The Forrest City times., 1904-11-25
BUILDING PEARY'S SHIP.
Vessel in Which the Explorer Will Make Another Attempt to
 Reach North Pole.

The vessel for the next Peary expedi- tion to the north is to be built this win ter at Verona, 19 miles down the Penob- scot from Bangor, Me. Commander Robert E.. Peary has been busy superin- tending some changes in the plans for the model ship.
 Great secrecy is maintained as to the design of the vessel. and photographers are not allowed in or near the model loft Com mander Peary will not allow any photographs to be made of the model until after the ship has been framed out, nor will he allow sketches or drawings to be made.
 A crew of carpenters is at work build ing shed. 250 feet long, 60 feet wide and 50 feet high, under which the vessel is to be constructed. This building is to be heated by steam and lighted by cleo tricity, SO that no time may be lost, as the contract calls for the delivery of the vessel at Portland, ready to receive her machinery, on February 15. Shipbuild ing out-ofdoors in Maine winter wealth CT is pretty slow and rather uncomfort- able work.
 Thus far little work has been done on the stern frame but no great progress can be made until the arrival from Vir- ginia of the oak timbers for the keel. and these timbers have been delayed by an accident on a railroad near Washing ton.
 The keel will be very heavy. consist ing of three sawed oak timbers, each 6 by 6 inches, making when joined 6x1S keel.
 These are to be planked with 6inch hard pine, planed and calked. and out side of that there will be oak sheathing, planed and calked, with iron sheathing over all.
 Commander Peary said in an inter- view that his voyage this time would probably occupy not less than 15 months. and. should the weather be se- we're. might be extended to 27 months He continued:
 This new ship will be 1S4 feet long on deck, B feet beam and 16 feet g inches depth of hold. She will have an extra heavy frame of Virginia oak, with double bottom frames. and heavily banked up with timber fore and aft
 She will not be three-masted schooner with auxiliary steam but steamer with auxiliary sail-about 1000 square yards on three pole masts We shall depend chiefly on the steam power, using sail only when convenient or in case her coal should become exhausted
 Her engines will be of l,000 indicated horsep power but capable of developing for limited periods. 800 horsepower That will make her by far the most powerful ship ever constructed for the arctic voyage, the best ship before this having had only about 450 horse power
 Il shall fit out in New York, and prob ably sail from there III the early part of July. We shall have only one sub station for this expedition. that being at Cape Sabine. in 79 degrees north lati- tude, and shall leave supplies there in care of the natives Then We shall go north ill the steamer as far as S de- grees, which will be within 500 miles of the pole
 Probably we shall be frozen in there. and then we shall leave the vessel and make the dash overland by sledges for the pole. We may be able to get further north than S3 degrees with the steamer. That will depend on what kind of a sea son We have
 There will not be more than 15 men in the party this time. My daughter may go as far as Cape Sabine. but if so she will return at the end of the sum- mer."