Tie
old Vikings depended on their oar, than on the
wind. i for this reason That their SHIPS were
built So Hight and had such graceful lines.
Twenty picked men under tie command 81 MhghuS
Anderson viii sail row the slip from Norway Ia
New York Eight years ago Captain Anderson AT
tempted 10 MAX" the voyage from Norway 10 tho
ui,i states in open "ishccn foot boat. lie go'
A. far the Newfoundland banks, after having "a M
boat upset three times. when h" gave up the attempt
and wa, picked mp more dead than alive hY an Eng
mn y,.,,l Notwithstanding the length of th" NOy.
nec from Norway to Ncw-lorI and the dangers OF
un,c,flng an omen vessel the Atlantic, thcr"
arr, many time, vount"cr for the service among
lie NORWEGIAN sailors than needed. The sealeh
and slip viii be dressed and fitted out exactly a. the
The slip viii remain in NcwYork several week
where f. viii be- properly received by the Royal Com
mi. .oucrs and VIII BE- placed exhibition. ~ VIII
then ,al for Chicago by the Erie Canal ana the Great