Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-12-20
NORWAY.

/
The ship on which Capt.. Roald
| Amundsen wiil sail to the North pole
win be launched at Christiania In
March. 1t will be of 800 tons. three
masted schooner equipped with an
auxiliary oil motor of 240 horse power.
It will carry a crew of ten men, two
of whom viii be Americans. the rest
Norwegians. Two were with Captain
Amundsen in the northwest passage
and at the South pole. They are Hell
mer Hansen and Adolf Lindstrom, the
captains old cook. by heading into
the ice several hundred miles east of
where Nansen began his drift" said
Captain Amundsen at the Chicago club
few Gays ago, Il believe / will have
a stronger northward current and viii
be carried close TO the pole. Nansen
went into the pack too far west. He
drifted to IS degrees and then made
his famous dash to IS degrees. Ia min
utes, which was the highest north
then. BY starting my drift farther
east and at about ~ degrees north lati-
tude, believe l will reach IS degrees
at least. and possibly 50. IL / achieve
the former latitude, l viii be within
100 miles of the pole. l expect TO
reach So degrees after a drift of year
and a half or two years. In that time
will have drifted half across the
polar pack, which is 1900 to 1000
miles wide. From my highest point
north, l will set sail in my airplanes
for the pole. l should make the air
voyage from the ship to the pole in an
hour or so. The flight would be inn
possible in the darkness of the arctic
winter should like to make it around
June p, when the sun is farthest north
and the polar region is bathed in con-
slant day. | hope to remain "a hours
at the pole. Only myself and my avn
ator. who will be an American. will
make the flight to the pole. l expect
my drifting voyage across the polar
basin to occupy three years. | will
take along Il thorough scientific equip
ment. | expect to bring back mucn
valuable data regarding prevailing
winds, air currents, air temperatures,
sea currents. sea temperatures. salin-
ity Of arctic water and so on. | will
make frequent airplane flights. Rising
to a height of 1000 or 5000 feet,
shall be able to survey the region with
in a radius OF 100 miles or more.
expect to see Crockerland, which Peary
discovered far to the west of his march
to the pole. and which Donald MacAIil- 1
Ian failed to find. Despite MacMillan's
failure, l believe the land is there
Peary, l think, saw a mirage of 1t. 1t
probably lies further to the west than
Peary thought. The drift of the polar
pack is less than two miles a day.
Relics from the jeanette, positively
identified. washed ashore on the south
coast of Greenland three years after
the wreck of De Longs vessel" Cap
tain Amundsens new ship, he says.
viii cost 100000. 1t will be of stout
oak timbers. with sides three feet (
thick and heavier about bows and
stern. At the mouth of the Yenisei /
river in Siberia he will take on %
dogs, a new supply OF oil, fresh meat, !
eggs butter and potatoes from the /
farmlands about Krasnoyarsx. His /
vessel and his sledges will be equipped (
with wireless telegraphy. so exploring
parties may keep in touch with the
ship. The Aero Club Of America will
supply the airplane and the aviator |
Captain Amundsen sailed through the |
northwest passage on the Gioa, a sloop |
Ill
in 1903-06 He discovered the South |
pole December IA. 1911, after a thrill |
ing race against Capt. Robert Scott. |
The gallant Englishman arrived at the |
pole January II. 1912, found Amund-
sens victorious flag planted there, and. !
heartbroken, turned back for the sea.
With his provisions exhausted, he per
ished in blizzard only a days jour
uey from his ship.