St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-12-17
BUILDING PEARY's SHIP.
Vessel in Which the Explorer Will
Make Another Attempt to
Reach North Pole.

The vessel for the next Peary expedi-
ton to the north 10 to be built this win.
ter at Verona. 10 miles down the Penob-
scot from Bangor. Me. Commander
Robert E. Peary has been busy superfn-
tending some changes in the plans fol
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. Commander 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 a shed. $50 feet long, 80 feet wide
and so 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 Is. Shipbutld-
ing out-of-doors in Maine winter wealth
er is pretty slow and rather uncomfort-
able work.
Thus far a 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
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 IS
months, and, should the weather be Sc
we're. might be extended to ~ months.
He continued:
This new ship will be 1874 feet long
OH deck. IS feet beam and 16 feet 9
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 q three-masted
schooner with auxiliary steam, but q
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 1000 indicated
horse power, but capable of developing.
for limited periods, $500 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 $50 horsepower.
II shall fit out in New York, and prob
ably sail from there IN the early part
of July. We shall have only one sub
station for this expedition. that being
at Cape Sabine. in 70 degrees north lati-
tude, and I shall leave supplies there in
care Of the natives. Then we shall go
north in the steamer As far as 50 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 SO degrees with the steamer.
That will depend on what kind OF sea-
son We have
There will not be more than Is men
In the party this time. My daughter
may 90 as far as Cape Sabine, but ii so
she will return at the end Of the SUM
mer."