Evening star., 1924-01-10

The recent disaster to the French
airship Dixmude has had no ter
rorizing effect upon the planners of
the most hazardous voyage ever un-
oerraken through the air---the Shen-
ahooahs proposed trip to explore the
Arctic region -.
for centuries approach to the
nerth pole baffied the world. At last
Hear Admiral Peary, on April 6, 1909,
reached the goal and there planted
Ola Glory. where no other flag has
YET waved. The pole is again to be
visited by Americans, not by weary
ltramping over snow and ice at q
speed OF ten to thirty miles a day.
but as the bird flies. upon the wings
OF the wind. at from forty TO sixty
nautlcal miles an hour. Never since
columbus set sail upon an uncharted
ocean. ana the wise men of Portugal
ana spain predicted that he would
plunge over the western edge of the
world into fathomless space, has
thers been such a plunge into the
utterly unknown as is this now pro-
posed by the arctic voyage through
the air, WITH but two points of safe
|mooring, 2,200 miles apart.
=. < + + 4
Before the great dirigible arts
1.-TWO tender ships will be sent ;.head,
'each equipped with a special rnooring
mast, to which the airship can tie
up at rest. One win be stationed at
Point Barrow. Alaska; the other at
|Spitzbergen, on the other side of the
pole.
Whether the airship Will go on to
CNf yrt tnly yiyno "a y
the pole, will return to Point Barrow,
will depend upon the weather condi-
tions. Preferably, 1t will return di-
|recuy to Point Barrow, Alaska, since
1T is desired TO confine the expedition,
$50 far as practicable, to United States
territory, and also to make a double
trip across the vast unexplored re-
gion lying Between Alaska and the
pole--a million square miles. in which
there may lie great islands, to be
annexed to our country by right of
discovery.
Some time in March the great diri-
gible will start from Lakehurst, y. J.,
and fly first to Fort Worth, Tex
.1,19f nautical miles. This southern
course will go around the higher
ranges Of the Rockies In the north
and will find, in Arizona and New
Mexico. a mountain pass not requir-
ing such an altitude as would be nee
essary in the north.
The ship will be inflated with helium
gas, which expands as the altitude in
creases, so that to cross the higher
ranges Of 200 feet + it would be nee neeesT s.
the Indispensable and costly gas, lest it
burst it's containers.
The Shenandoah will follow the Pa
cidc coast to Puget sound, thence to
Nome, Alaska, and in June cross Alaska
within the Arctic circle. Some fine day.
next June when weather conditions ap-
pear most favorable, it will sail north
north-north--as fast as an express
train.
If they start before noon the crew
will breakfast above the north pole the
next morning, after flight Of LIZ
nautical miles-about as far as from
Lakehurstt; y. J.. to Fort Worth. Tex.
There will be no way-station stops
weather permitting''-for a stop with
out a mooring mast means catastrophe.
i (; r &
weather permitting" What can the
United States weather bureau do 10
ascertain what will be the weather in
that vast, unexplored world? The bu-
reau receives reports twice daily from
twelve stations in Alaska, and from
Spitzbergen and Iceland. on the other
side of the pole. But over all of Russia
and Siberia there is dead silence, for we
have no dealings with Russia. and, even
If we had. Russia is not advanced
enough to. maintain signal stations for
the weather. That means that one
half Of the circumference Of the world,
in the Arctic region, gives out no
weather report. = 80 = - =
Furthermore, while there are reports
from Iceland and Spitzbergen on the