Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-04-02
PENETRATING TO THE POLE.
A Great Ice Destroying Steamship De-
signed to Cut Its Way To the Pole.

A Great Ice Destroying Steamship De
signed to Cut Its Way to the Pole.
Those who will attempt to penetrate
to the north pole on the "ice destroyer
such as is described by Science Siftings
will not have to complain Of a lack OF
excitement if the destroyer" once set
lies down to business. Mr.. Warrington
Badon-Powell, says Siftings, pins his
faith to a great ice destroying steamship,
kind of ocean pillow. IL is to be loo
feet long. The deck is to be covered
with steel plates, held in place by very
heavy rivets At the bow will be mount
ed curious looking screw, not unlike a
series of circular saws. This is the ice
destroyer, hy means of which the ship
will cut its way through the walls OF
northern ice that bar its progress.
AS the ship lies still this screw saw is
intended to project for several feet above
the water level The shaft of the screw
will be a massive bar of steel, pointed
at one end, so that it may be operated
as a ram. Ii is the idea of the inventor
TO send the craft into an ice pack or foe
under full head Of steam. with the pro-
peller at the stern and the screw at the
bow both working together.
This rapidly revolving screw and ram
combinedwill crash intothe ice, impelled
by power that is tremendous. Then
it will saw and bore and rip its way
through the pack or foe, throwing the
ice upward and backward in huge
blocks. One might expect that the fly
ing ice and snow would iniure or bur
den the vessel, but to avoid such dis
aster shield has been constructed which
will answer the dual purpose of lessen
ing the heavy shocks Of the waves and
the bombardment Of great chunks Of fly
ing ice. This shield is a curved affair,
running from a point forward from the
deckhouse, backward at an angle Of 40
degrees. 1t will be made Of heavy boiler
iron sheet riveted together.
Just behind the deckhouse is the fun
mel. From this point the craft, as de-
signed, gradually narrows to the stern,
which ends in rounded point The
hull is to be built of steel and, to give
it additional strength, bound at inter
walls with heavy steel bands riyeted to
the plates. The idea Of having the stern
slope more sharply to point than does
the bow is in order that in its passage
through the water, as the waves are
parted by the bow, the water in pressing
against the retreatirg sides Of the craft
will find least resistance toward the
stern, and so in measure force the boat
onward. Another reason for the peculiar
construction of the bow is that in the
forward part Of the ship is TO be fixed
the powerful engine which drives the
ice destroying, screw shaped saw at the
Prov.
While only intended for moderate
speed, this craft is especially designed
for battering and ramming ice. It's pro-
polling engines will be of the compound,
triple expansion type. The boilers will
be heated by petroleum. The petroleum
will be carried in a tank, heavily pro-
tected by steel. in that portion Of the
craft in which coal bunkers are ordina-
rily located. The tankroom is to be very
large, considering the size Of the boat.
and sufficient for an exceedingly long
voyage. Owing to the fact that only a
moderate rate Of speed will be maintain
ed, the supply Of fuel will prove much
more ample than it would otherwise.
Below and all around the forward en-
CINE room are steel tanks, in which the
petroleum is stored. In the after section
Of the hull, about a third Of the way
from the stem, is placed the engine
which runs the propeller. The boiler
room is just in front. Storerooms, in
which can be carried provisions for
three years and a half, and petroleum
tanks will occupy the after portion Of
the ship.
Such are the plans Of an inventor
who will never be satisfied until he
has reached the north pole" 1t has
been the great dream Of the high intel
lects Of the nineteenth century, and the
twentieth century. now close at hand, is
likely to behold the vision Of its prede-
cessor turned into reality.-Pall MIL
Gazette.