The San Francisco call., 1907-01-06
CHARLES
HANSON

proper to speak OF this geographical
decoration OF the earth in that way.
Would II be a success? That was
the great question. for, of course. no
ordinary automobile could navigate the
ice OF the north. In the first place. II
would have 10 be an automobile on
runners. SO Porter set TO work in
the engine-room OF the Hanson to
whittle out a pair OF siedges Every
invention begins with model and this
model began with :he sledges.
Then the inventor in the north
reasoned that ii would be a fine thing
10 have a house on the sIedge runners
"a sort OF cabin big enough for two
men and 3 protection from the ferce
winds that sweep the sitting snow in
clouds across the dry and crystal
plains. Here again was the advantage
OF being Johnnie-on- -the-spoL SO 10
speak, even n the spot in this instance
happened 10 be frigld location. Now.
II you had been inventing an auto
IAhEAtt AEl IAtN-tlAIAtltH anu AVAaE II
al under the shady side OF tho barn on
the farm while tho crlckets hummed to
the tune OF 30 degrees in the shade. you
would probably have devised a light
tricycle., and, remembering hat all the
books said that the one thing 10 fight
for was lightnoss. you would never
have invented anything so comfortable
as house on runners. But you must
remember that the books ali go on
tho supposition that II you are 10 reach
the pole ~ al IL must be with dog
tesm. and as dog teams cat sbout as
much as they cRn carry of course
lightness IN the conveyance was for
rnerly the desideratum which ruled tho
whole plan. But Porter had found
those $50 miles 10 his nearest neighbor
pretty cold miles. and II was the most
natural thing n the world for him
to plan house OF sledges 10 protect
him from the rigor OF the cutting
winds
II house. then rooms. First, one
big living room in the center Of the
Ger. which. you Will sec. is something
like a gypsy's wagon.
How long should il be?
well. there is lots Of room in this
country" Porter answered, ard he de-
clded that about twenty feet over all
would be about right Now, with six
feet OF beam, that would leave plenty
OF room for living apartment in The
center Of the car. the dimensions OF
which were 5:exls feet, and still there
would be space for the engines in an
after compartment and a little steer
room or coming tower in tho front.
with door in the side and plenty OF
windows the car was complete in out
lire. Porter's first model. which he
made last winter in the north. was
built with pastebosrd superstructure.
Pasteboard boxes are not thicker than
blueberries on frozen-in whaier. but
evidently there was one left.
Then came the question Of motive
power Hero Porter had something to
guide him. Was he not employed as
run a gasoline engine that drove the
Hansen through the lanes OF blue water
when the ice opened IN the spring? II
Is true that only a few years ago there
were plenty OF men here in San Fran
cisco who said that gasoline engine.
while it might do well enough for a
hsrbor launch. would never work in the
Arctic. They knocked" with notable
vigor when the whaler Monterey was
first fitted with that means OF loco
motion and sailed north 10 try It. But
now every one knows that every
whaier has a gasoline engine. and that
IL works just az well in the north as
IL does in the tropics. The fact is that
a water cooler is necessary to keep
them cool. Porter will use an air
cooler for the engine on his car. like
that used on an automobile. Gasoline
was the thing. There was no doubt
about that
Now. all this was but the chIld's play
Of invention. The real work came In
devising q way TO get the power from
the engine into the runners of the dou-
bic sledges. That was hard And 1t is
right here that the merit OF this in
vention comes In. Porter knew what