Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-01
Walter We||man Will
Seek the North Pole.
Aid Of Wireless viii Be Invok.
ed to Hell ? Out Experiment.
Santos Dumont Volunteers Aid and
Will Accompany Expedition.

Chicago, Dec. 31.-"Build an air ship,
go find the North Pole and report by
wireless telegraphy and submarine ca
bIes the progress of your efforts"
This was the startling assignment
given a few days ago to Walter Well
man. Washington correspondent of the
Chicago Record-Herald. by Frank B.
Noyes, editor-in-chief of the paper. and
the commission has been accepted by
Mr.. Wellman, it was announced last
night. AS an assistant on his eXpedi-
ton Mr.. Wellman will have the services
of Alberto Santos Dumont of Paris.
who will have charge of the cOnstruc-
ton of the airship and will act as aero
nautic director and pilot of the ship on
it's voyage toward the North Pole. The
airship will be built by Louis Codarad
Of Paris and will be completed by the
end Of next April
Early in July headquarters will be es-
tablished in Spitzbergen where the ex-
rlorers will await a favorable opportu-
| nifty for the trip toward the pole which.
| according to Mr.. NNellman, should the
expedition meet with good run Of luck
| should be reached in less than week.
In announcing his acceptance of the
| commission Mr.. Welman said:
IF / did not believe the chances of
success were greater than those of fail
ure l should not accept the commits
| sion. Mr.. Noyes acted upon no sudden
whim or impulse when he gave the or
der to try to find the much-sought
/ DnIn no no boz l.;
port 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 con-
! struction and navigation, the wind and
| climatic conditions to be encountered
and all tho multitudinors mechanical
and meteorological factors involved.
The problem of reaching the North
Pole by means OF an airship does not
ITequire high speed and the present
| state of the art of aerial navigation by
gaS buoyed and motor-drived ships is
ample for that purpose. From an eas-
| lily reached base of operations i'll North
! erIi SpitZbergan we have $50 geogra PHI
| ical miles to go to the pole and like
distance for the return voyage. If we
| make the whole at 1900 miles it means
but 100 hours of motoring at II miles
| an hour. Santos Dumont has repeated
| ly made from IS to % miles an hour
with small airships. equipped with rel
| atIvtly small motors.
THE airship in which we purpose to
| attain the North Pole will be the larg-
| est practicable airship ever built. 1t
Will be 1856 feet long and it's greatest
| diameter will be 40 feet and it's volume
will be 10000 cubic feet. Inflated with
hydrogen. it will have a total ascen-
| sional force of 1890 pounds. Seven
| thousand pounds will be the weight of
| the ship and its equipment complete,
| leaving 5000 pounds for cargo. The ship
| will be provided with three motors,
with Il cumbiued energy of 10-horse
power. If the winds hinder. no more
| than they help, and there are no de-
| iayS the ship can motor from North
| Spitzbergen to the pole in a. hours.
THE airship will have an endurance
| capacity of buoyancy sufficient to en-
able 1t to remain IS to 80 days in the
| air.
1T will carry $500 pounds of gaso-
line and its distance capacity during
calm weather will be 1900 miles. 1t is
a part of our project to motor only
with favorable winds and to anchor
our ship to the ice and lie to- in all
| unfavorable winds of velocity exceed
ing one-half the normal speed of our
craft
Besides the $500 pounds of fuel
mentioned. the ship will carry five
men. a comfortable car to live in
(Which Is also boat in case of need),
food. and supplies for IS days and a
complete sledging outfit ready for use
should it be necessary to abandon the
airship and take to the ice. 1t at the
worst our ship carries only two-thirds
of the way to the pole we have an al
tentative method of travel by which
we may reasonably hope to complete
our task and make our return to land
in safety.
wireless telegraph stations will be
established at Spitzbergend and Ham
merfest. Norway. 500 miles distant
Further than this a wireless equip
ment will be carried in our ship and
it will be Cir effort to send frequent,
If possible daily dispatches to the out
side world.r