Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-04-03
PENETRATING TO THE POLE.
A Great lee Destroying Steamship De-
signed to Cut It's Way to the Pole.

A Great lee Destroying StcamshiP ~
sigucd to Cut It's Way to the Pole.
Those who will attempt to penetrate
10 the north pole on the lice destroyer
such as is described by Science Siftings
will not have to complain of Il lack OF
excitement if the destroyer onco set
Ties down to business Mr.. Warrington
Badcn-Powcll, says Siftings, pins his
faith to Il great ice destroying steamship,
kind of ocean pillow. 1t is to be 100
feet long. The deck is to DO covcreu
with steel plates, held i'll place by very
heavy rivctS. At the bow will be mount
ed Il curious looking screw, not unlike a
series of circular SAWS. This is the ice
destroyer, hv means of which tho 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 Il massive bar of steel, pointed
at one end, so that it may be operated
as Il ram. 1t is the idea of the inventor
to send the craft into III ice pack or tloo
under full head Of steam, with the pro-
peller ut the stern and the screw at the
bow both working together.
This rapidly revolving screw and ram
combincdwil crash intothc ice, impelled
by a power that is tremendous. Then
it will SAW and bore and rip its way
through the pack or tloc, throwing tho
ice upward and backward i'll huge
blocks. One might expect that the fly
inc ice and Snow would injure or bur
den the vessel, but TO avoid such & dis
astera 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 Il curved affair,
running, from point forward from the
deckhouse, backward ut an angle Of 40
degrees. twill be made of heavy boiler
iron sheet riveted together.
Just behind the deckhouse is the fun
mel. From this point the craft, rs de
signed, gradually narrowS to tho stern,
which ends III Il rounded point. The
hull is 70 he built of steel and, TO give
it additional strength, bound at inter-
walls with heavy steel bands rivetcd to
the plates. The idea Of having the stern
slope more sharply TO point than does
the bow is il order that III its passage
through the water, rs the waves are
parted by the bow, the water in pressing
against the rctrcating sides of the craft
will find least resistance toward the
storm, and so III amcasure 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. Its pro-
pelling engines will be of the compound,
triple expansion type. The boilers will
be heated by petroleum. The petroleum
will be carried III Il tank, heavily pro-
tectcd by steel, III that portion of the
craft in which coal bunkcrs are orlina-
rilv located. The tankroom is to be very
large, considering the size of the boat,
and sufficient for IN exceedingly long
voyage. Owing to the fact that only 4
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-
zine room are steel tanks. III which the
petroleum is stored In the after section
of the hull, about third of the way
from the stem, is placed the engine
which runs the propeller. The boiler
room is just il front. Storerooms, in
which can be carried provisions for
three years and 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. F" 1t has
been the great dream Of the high intel
lects of the nineteenth century, aud the
twentieth century, now close at hand, is
likely TO behold the vision of its prede-
ccssor turned into reality,-Pall Mall
C.ayorte