New Britain herald., 1930-08-15
SUB MADE READY FOR POLAR TRIP
Wilkins Under Ice Boat May
 Become Very Famous

Philadelphia, Aug IS (UP)-
 Floating demurely beside Dewey's
 historic flagship Olympia in the back channel Of the Navy Yard here is q little red submarine that may be-
 come one of the most historic crafts
 in the world within the next two years.
 The submarine is the O-12. which soon will be converted into the Nautilus, after Jules Vernes bYain- child.
 Captain Sir George Hubert Will kins internationally famous Aus tralian Arctic explorer, is having the little submarine remodeled with the idea Of making the dream of sea-faring men for centuries come true. He plans to cruise in the Nautilus from the eastern 60 the western hemisphere, under the polar ice cap.
 Hundred of daring seamen of
 different nations have for centuries attempted to force the Northwest Passage. All have failed Most of them lost their lives. and lit erally hundreds Of vessels have been crushed to matchueod by the Arctic ice-hoes while attempting the passage
 Sir George, who was the first to fly from one hemisphere to the other via the North Pole. already has begun the preliminary work of remodelling the submarine As he is British subject he had to lease the O-12 through the American firm Of Danenhower and Lake for the nominal rental of one dollar I year. Cost of remodeling the ves- sel will approximate s15U,0oo. He expects to start his expedition early next summer. probably in May.
 Cooperating enthusiastically with Sir George in his daring project is Simon Lake, veteran inventor and manufacturer of submarines and deep-sea diving devices. Lake him self is anxious to make the cruise but his advanced age-he is past s0
 bars him. His partner, Sloan Danenhover, however. will be mas ter of the Nautilus when she dives of the Polar ice cap and slides be- meath it.
 The Nautilus will be fitted with q toboggan-lik per-structure which will enable it to slide along beneath the under side of the ice cap under it's own power Pneu- matic drills. which will be mount cd in the head Of telescoping cons ming tower will be capab ble of pene- trating 3 feet of ice. Sir George ex- plained. Explosives also will be car ricd along for the purpose of break ing the ice at intervals. he said dur ing his recent visit here.
 But we may not have to use the ice breaking device great deal" he said, Photographs taken by Admiral Richard F., Byrd and by the Amund- sen expedition indicate that the Are tic ice cap is not a solid one Cracks in the ice and patches of clear water are shown.
 Surface ships could not make it, FloNe NeNtE- anu am comment tnaI the submarine is the best possible craft 10 use"
 Sir George said that preliminary tests of the Nautilus will be held off the Maine coast next winter. By summer the expedition will be ready for the trip from spitzbcrgcn to free water in the Boring Sea. near Cape Lisbon on the Siberian side.
 The explorer expects the trip 10 require about so days. including a long stop at the Pole itself for scientific observations Although the cruise will be approximately 21o0 miles. the length of his flight with he late Carl Ben Eielson from PsAnt Barrow 10 Spltzbergen, the Nautilus will be fueled for 1000 miles. Pro ;isions for a one-year stay in the Arctic will he carried.