The Portland daily press., 1896-12-19
A PATH TO THE POLE.
Here Is a Boat Built To Cut a Track
Through the Ice.
A ROTARY SAW ATTACHMENT AT
THE BOW OF THE CRAFT.

1t Is the Inventors Idea That She VIII
Chop Up the Ice As she Goes Along-To
Be Fitted For Long Sojourn In the
Frozen North.
A new plan for reaching the North Pole
has just been conceived. Tha point sur
rounded by mystery is to be reached by
means of electric ice destroyer attached
to the PROV of a steam vessel $50 feet
long. The originator of the idea is Mr..
Warrington Baden-Powell, elder brother
of Sir George Baden Powell, M. p, and
MAJOR Baden Powell, who lead the pi-
oneers in the late Ashantee expedition.
An expedition is now planned, but
whether 1t will travel under British or
American auspices has not been decided.
The peculiar craft by which it is be-
lieved the goal for which millions Of
money have been spent and many lives
sacrificed will be achieved resembles in .
degree the whaleback. The deck cover
ing is of steel, studded with heavy riv-
cts, the whole specially drawn and weld
ed with the idea Of withstanding extreme
temperature, the sort that is naturally
expected to exist in the vicinity Of the
pole. This is about the only resem blance
SO far as any striking feature is con-
cerned, to any other craft which was ever
planned. In fact 1t is noticeable for the
m any radical changes and departures
from all previous theories Of marine ar
chitecture.
~ hn- d q
screw, not unlike series of circular
saws. This ice destroyer, for that L.
what it really is constitutes the means
for forcing q passage through ice foes
which never could be accomplished con.
tinuously and successfully except by
some such means. As the ship lies in the
water, this screw il observed as project
ing several feet, and partially out of the
water. In appearance this curious con-
trivance resembles more than anything
else a huge screw. AS stated, it has
teeth like saw cut in the edges of its
thread. The shaft, or center of this
screw, is massive affair of steel, point
ed at one end. so that it may be oper-
ated as ram. 1t is the idea of the in
yentor to send the craft ahead at an ice
pack or doe under a full head of steam,
with the propeller at the stern and the
screw at the bow, both working together,
although one receives its power from an
electric engine, while the power of TIE
other comes from an engine driven by
steam.
The rapidly revolving screw and ram
combined will first crash into the ice,
impelled by power that Is tremendous
when the size of the craft is considered.
Then it will saw and bore its way
through the pack or foe, throwing the
ice upward and backward. 1t might be
thought that the flying ice and snow
to avoid anything Of this nature shield
has been constructed which will answer
the dual purpose of withstanding the
heavy shocks of the waves and the bonn
bardment of flying Ice. This shield Ia
a curved affair, running from a point
Just forward from the deokhouse, back
ward at an angle of 45 degrees. 1t ia
made Of heavy boiler iron, sheets of
which are riveted together.
Just behind the deokhouse Is the
synokestack. From this point the craft
gradually nayrows to the stern, which
ends In a rounded point. The hull is
composed of steel, and to give it adj
ditional strength is bound at intervals
with heavy steel bands. These bands
are in turn rivstsd to the plates Of the
hull. The idea of having the stern slope
more sharply to a point than does the
bow SO: that in Its passage through tbs
water, az the waves are parted by the
bow, the water Is pressing against tho
restraining sides of the craft will find
the least resistance toward the stern. and
SO in measure force the boat onward.
Another reason for the peculiar oonstruc-
tion OF the bow is that In the forward
part Of the ship Is located the powerful
electric engine which drives the ioe-de-
stroying screw shaped saw at the PROV.
While only buils for moderate speed,
this craft Is especially designed for bat,
tering and ramminR ice, and Its propel-
ling engines, which will be compound
triple expansion, are to be correspond
ingly heavy and powerful, fully l, 800
horse power. The latest principle in the
way of fuel win be followed, and the
flame VIII ich heats the boilers will have
as its source petroleum. The petroleum
Is carried In a tank heavily protected by
steel, in that portion of the craft in
which the coal bunkers are ordinarily
located. The darkroom is extraordi-
narily large, considering the size of the
boat, and is sufficient for a very long
voyage. Owing to the fact that only
moderate rate of speed will be main
tanned, the supply of fuel will be much
more ample than would otherwise be
the case.
Well forward in the bow is placed tho
powerful engine which runs the ice
crushing screw saw. Huge electric mo-
tors and powerful gearing are the char
acteristios of this engine which will
only be used when it is necessary to cut
channel through the ice. The electricity