Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-01-05

Build an airship, go find the north
pole and report by wireless telegraphy
ana submarine cables the progress Of
SOu' eHorts'' This was the startling
Sisnineht given a few days ago to
waiter Wellman, Washington correspond
ent OF the Chicago Record Herald, by
FRANK b. Noyes, editor-in- chief of the
paper and commission has been accepted
Oy MI Wellman, 1t was announced Sat
orday night at Chicago AS an assistant
On TINS expedition Mr. Wellman will have
tne services Of Albertos Santos Dumont
VI farls' who will have charge of the
construction Of the airship and will act
as aeronautic director and pilot of the
snip on Its voyage toward the north pole
Inc alrship will be built by Louis God
aru OF Paris, and will be completed by
the end Of next April. No definite date
mas been set for the start on the Journey
put II Is expected Everything will be In
Ieaulness TO get away next July or Aug
ust. After completion the airship will
s. have several trials at Paris, and in June
all the paraphernalia for the journey
will be assembled in Norway. Early In
July headquarters will be estabnsheo
in Spitzbergen where the explorers Will
await favorable opportunity for the
trip toward the pole, which, according
W MI Nelltnan, SnOulu the eAPSulSOh
meet with a good run of luck, should be
. reached in less than a week
In announcing his acceptance OF the
commission. Mr.. Wellman said: III L
did not believe the chances of success
were greater than those of failure, l
should not accept the commission. Mr..
Noyes acted uIJon no sudden whim or
impulse when he gave me the order 10
try to find the much sought north pole.
as he had before him a report, which l
had submitted to him as the outcome OF
two visits to the inner polar regions, OF
years of study of the problem of the pole'
of many months of special investigation
of airship construction and navigation
the wind ard climatic conditions to be
encountered and all the multitudinous
mechanical and meteorological factors
involved. In this investigation scores OF
eminent experts and specialists were con-
suited volmninous technical reports were
received, and finally complete, sym
metrcal and at least promising project
was evolved by me as representing
seemingly practicable combination OF the
latest development of many of the arts
for accomplishing the result In view
! The problem of reaching the north pole
by means of an airship does not require
high speed, and the present state OF the
art Of aerial navigation by gas-buoyeo
and motor driven ships is ample for thai
n
K OF cSe-ations in northern Spitzberger
we have but $50 geographical miles to &c
to the pole and a like distance for the re-
turn voyage. If we take the whole al
1900 miles it means but 100 hours of mo-
toring at IL miles an hour. Santos Du'
mont has repeatedly made from 10 tC
% miles an hour with small airships
,eauipped with relatively small motors.
n THE airship in which we propose t(
attain the north pole will be the larges
practicable airship ever built 1t will b
90 feet long, and its greatest diameter
i'll he 40 feet and its volume will be 226,
Y Cubic feet. Inflated with hydrogen
JRill have a total ascensional force o
1900 pounds. Seven thousand pounds
will be the weight Of the shin and ~
equipment complete, leasing ooCC Poun ,o,
or cargo. The ship will be provided VIII
t.hree motors, with a combined energy o.
10 horsepower. If the winds hinder ne
more than they help, end there are nc
laIays- this ship con, ul2tor from North
pitzbergen TO the pole In As hours. The
rship will have an endurance capacity
D buoyancy sufficient to enable it to re-
main 25 to 80 days in the air 1t will
carry $500 pounds of gasoline, and its
distance capacity during calm weather