The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-08

every nation will be exhausted within a fortnight.
 to talk of as a result of the measure taken to equip with radio the Bow doin.
 Along her waterline the Bowdoin carries a sheath of ironwood. known In shipyards here as greenhear and at her bow there is a steel plate These are for lending off ice. But the steel plate serves another pur- pose, that of acting as ground for the radio outfit.
 The antenna is at the top of a 65 foot mast.
 To get the radio equipment safely slowed aboard, it was necessary to sacrifice some of the berths in the forecastle, which serves also as gal ley and messroom.
 There is a little cabin above, with two berths-this Is Dr. MacMillan S.
 The removal of hunks from the forecastle reduced the available space for the crew to the smallest practicable-which means a marvel ] of packing in.
 Designed To Foil Ice.
 The Bowdoin Is only S9 feet long and has a beam of 20 feet. She was designed by William H. Hand, fa- nous as a designer. He modelled her along lines suggested by Dr. Mac Milan as being best for the work in the ice. She was built in Maine. So many ships that venture into the Arctic are crushed, forcing the members of the expedition to retreat over the ice with scanty supplies, vent such fate befalling the Bow doin. She is somewhat dish-shaped so that should she be caught in the l ice. the tendency is to slide her up rather than to crush In her sides.
 The Bowdoin is of the knocka bout type with Jib. jumbo, foresail and mainsail. Her foremast is about sixty feet high and her mainmast about sixty-five.
 1 The radio equipment is in the for ward part of the small forecastle, with transmitting and receiving sets close by two berths. There are also five other berths and in the after | part Is the cook stove, sink and small china closet It Is the tiniest sort of galley, one of the smallest afloat. Down the center Of the fore 1 castle runs the dining table which also serves as writing, reading and gaming table when not used for meals
 | Hold Crammed Full. Aft of the forecastle is the hold l 19 feet by 12 by z, and though small, it Is capable of carrying an aston ishing amount of suplies. Under the flooring are ten tons of coal for the cook stove.
 Next comes the engine room which | accommodates the big 45-horse power Fairbanks-M Morse engine and the Delco lighting system.
 The cabin, with two berths, chart ] table. closets and toilet is connected ] for convenience to the engine room and is just forward of the wheel and compass.
 Topping the ship is the four l strand antenna designed to rediate the latest Polar news to the rest of the world.
 Freak Suggestions.
 | Crowded as is the little polar 1 schooner Bowdoin, now bound to-, ward the Arctic, room enough was 1 found aboard to take a sheaf of freak uggestions-not to say fool cracks from people who don't know better-to while away the prelimin- ary time.
 l The departure of an Arctic expedi- tic n is an occasion for the wide spread demonstration of polar mis- | conceptions, and the MacMllan ex- petition Is no exception. | Folks who ought to know better, perhaps, have sent Dr. MacMillan, as other explorers, bright ideas rang l ing from the construction of a north pole pleasure pier to the crossing of whales and polar bears In order to produce fur-bearing whalebone. ! One of the most ludicrous mis- ! letter, but in book on the far nosth written by a man who could hardly 1 have known an igloo from a bunga- l low. He described poetically how, with the coming of spring, after the i justly celebrated long Arctic mint, the little ook-chooks, high upon tho | cliffs, softly eco in their nests" It is a pretty picture of natures com pensatory benefcienoe, but in sober truth the ook-chook does not twitter, ! being 900 pound seal, the largest i seal in the north.
 o o o
 A Tip To Peary.
 Dr, MacMillaa was with the late Commander Robert E. Peary on his successful dash to the north pole and prior to their sailing from New York i in 1908 they received many crazy suggestions, Intended to be helpful
 One well-meaning person sug- gested that on reaching the most northernmost point of land, a port able saw mill be erected so that a 1 covered passage might be built from there to the pole, sheltering the party from the terrible cold
 He was a little hazG. however, as to where the party should get the timber and evidently was unaware that the distance is 500 miles over jagged ice and sometimes open i water, or leads, which halted the party until the leads froze over
 Another person sent letters of in troduction to the inhabitants at the pole while still another informed the explorer that when he reached the goal he would find an open passage leading to the center of the earth where dwelt the happlest people in the world.
 Possibly the most surprising inci- 1 dent is 6ne connected with MacMil- lan's return from his own expedition in search of the mythical Croker Land
 It had been reported in the news papers that he had found several new glaciers of tremendous size. Below this, in the headlines, was men tioned the fact that he was bring ing back many interesting specirens