The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-04-30
WILKINS UNDERSEA
ship COST 81 YEAR
1000 People Would Like to
Go-Trip Experts Claim
Impossible
1000 MILES UNDER ICE
Scientists Believe Patches of
Open Water Will Be Found
Drills for Ice Boring

Men Of the sea are shaking their
heads obviously ct the weird-look-
ing craft which was locked in the
Brooklyn Navy Yard recently. Sui
eide ship" they cali hery and Chin
csc junk" and -Wilkins, Folly.
|, Her real name,. Of course, now
proudly, lettered on her bow, is
Nautilus and in her cramped in
terror Is men expect to travel more
than 1000 miles under the Ice OF
the Arctic Sea. But she Is a SUBJ
marine such as no under-seaman
ever has dreamed of, except Sloan
Danenhower and Simon Lake, the
designers, and Jules Verne himself,
who created in fiction the craft
whose name she bears. -
Nearly 1000 adventurous persons
have besieged the captain with re-
quests to join the expedition. IF
anybody but Danenhower was
handlin her." men at the Navy
Yard say, "she wouldn't have a
chance. With him at the controls
well, they haven't got much chance
anyway.
Look at her. She's just an old
tub that was due for the scrap
heap. She's just dollar-a-year
boat"
It's true. The Nautilus is cost
ing the Wilkins-Ellsworth Attic
Expedition exactly 81 a year. As
the U. S. s. OH, she was built in
1916 and 1917, by Simon Lake, sub
marine inventor, and for the past
five years had been on the de-com-
mission list.
Although Sir Hubert wilkins,
British explorer, is leader of the ex-
petition, the practical work Of pre-
paration has been done by Danen-
hover, who will be commander of
the vessel. He it was, too, who first
brought the idea of such an arctic
voyage to the attention Of Wilkins,
although the scheme seems actual.
ly to have originated with Lake, his
partner. AS early as 1897 the SUBJ
mersible pioneer read a paper on
the advisability Of such a trip be-
fore a group Of scientists at Johns
Hopkins University.
Sir Hubert enthusiastically re-
ceived the suggestion of an arctic
voltage, and wanted to have a sub
marine specially built in England.
Danenhower, however, who pointed
out the prohibitive cost Of such a
craft, wanted to take one Of the
submarines condemned for dis
mantling under the naval treaty,
rebuild it according to his own
specifications, and cruise across the
top Of the world. For six months
he battled to convince his hearers
that the project was feasible. After
m.uch opposition from men who
feared the treaty would be violated
by sparing the craft even for such
pacific purpose, the Shipping Board
agreed to lease it for 81 a year.
Virtually every change from the
original form of the OLE has been
designed by Lake and Danenhow-
er, and it is the weird appearance
Of the finished vessel that brings
scepticism. to the minds of those
who see it..
One feature, collapsible bow
spirit, extending from the nose, will
act as a shock absorber against
submerged bergs or pressure
ridges" Since the Nautilus will be
able to cruise submerged at only
about three knot an hour no hard
jolts are anticipated. :.
With all the lighting equipment
removed, places have been made for
other innovations. Powerful search
lights are mounted where torpedo
tubes used to be and a coming
tower ice drill replaces the old gun
turret. Telescope in form, and
with an ice saw at its top, it can
be thrust against the ice above to
bore through to the outer air.
Although the scientists believe
patches Of open water will be en-
countered during the voyage, pro
vision has been made so that the
Nautilus could make the entire
1000 mile trip without once emery
ing. Small ice drills have been in
stalled which should be capable Of
boring 100 feet upward to admit air
for the crew and the recharging of
the vocoo1c hoffoy.;aS