Evening star., 1926-06-03

The start was fixed To take place Al
| O'clock in the night between MAY
10 and II. That we did not start al
The time fixed is another story that
shall he told later in this narrative.
Rebuilding of the Norge.
Now let us return To the prepara
tiuns made during the Winter. The
ship which the Norwegian Aero club
bought from the Italian governments
was Of y type that All eXucrtN h'h
found hest ftted for our expedition.
II could take with her tu"} "upti-t' 80
cover the distance over the North
Pole Ia asin and Al the same time waS
not so big that it would be difficult
10 maneuver.
II was built according to the idea 8
Of the man who should pilot her. Col.
Mobile It belonged to the semi-rigid
type generally used in Italy. and We
found that the pride of Italians in its
construction was justified.
Rut It was not built for transpols =
flight. What the Aero Club bought
the \.1 as II then was named. had
ca bin, with comfortable chairs. and It's
outtit was 10 a certain extent rather
luxurious. And 1t was not in any way
capable of resisting the rough atmos-
pherical conditions in the Arctic re-
cionS.
Neither had the ship arrangements
in her how for landing at m""ring
nasts Therefore. 1t was necessary
to rebuild her. and that was done in
Rome during tho Winter.
So impOrtant were the changes
made that when The flight started the
shin. built for cruises over the Nedi
terraneau and South Europe, was
strong encuGht to resist tho climate in
the Arctic.
It's fuel capacity was greatly in
rres sed The envelope around the gas
valves was strengthened at its most
sensitive parts. Its nose was htted
with srraneements for mnoring mast
landing. and in the cabin was installed
machinery to make II possible for the
crew to land in Alaska without assist
ance from the ground.
Rut Al the same time. all comfort on
board had disappeared Nothing was
left of the original outfit. The great
I cabin. with it's chairs and tables. was
replaced by little one. hardly large
! enough for the pilot navigator helms
men. wireless men and the other
! members of the expedition. to have
working room.
Aimed to Raise Fuel Capacity.
In spite Of the cold regions which
| the ship had to go over the cabin s
! wall was covered only with canvas
| All these things were done In order
! ina, the shin could carry AZ much
| fuel with her as possible. all Of the
experts agreeing that this was the
most imnortant factor for a success
full realization Of the flight.
When the changes We're made the
| Norwegian members Of the crew wen
down to Rome in February to take
1 part In the trial flights.
| The first took place immedia tel,
| after their arrival. and on an eight
hour fight along the Italian coast t.
| Naples and hack TO the shed at Cam
piano. outside Rome. the ship proved
TO he in complete order. The three
motors. Of 230 horsepower each, func
toned like clockwork, and as far as
! then could he seen all the cha nges
| made for the transpolar fight cor
responded to it's purposes.
Work at Rome Completed.
During March trial flights went or
combined with other tests and Al
| length the day arrived for us to &C
down TO Rome to he present at the
beautiful ceremony when the shiT
passed over to the Norwegian fiaE
| in the presence Of the Italian prime
minister, Signor Mussolini. the presi
| dent of the Norwegian Aero Club. Mr.
| Tommissen. and Norwegian and Ital
| ian officials.
On the same day the ship was
named the Norge (Norway) and the
| name of it's constructor and pilot was
| added to that Of the expedition. whose
official name thereafter became the
| Amundsen Ellsworth Mobile Ira ms
polar Flight of 1926. This was made
as a sign Of gratitude toward Col
| Mobile for the important work he haC
| done for the benefit of the expedition
| during the Winter.
| A few days afterward we went tt
| Norway and embarked there 20,
| Spitzbergen. where we were toe ioir
the expedition. From there we fol
| lowed the ships triumphal fight over
western and northern Europe with ar
interest people easily will understand
During the flight from Rome ovel
| France to Pulham, over the NORTH
Sea to Oslo. from there over Sweder
and the Baltic Sea to Gashina and or
to Vadsoe and over the dangerous
part Of the Arctic Ocean from Norway
70 Hpitzbergen tas ship behaved her
! self 'wonderfull,E And it was with