The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-06
ANOTHER COLLAR EFFORT.

Speaking of the Wellman-D Dumont Polar scheme The Norfolk Virginian- Pilot remarks that "a wireless mes sage from the North Pole may be ex- pected about August 15." Messages from that source have been expected" for many years but they consistently refuse to come. The Chicago Record Herald. when it gave Walter Wellman the job of having an atrshfp built and trying a flight to the North Pole in it exhibited a stroke of newspaper enterprise of the same nature. and per haps more important and hazardous than was shown by The New York Herald when in 1869, it sent Henry M. Stanley to Africa tn search of Living stone. It is more uncertain and haz- ardous enterprise, because Stanley was to make land trip and had some idea of what he might encounter.
 It is widely different with this pro- jected enterprise. Search for the Pole has been going on for generations, and the truth is we know as little about | it as we did half century ago. We know something more of the difieul- ties to be encountered, and have bet ter knowledge of what is necessary, but all that science and skill have thus far accomplished have made the road little less difficult or obscure than 1t has ever been.
 For all that. the present attempt
 may he a success. for no enc can safe Iy predict either triumph or defeat in a scheme of this nature. MT. We'll man has accepted the commission of his paper just as he would have ac- cepted commission to go as corre- snondent to Europe or any other known country. Already the rder for the con- struction of the airship has been given to Louis Goddard, of Paris, and it will be built under the supervision of san tos. purhont, the well known authority on such matters. and he will make the trip with WeIIman- The machine will he equipped with all the improvements that modern science can suggest, in- eIuding a wireless outfit by which i' is expected that communication can b' kept up with civilization.
 While all is being done that modern knowledge can suggest to ensure sue lcess no one can predict the result witi certainty, of course. The adventurer' may be lost, like Andree. and nevel
 heard of more, or they may actuall! discover the Pole and return. If tha
 is done it will be wonderful triumph
 for the new century, for our countr!
 and for American newspaper enter
 prise One enthusiastic authority tell
 us that MT WeIlman may requir , about two days to make the flight t the pole" Yes. and 1t may require great deal more time than two days The time Is not a matter of so mucl
 importance as to make the journe!
 safely and return. If he finds tn ) object and returns, the time consumed l whether measured by days. weeks O ] months Is of comparatively little con ! sequence Be the practical result wha r it may all will fervently wish that tn l explorers may return in safety.
 { The distance to be travelled by al V Is not so great as to form seriou
 obstacle, if all else were favorable
 The flight. we understand, is to begi ? at spitzbergen, and from there to tn 8 Pole is about seven hundred miles | 6 A. direct line. IL will not require yer e speedy flight to cover that distSne
 in fortx.sikAt hours, but none ca