Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-01-11
70 THE POLE BY AIRSHIP.

Walter Welman gave out in an inter-
view, a day or two ago. tn" plan or MS
proposed attempt to roach the north
pole next summer as follows:
THE problem of reaching the north
pole by means of an airship docs not re-
uuire high speed, and the present state
of the art of aerial navigation nv gas
buoycd and motor-drivcn ships is ample
for that purpose. From an easily reach
| ed base of operations in Northern SpitH-
| bergen we have but 80 geographical miles
to go to the pole, and like distance for
the return voyage If We take the whole
at I 200 miles, it means but 100 hours Of
motoring at l2 miles an hour. Santos
Dumont has repeatedly made from IA to
2; miles an hour with small airshiDs
equipped with relatively small motors
THE airship in which We purpose to
attain the north pole. which will he built
in Paris. will be the largest practicabl"
airship ever built. 1t will be 1876 feet long
| and its greatest diameter will be ~ feet.
Its surface will measure 23,Ono square feet
and its volume will be $4,000 cubic feet
Inflated with hydrogen, it will have a
total ascensonal force Of 153tD pounds.
! Seven thousand pounds will be the
weight of the ship and its equipment
complete, leaving 500 pounds for cargo.
The ship will be provided with three
motors, with combined energy of -
horse power If the winds hinder no
more than they help. and there are no
delays. this ship can motor from North
Spit2hcrecn to the pole in A. hours.
'"Iho airship will have an endura nee
capacity in buoyancy sufficient to enable
it to remain - to 80 days in the air. II
will carry 5Jo1 pounds of gasoline, and
Its distance capacity during calm wea-
thor will be 100 miles more than the
distance from Spitzbcrgen straight
across the pole and the whole Arctic
ocean to Alaska.
| "As our airShip will be constructed it
will he able to make Roadway against
two thirds OF all the winds that blow.
oven though they may be squarcly adj
verse. but it is part of our project Ia
motor only with favorabl" weather and
To- anchor our ship to the ice and lie to
in all unfavorablc winds of velocity ex-
cecding onc-half the normal speed OF
our craft.
"Thc ship will be equipped for safe
anchorage in the highest winds c"er
known in the arctic regions. In fact the
hand of the navigator just Ike steam
ship upon the ocean. Besides the go
pounds Of fuel mentioned the ship will
carry five men n comfortable car to live
in (Which is also n boat in case Of need,
food and supplies for scyenty-tive dogs
and a complete slodging outfit ready for
use should it be necessary to abandon
the airship ana take to the ice.
aft Cl,ip nf tI, /,
or two-thirds Of the way to it, We have
an alternative method Of travel by which
We may reasonably hope To comrict,
our task and make our return to Ian,
in safety.
AT no tim" will our airship be out o,
touch with the surface OF the earth
Orr guide rope, so-callcd, but in our cas-,
= smooth tapering line of steel, is Il
drag its lower end over the ice, to keel
the ship at a fairly stable height, "a
to 300 feeD, the altitude most favorabl,
to wireless biography, and tn maintain
under ordinary conditions the vcrtica
stability Of the craft.
wireless telesraphy stations will b.
established at Spitzbergen and Hammer
fest. Norway, 600 miles distant. Fur
ihCr than this a wireless equipment viii
be carried in our airship, and it will b'
our effort to send frequent, if possibl,
daily dispatches to the outside worlt
throughout all the time the expedition
is in the arctic regions, even from thu
pole itself, should We reach it,"