Evening star., 1926-05-11

\ - =
of the members of the expedition IS
| fat, although several are men of great
| physique and large frames.
| -Four light Arctic sledS are slowed
| away in the keel OF the ship, for use
If the expedition takes to the ice, and
| -FOUR light tents of waterproof silk
| have been taken to provide shelter
| from the wind and enable them to
| avoid the labor OF making snow
| houses every time they camp. Skis
| are carried for use by the Norwe- :
| gians, and snowshoes are provided
| for Lincoln Ellsworth and the Italian
members of the crew.
Italians Are Problem.
The problem Of how the Italians
| will stand lie cold is worrying the
| Norwegians somewhat, for If they
have to land far from civilization
and work their way back over the ice,
there is some fear that the Italians
will crack under the unaccustomed
cold and that other members of the
expedition will be dangerously delay
ed caring for them. However, they
Will shift into polar suits before they
get on the ice--suits which provide
great warmth at that time OF the
year.
Parachutes are also carried, so that
If it is found impossible to land the
ship at Alaska because of wind, or
because a descent is necessary far
from a settlement large enough to
supply men to hold the airship to
the ground, the members OF the eX-
pedition may drop to the ground with
some of their supplies. This would
leave them rather short of food. but
they will take their rifles with them,
and, if they come down near the coast
of Alaska or Siberia, they should be
able to find enough game to sustain
them until they reach settlement.
Capt. Amundsen and the pilots all
hope that they will have sufficient
fuel and gas left to reach Nome, for
there a landing would be compar-
atively easy in any light wind.
Norge Entirely Overhauled.
When the Norge slowly lifted her
great bulk from the hands Of the land
crew and headed toward the Northern
wilderness of ice, she was in as per-
feet condition as men could put her.
With the experience gained on the
hard journey over Europe they had
overhauled her, made infinite ADJUST
ments, tuned up the motors and per-
fected her condition for the 62-hour
flight across the polar wastes be-
tween SpitZbergen and Alaska.
Up to the last moment men went
over the huge skeleton of the ship
again and again, checked over the
stores to insure that nothing neces-
sary was forgotten and that nothing
useless was taken.
They checked up their instruments,
looked over the fuel lines to see If
there were any leaks, tried the con-
trolls and examined the elevator and
rudder wires. And when they pushed
off they were as confident as men
could be that everything which hui
man ingenuity and foresight could
provide against some sudden need in
that 100000 square miles of I'M
known space, a desolation OF ice and
snow, had been provided.
So they are off, Amundsen, with
the tiny wrinkles around his eyes
from peering into many Arctic winds;
Ellsworth, shy, diffident, but with a
quiet bravery which has endeared
him to the Norwegians; Riiser-Larsen,
that giant of a man. calm and master
of any situation which may arise,
with eyes of steel which look at dan
ger merely as a trial of his own skill
and stamina; Mobile, short and slight,
Win In0 tieEhOuS 1IllSlIoAl9 VI IiAO
Latin, who knows every tiny nut and
bolt and seam of his great ship.
Dirfgible Light But Strong.
When they climbed into the cabin of
the ship and took their stations from
the helmsman at the bow to the last
man in the rear of the steel skeleton,
they entered as odd an environment
as any explorer ever dreamed of. This
= IL - q
cate as one of the light dogsleds they
carry with them in case they are
forced down.
But Amundsen and every one with
him has confidence in this airShiR. Built
of light steel tubing, so that it weighs
only IL tons, it is tremendously strong
and flexible. So beautifully balanced
is it that when in state OF perfect
equilibrium one man can slowly shirt
it's $50 feet with one hand.
But with all its refinement OF llne,
it's light framework, the great balloon
will lift 81 tons besides its own weight,
and every bit of that load is needed.
The cabin in which these men will
work and eat and sleep for nearly
three days, from the windows of which
they will see vast spaces OF earth
where no man has ever walked. as far
I'D under the bow, a narrow. taperlng
room, about 80 feet long and not more
than feet wide.
1t is built of steel tubing about
three-quarters of an inch in diameter,
fastened firmly by rivets and Yields
into the steel keel above. At the DOW,
where the helmsman stands. 1t Is just
the width of a man, the windows curv-
ing to a point before him.
Steered by Sun Compasses.
The Norge steers with a wheel like
any other ship, and in front OF the
wheel Is a ships compass. On each
side of the helmsman, fastened on the
outside of the cabin, are sun COM
passes to be used as checks against the
ordinary magnetic compass, whose
gyrations so near the magnetic North
are apt to be misleading.
The sun compass is being used by
Amundsen's friend and rival, Lieut..
Richard Evelyn Byrd. The inventor
of the compass is DR.. Albert II. Bump
stead of the National Geographic So
ciety OF America.
AmundSen first experlmented with
the Goerz sun compass, a complicated
Of mirrors, but discarded
this in favor of the BumpStead device,
which is extremely simple. 1t is
merely small sun dial fitted to a.
clockwork. Once in "a hours the clock
work drives a hand around the dial.
Once in "a hours the Arctic sun, as 1t
circles the horizon rim, moves the
shadow of the sun-dial pin around the
dial.
When the airships course is set, the
clockwork- driven hand is adjusted so
that the shadow of the pin falls di-
rectly on it. When the airship sticks
to it's course, the shadow and the hand
should move together. When they
separate, the navigator knows that he
is heading away from his course.
Wheels to Control Ship.
This first compartment Of the cabin,
,,sed for navigating and controlling