The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-07
WILL HOP
OFF FROM
ALASKA
Flight to Be Started June 20
May Make Notable Human
Achievement.

A ViUid picture of the dangers
sChich RGoLd Amundsen, discOUeT-
err of the South Pole, faces IN the
zen region of the North When he
attempts has GiyplGne flight across
the North Pole neat month are
told in series of three gripping
stories By II. III. HGngnser, bust
ness manager of the polar flight.
Herewith is the first instGlment.
Hammer is on has 10Gy to Spitz-
bergen, an island northeast of
Norway, to be prepared to receive
AmNpdsen If he should complete
the hazardous flight. If Ansatsad-
sen fails, then Hammer, equipped
With an GirplGne, aOiu be able to
offer from Spitzbergen any assist
G1sce 1Ohich can be devised.
Hammer aUrites Nth authority,
since he helped Amundsen prepare
for his polar flight, as lUeu as for
the drift of the ship Maud across
the unchGrted Arctic zee packs.
The flight, to be started from
Wainwright, Alaska, about June
90, may set nsW mark IN human
achievements. But there are many
hazards to be met and difficulties
to be overcome.
Tomorrow's iltstGlment tViLt pre-
sent the details of the during
scheme to fly across the North
Pole.
By TT. HI. HAMMER.
written for and copyrighted, 1923
by Cosmopolitan News SerVIce.)
EN- ROUTE TO sPITZBERGEN,
May fright now on light
sleigh pulled by twenty husky dogs.
Cap. Raold Amundsen, conqueror
of the Northwest Passage and the
discoverer Of the South Pole, il
heading north for new adventures.
He left Nome some weeks ago
Tor a 500-mile trek up to Vain
wright, Alaska, where his big, all.
metal monoplane has been looked
after all winter by Lieut.. o. Omdal,
Amundsen's pilot and only corn.
panion on his forthcoming flight.
In some weeks from now, about
June 20, the whole civilized world
will hold its breath for a brief mo-
ment when the news is flashed that
Amundsen has hoped off on his
20O0-mile trans-Polar flight.
What is his object? What areg
his chances? Will he ever make
it? These are the questions that
will be asked. The two first oncs
can possibly be answered, but as
for the last, only time will show.
Built to Withstand Ice.
AS far back as 1918 Amundsen's
present expedition started from Nor
way on the auxiliary motor schooner
Maud" vessel specially built for
the expedition. Amundsen's expert
ences both with Gjoa Northwest Pas
sage) and with Fran South Pole
had taught him exactly what kind
of ship he needed and the Maud was
built accordingly. When a ship
freezes in there is always danger
that she will be crushed by the ice.
The Maud was therefore built almost
in the shape of am egg, with very
little keel, the theory being that the
ice would lift instead of crushing her
The theory has fortunately proved
correct.
From Norway the Maud expedi-
ton headed through the Northeast
Passage north of Siberia. Amund-
sen intended to drive his vessel as
quickly as possible far into the sur
face current that flows northward
out OF the Pacific, then freeze in"
and drift with the ice from the Pacific
to the Atlantic side, possibly right
across or in the vicinity of the North
Pole.
Made New Discoveries.
But luck was against him, A
succession of bad ice years pre-.
vented Amundsen from getting
very far. Three winters he was
caught in the ice near Cane Che
lyuskin, the farthest north point of
Europe. However. these years were
not, wasted. A great deal of val.
liable scientific work was done
Members of the expedition. usually
in pairs, were sent out on sleigh
journeys with dogs in different di-
rections, resulting in new discover
les, completion Of charts. etc. Some
of these sleigh expeditions were
away from their base for months
at a time. Full description can be