Evening star., 1923-07-28

when the great naVal diTSHip Ln-4
goes to the north pole she will carry
radio to the top of the world, whether
1t Is late this summer or next spring.
If she reaches that northern pinnacle.
and experts insist there is no reason
to doubt her ability. the naval airship
will be able to prove the fact by
virtue of her bearing from northern
radio stations. In these days OF
scientific achievement proof Is re-
Quired, and in the event an arctic
explorer gets to the pole with q radio
compass or a transmitting set. there
can be no doubt of his exact position.
Together with a complete radio
receiving and transmitting set, the
'ZR-1 is equipped with the latest type
of radio compass. which at the pole
as bearing directly south. while at
all radio stations within communica-
tion distance her position would be
due north.
Start Late In August.
BY the time the aerial explorers are
ready to start their northern flight,
toward the end of August. Mac
Millan's radio experiments from the
Bowdoin will have proven whether
radio will carry through the aurora
a point on which there seems to be
some doubt. Macmillan. however,
will not be able to take his set very
near the pole. but will be forced to
abandon 1t and the Bowdoin at the
edge of the ice, leaving 1t to the
Navy to carry radio to the pole
itself.
Weather bureau officials report
that messages from Amundsen's
Maude have been received by relay
LII az nrn
logical conditions Is received regu-
1arly during the winter months from
Spitzenbergen located at latitude IS
north. II 1t Is possible to put radio
messages through from the far north.
the world will hear of the ZR-Is
progress and her arrival over the
northernmost point on earth.
While Rear Admiral Moffett, chief
of the naval bureau of aeronauttcs
and the crew of the ZR-1 believe the
trip is feasible and are literally
'rarin' to CO. the date OF departure
depends upon her flight trials sched
uled in August. Since the trip would
only require few days 1T Is possible
that it can be made before the long
winter of the north sets in with it's
low visibility and extreme cold, but
If tests and flights are delayed until
September the exploration cruise may
have to be postponed until next
spring.
Route Not Mapped.
No details as to route have been
mapped out. Two courses are being
considered. however. one directly
station, and the other northwesterly
to Alaska. using Nome as an advance
base From Nome the course due
north would be 1856 statute miles.
little over a good days run The
British RIA crossed the Atlantic and
%
ersing a distance of over 1000 miles
in a weeks time, and in 1917 Ger
man Zeppelin made cruise of $500
miles in four days. The cruising
four and five thousand miles, so the
distance of the polar trip is not con-
sidered extreme for this 6s0-foot
craft.
Meteorologists and Capt. Evelyn B.
Baldwin. an arctic explorer. point out
that while surface winds from the
far north blow in a southwesterly di-
rection, at higher levels the warmer
currents bear toward the north and
would aid a polar flight. Capt. Bald
win, who suggested an aerial polar
flight years ago, recently talked to
the ZR-1 crew on polar exploration,
answering innumerable questions.
Among other things he explained the
advantages OF a summer night as
against one undertaken in darkness
and cold.
Winter Best For Radio.
A winter trip, however, radio ex-
perts point out would aid radio trans
mission materially But with her
radio operating from a 300-foot an
tenna at great height. 1t is felt
that the aerial cruiser would be able
TO send satisfactorily In the arctic
day as well as in the night. Accord
ing to Ralph Upson's report to the
General Electric Company. in using
radio from his balloon at an altitude
of over 5000 feet, he encountered no