Evening star., 1925-06-21
Huge Blnd Spot of North to Be Explored by MacNllla1

- Y -
tain sure-flre trading supplies that 1t
has been found never fail to attract
the Eskimo and to command his serv-
ices. Tobacco will stand near the
head Of this list, for almost any Eski-
mo will walk miles or work many
hours for a good smoke. Pocket
knives, knitted caps and needles and
thread are other articles greatly de-
sired by the people of the Far North.
Perhaps the most valuable trading
goods of all are Woolen underclothes.
Before the coming of the white man
to northern Greeland the Eskimo
wore undershirts made of many bird
skins patched together, the feathers
next to the wearers' skins. Such gar
ments are warm, but they harbor
parasites. Now Eskimos who can, dis
card these feather shirts for the
woolen product of civilizations knit
ting mills.
The next step after Wiscasset will
be Sydney, Nova Scotia, where the
Peary VIII coal. The Bowdoin is an
oil burner and it uses seal oil, whale
oil and walrus oil as we'll as crude oil.
This is another emergency arrange
ment. Comdr. Macmillan does not
anticipate having TO harpoon fuel for
her. but he is prepared to do SO if
necessary.
From Sydney the ships will make
for the west Greenland coast, where
the first difficulty is looked for in the
breaking ice of Melville Bay. The
condition of the ice in this baneful
sea will determine the time of arrival
at Etah.
From the ship base at Etah gasoline
and other supplies will be relayed TO
Cape Thomas Hubbard AXel Heiberg
Island, at the edge of the Polar Sea.
for the use of the Navy's amphibian
aircraft. From Cape Hubbard to the
center of the great unknown area is.
roughly, 500 miles-a distance which
can be accomplished by an airplane
having cruising radius of 1900 miles.
1t is hoped that by the use of extra
fuel tanks the amphibian planes can
cover approximately this distance in
one continuous flight. If land is
found additional bases will be located
in the newly explored territory that
will considerably increase the range
Of the planes
This will be the first time that such
an airplane base has been entirely
established and maintained by air
planes.
WHAT may and may not be carried
on the airplane fights will be
one of the crucial problems of the
expedition. To emphasize the prob
lem, the leaders have worked out an
equation that runs roughly something
like this: One man equals 25 to 80
gallons of gasoline, equals IA hours
flight, equals 100 TO $50 miles. Taking
an extra passenger on any flight.
therefore, would mean cutting down
the distance that can be flown from
base so to rs or more miles, depend
ing on the weight of the passengers
and the state of the wind.
The maximum load for each of the
planes is figured at 1900 pounds, two
men, weighing. say, 80 pounds each,
constituting the first necessary part
| of the load. If not single pound
of equipment were taken, each plane
could carry 1850 pounds, or 313 gal
Ions of gasoline, a supply sufficient
to keep the unequipped men and
their otherwise empty plane in the
air for a little over IL hours. In
still air this would permit a continu-
| Gus flight of about 1850 miles, or a
trip 625 miles straight away from
the base and return.
There are several vital considera-
tions that scale down this ideal of
625 miles. The planes must carry
the radio equipment, concentrated
food rations, sleeping bags. a tent,
and collapsible rubber boat. And
there must be a stove and fuel.
The aggregate weight of this neces-
sary equipment may he placed at $50
pounds. and its inclusion in the load
will reduce the gasoline that can be
carried to 271 gallons, and the over
all cruising radius to 1,075 miles in
still air. But this is not yet the
minimum figure. 1t would be fool
hardy to drive ahead for 537 miles
until half the fuel was consumed, and
then to count on getting back to Axel
Heiberg Island. A margin of safety
must be allowed; 450 miles from base,
or approximately Az hours flying.
will probably be the limit set on a
conservative basis.
The explorers hope that even the
450-mile flight will be unnecessary. II
land is encountered at a distance of
300 miles or less from the Axel Hell
berg base the procedure will be
greatly Simplified. A new base will
be established at the edge of such
land and the planes will make several
| round trips, depositing each time all
the gasoline they can spare at the
new advanced base.
No difficulty is expected in obtain
ing safe and comfortable flying tenn
peratureS. according TO Commander
MacMillan. In a four-year study of
weather conditions in the Arctic, Sum-
mer temperatures as high as plus 40
and 60 and one of plus So have been
recorded within the Arctic Circle The
expeditions leader states that he does
not expect to find the mercury as low
as plus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and
never at zero. Variations in the daily
temperatures of more than a few de-
grees are not likely during times when
average weather conditions prevail
q, The constant daylight also keeps the
mercury constant.
TWO things an experienced Arctic
explorer is unwilling to be with
| out-a rifle and the essential of all
| Arctic cooking, a Primus stove. In
| case of accident. and even on premedi-
dated sledge trips. it is necessary to
! live on the land" All sorts of Arctic
animals are utilized for food-caribou.
musk oxen, wolves, polar bears, foxes.
| hares, etc.
! Civilized cooking-in fact, most any
kind of cooking-would be impossible
| in the Arctic without the Primus
| stove. a Swedish invention upon
! which Arctic explorers have placed
their dependence for many years.
| This little device is not unlike a
| plumbers blow torch. 1t burns kero-
sene, which is sprayed by air pressure
| maintained by small hand pump at
| tached to the fuel reservoir In Arc
| tic winter, in a temperature so de-
grees below zero and with ice in his
! kettle instead of water, Commander
| Macmillan has made a gallon of hot
| tea on PrimuS stove in 20 minutes