Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-07-23
zEPPELIN's POLAR FLIGHT.
Will Try For New Mark In Northern
Travel.

Will Try For New Mark In Northern
Travel.
Notwithstanding the statement CIV
en- out by Prof. Hergesell to the effect
that the main object Of the proposed
Zeppelin expedition from Spitzbergen
next year would be to explore north
ern Greenland, says London letter,
there Is little doubt that with favor
able weather conditions q flight to
the north pole win be attempted. The
German papers are unanimous In urg-
ing Count Zeppelin, on patriotic
grounds, to plant the German flag at
the pole. Count Zeppelin's friends
favor the scheme and are confident
that the attempt will be successful.
DR.. Eckener, one of Zeppelin's init
mates, is Of the opinion that the north
pole will be much more easily reach
ed by dirigible airship than the south
pole, for many reasons, the first be-
ing that no such severe gales are an
ticipated as at the south pole, which,
as Lieut.. Shackieton discovered, In
situated on an elevated plateau. Pro-
tuberances on the earth's surface,
such as mountain ranges and forests.
offer a resistance to air currents
which results in those dangerous
gusts that have proved fatal to many
an airship. This friction Is non-exis-
tent in the Arctic regions. always
supposing that the Ice covered Arctic
ocean extends beyond the pole itself,
for which belief there is every ground.
Scores of experiments carried out
with kites and register balloons be-
tween the seventy-second and eighty
second degrees northern latitude
have shown that wind was only twice
observed at heights exceeding 1000
feet, above which. as rule, almost
complete calm reigned.
The same result has been obtained
by DR.. Nansen during his Fran expe-
dition. Severe thurderstorms and
rains such as were met by Count Yep
pelin on land are not believed to oc-
cur with frequency around the pole.
Assuming that operations would be
inadvisable with wind blowing at
rate of more than twelve miles an
hour. experiments at sea level have
shown that In the month Of July this
rate is rarely reached, while In June
also there are lengthy periods Of
comparative calm. Seeing that the
sun in polar regions remains half a
year above the horizon, there would
be no great danger Of sudden varia-
tions in the temperature, which
cause loss Of gas and ballast The
shortness Of the distance between
Spitzbergen and the pole, about 600
miles, ought to make It possible, 30
Count Zeppelin's friends think, for q
dirigible airship to accomplish the
journey during period Of polar calm
In twenty hours. The new Zeppelin
airship, which will have q capacity Of
1900 cubic meters. would carry
three $50 horsepower benzine mo-
tors, two Of which could keep the
airship afioat for 40 hours. Thus It
would be possible to reach the pole
and come back to spitzbersen or ei-
feet a landing In eastern Siberia,
Greenland or northern Alaska, dis
tances of say 1900 miles. The re-
turn from these inhospitable regions
would, however, be an expedition in
itself; hence preference Is given to
the idea Of returning to the base on
Spitzbergen. Fog is another enemy
to be reckoned with, though 1t IL held
that It is never so dense In polar re-
gions, as to obstruct the view Of the
Ice beneath, and steering can be Of
fected with the aid Of compass by
day and with the help Of the stars by
night.
Asked for his opinion, Lieut.
Shackleton says that he Is no aero-
naut and knows nothing about the
north pole. This, however, he does
know, that 1t would be impossible
owing to the severe gales prevailing
in the Antarctic for an airship to con-
quer the south pole. But from me-
THEOLOGICAL point of view he thinks 1t
is quite within the bounds of possibil-
ity that success would attend zeppe-
Inns dash on tho north pole. He ad-
vises, however. that sledges bo taken
on board for use in an emergency.
His sledge motors, he says, never
give him any troubls, although the
sledges themselves proved useless In :
hummock strewn regions.