The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-02
RUSSIA'S CELEBRATING SHIP
Which May Churn Its Way to the
Pole Some Day.

| Russia has just built a steamship that
can cut her way through ten feet of solid
ice. Four weeks ago this remarka Bile YES
| sci, the Ermak, made trip through the
frozen Gulf of Finland On she went, di-
rectly to Cronstadt. the island fort just
opposite St. Petersburg. 1t was the fret
time a ship was ever known to come into
port during the closed season. For six
months from November to April, the Gulf
| of Finland, which is the waterway TO St
Petersburg, in 90 degrees north latitude, is
frozen solid to a depth of five to ten feet.
Russias capital is then cut off completely
from the outside world as far as shipping
is concerned. It might as well be an Arc
tic city. 1t is in fact within five degrees
Of the Arctic Circle.
When the news reached ST. Petersburg
last month that big steamer was coming
up the gulf like a race horse to Cronstadt
through the solid ice it caused more ex-
element than has been known since the
cars coronation. Thousands of people on
skates, on dog sleds, on three horse sleighs,
started in a race down the ice-covered bay
to meet the incoming ship: They came
upon the Ermak, the ice-breaking ship,
at TOlbacon Lighthouse, nine miles below
Cronstadt. The big vessel was just start
ing on the last lap of her trip to CrOn-
stadt. The ice of the Tolbacon Lighthouse
in the open sea was about five feet thick.
This was easy sailing for the Ermak, and
she was making seven knots as she met
the vanguard of the sledge party from st.
Petersburg There was the widest outcry
Il 49,,
ing along and tossing the ice aside like
foam at the bow. The crowd eXcitedly
shouting and cheering divided on either
side of the ship, wheeled around and be-
gan the trip back to Cronstadt with her
It was soon a race between the ship and
the fastest teams and skaters for the YES
sci sDurted uD to ten knots. When she
came up to Cronstadt, in plain sight of st.
Petersburg, the Ermak was welcomed by
the Russian civil and military officials
from the capital. Salutes were fired from
the forts. 1t was March II and st. Pat
ricks day became the biggest day in Rus
sia's naval history. That day made Cron-
stadt and st. Petersburg open ports all
the year round. 1t was made a carnival
day in honor of Admiral Mrkaroff, the in
ventor Of the Ermak.
The secret of her power is that she does
not break up the ice by main force I'm
der her bow is a screw which forces the
water directly upward. This lifts the ice
upward and cracks it. The powerful steel
bow then casts it aside like drift ice. A
peculiar thing about her is that she has
no keel, in the proper sense. To keep her
from rolling she carries water ballast It
can be so regulated as to keep her from
listing TO one side or the other The Err
max was built from Admiral Makaroff's
plans by Armstrong, Mitchell e Co, of
Newcastle, England. She is of 5000 tons
burden and her engines have 5000 horse |
power.
The first voyage Of the Ermak last !
month, which she completed so success
fully. was interesting from the start /
When she cleared from Newcastle for !
Cronstadt, Russia, the English port off |
Gals were incredulous. Such a thing as a |
ship starting for a Russian port in March |
had never been heard of. Upon reaching
Reval. the Russian port at the entrance Of /
the Gulf Of Finland, solid ice was encoun-
tered. Up TO this time the ice-breaking |
device at her bow had not been used. Two
hundred miles OF fee work was now ahead |
Of the Ermak. The screw at her bow was
set to work, and she forged ahead at seven
knots. breaking the ice easily and leaving
its pieces whirling after her in her wake.
But the cautious captain hove her to at
night. She made HIGHLAND on the second
day. and had then gone one hundred miles
through ice. When the island OF Sescar
was sighted, fifty miles further on, the
Ermak came upon large frozen foes, ten
feet thick. This was the greatest test Of
the Ermak. But she broke the tough foes
up into pieces and went ahead at The rate
Of two and a half knots an hour This
was practically Polar ice. For explorers
have said that the thickness Of the ice in
the highest attitudes yet reached Is only
ten 10 fourteen feet. But the Ermak beat
her way through fifty miles Of this ice and
arrived AT T0lbacon Lighthouse. which
the channel leading UP to Cron-
stadt and 81. Petersburg. From that point
1n the ice was only five feet thick.
Admiral NakaroT Is now looked upon as
maker Of Greater Russia. The opening OF
the port OF $. Petersburg 70 commerce
turing the whole year Wi ! naturally
change the whole drift Of commerce OF
northern Europe. Ships like these could
-un regularly from English. French, Ger
nan and Scandinavian ports 70 81. Peters
burg with even more ease than ships now
ross the dangerous English Channel n
winter III 70 this time Russia's humilla-
ion mas been that she has not a single port
IN the Baltic Sea or Pacific Ocean JAat
,hips can come into more than SIX months
= the year. Her bag fleets 0f war ships
7avs 70 be sent OF 70 southern waters a.
ne first frost OF remain frozen up solid az
heir home ports for the next six months.
~ useless as yachts in winter Tbs has
.,used Russian officials "a make every e.
or TO find some kind OF ship thai could go
through thick ice Admiral Makarof solv-
q the problem.
81, a saH greater task IS now planned
or the Eruak "a summer. Z 5 10 keep
,pen for six months instead Of three
months. as at present the Arctic Ocean
cute and the Kara Sea % Archsngel and
he Siberian ports OF the OBJ and Yen. sci
lyers. These places are over seventy de-