Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-29
BY III. H. SHELDON,

BY II. HI. SHELDON.
TIME projected cruise Of the Maui
titus has provoked a great deal
OF discussion, particularly as to
Il its dangers, and there seems to
be but few persons who would
accept with any relish an invitation to
join the party. Indeed, 1t would seem
safe to say that were an invitation is
sued with the proviso that neither the
invited nor any one else were to ever
breathe a word of the matter of the
acceptance or the going that the score
for acceptance would be exactly zero.
Few persons are interested enough In
the appearance of the underside of If
teen feet OF ice to care to make the
journey, and the most ardent scientist
Is not likely to be sufficiently interested
- truth for truths sake to care to take
Q voyage which on the surface appears
80 risky.
Purpose Of Expedition.
without further analysis one might
easily be led to the conclusion that
Sir Hubert wilkins Is either a fool or
q publicity seeker, or possibly both.
As a matter Of fact, he is neither. One
has only to meet Sir Hubert to know
that neither Of these things prompts
him to take this apparently perilous
journey, and only to talk to him a few
minutes to be convinced that of all the
ways Of visiting the Arctic the sub
marine offers the safest and most COM
Portable mode of transportation. But
In addition to these advantages, 1t also
offers the possibility Of obtaining the
maximum of useful knowledge.
The original idea of the submarine,
as conceived by its inventor, was a
vehicle which would travel along the
bottom of the ocean on wheels. Were
1t not for the great depths at which
entirely practical. But every one
knows that even at relatively small
depths one is subject to the bends
when brought again to the surface.
This malady is caused by the nitrogen
absorbed by the body under high air
pressures. When the pressure is sud-
denly relieved the blood stream is in
capable of carrying of the nitrogen
with SUFFICIENT rapidity to prevent the
the cause Of the extremely painful
bends. Recently breathing mixtures Of
oxygen and helium have been used.
The helium is absorbed to only about
half the extent of nitrogen and diffuses
into the blood twice as fast. This may
make 1t practical for man to reach
much greater depths than he has hith-
SECo reached and may yet make ocean
bottom travel possible.
Mode Of Travel.
The Nautilus Is to make use of the
advantages of travel on the oceans
bottom without undergoing the dan
gers by travelling. instead, on the I'M
derside Of the surface ice. Lighter than
water, 1t will press against the ice with
long runners. Let us look first at the
dangers of this mode of travel and
then upon its advantages
There are several possibilities of dan
ger in this expedition. The ship may
sink, 1t may be wrecked, by running
into a shoal or an iceberg. 1t may be
carried of its course in a swift current,
1t may run short Of fuel, or completely
lose its bearings. Examined closely,
none of these possibilities seem even
reasonable. That 1t should sink without
some collision is as unlikely as it is
with any ship that leaves our shores; in
fact, less likely, as the Nautilus will have
been inspected closely in every detail
before it gets under way. The posi-
bility of its being disabled by a COLI
sion with either ice or shoal is also very
improbable, as 1t Is to proceed at but
four miles an hour while under ice; in
addition, 1t Is protected by special con-
struction at the bow. If 1t were carried
on its course by q swift current it would
almost certainly be brought into open
water very quickly, as such q current
would have worn away some Of the ice
above IL, That would permit Of taxing