New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16

,o-,orce &c n get good and strong ship especially
adapted 70 Withstand the pressure or the ice-hoeS
when they are pressed together by the currents
ena the heavy gales OF the Arctic Sea. Such ship
cannot be had ready-made. and had TO Dulld the
Fran In which We now steering Into the un-
known north II took me two years to get her
ready but believe the result Is good. She Is an
unusually strong ship; the frame timbers are MADE
OF hard Italian oak. are 10 to u inches thick, ana
are placed close together inside them Is the cell
ing consisting OF pitch-pine planks alternately
and 8 inches in thickness. Outside the frame tim
bers Is the planking. consisting Of three skins;
first, 3-inch oak skin. over which Is another OF
inches and finally an outer panklng. or 'ice-sheet-
ing" OF greenheart. which Increases In thickness
from the keel toward the water-l.ne from TO 6
inches Greenheart Is a very hard. strong and slip
perry wood. but also very heavy. as II sinks In
water The whole thickness OF the sides OF the
Fran is thus % to 80 inchesa solid mass OF pitch
pine, oak and greenheart with little pitch IN be-
tween to make It water-tght.
ships side Of these dimensions and material
will alone have a great power OF resistance to tho
pressure OF the ice But this power is to a very
essential degree increased by the many beams.
stays and strengthenings Of every kind placed In
side the vessel. These are so carefully arranged
and united to each other that the whole Is Ike
one coherent mass, and the ship may almost be
considered II built OF solid wood. But II
this had been the case. she would not be strong
enough to resist the Ice II she had not got suit
able shape, as the ice is able to crush anything
which 1t gets a firm hold Of with its cold irresist
BILE grasp.
THE FRAMs CONSTRUCTION.
Tho most important feature In the Fram's con-
struction is therefore, that she is built on such
lines as will tend to lift her, and thus make her
escape the grasp OF the ice when II begins to press
Tho sides not perpendicular those OF ships
.n..~ IL a. l.sf.. -.
keel: her dead rise is great. that when the
e-hoes are pressed against her sides they meet
with no perpendicular wall to press against and
break. but with soping walls. along which they
will glide downward. and at last pass under TIE
keel OF the ship. tending to lift her OF the
water. The keel Is not projecting In order that
the ice shall not get hold OF IT, On the whole
everything is made smooth and rounded as pos
sible There edges. projecting corners
for the ice to catch hold Of: she is like a bowl and
a transverse section OF the Fran resembles very
much that Of q cocoanut.
The length of the Fran Is 1928 feet, the greatest
beam Is 80 feet; she Is consequently very broad
compared with the length. Her draught at pres
ent is about Is feet, and her freeboard is only 3
feet but now she is heavily loaded as we have
taken much coal carry. This will
however. gradually be burned In engines and
she will soon be lifted again. The size OF the ship
Is about 80 tons register. and her displacement
with her heavy cargo at present is. should say
about 500 tons little more.
She Is rugged n three-masted fore-and-aft
schooner The mainmast is nigh. and the top
Is the crow's-nest at height OF about l05 feet
above the water. From there you have a splendid
view over the ice-felds, and easily where
to steer your ship through open water.
The Fran has auxiliary engine of about 200
indicated horsepower. Deeply loaded she now
H. however, she does not get a speed OF more than
about five knots from the engine alone. but with
lighter cargo she makes six or even seven knots.
She is consequently not a fast vessel. but this is
relatively Of no great Importance on an expedition
Ne ours where we shall have to depend prnci-
PLY on the speed OF the current and the ice
nsement. and unfortunately not on that OF the
shs
o,,osvardrup. master Of the shiD AA vas M