Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-09

COntinucu FROM FtESt rage
Atlantic. men have dreamed of
a Northwest Passage" to link
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Henry Hudson. English explor-
er, is best known for his several
futile efforts starting in 1907
to find such a sea passage
through Canada.
Comdr. Anderson disclosed
that secret planning for his
trip began last January.
Cites Skipper and Crew
The citation accompanying
the Presidents presentation of
the Legion of Merit to Comdr
Anderson pointed to the sig
nificance Of his feat. 1t said !:
"Comdr. Anderson, by far
sighted planning, skilled sea-
manship and through study
Of the Arctic area. succeeded
in cruising Nautilus across the
top of the world from the Ber-
ing Sea to the Greenland Sea.
passing submerged beneath the
geographic North Pole.
Under his intrepid leader
ship. Nautilus pioneered a
submerged sea lane between
the Eastern and Western Hem
ispheres.
This points the way for
further exploration and pos
sible use of this route by nu-
clear-powered cargo subma-
rineS as a new commercial
seaway between the major
oceans of the world"
The President also gave
Comdr. Anderson. for the crew
of the Nautilus, a Presidential
Unit Citation-the first ever
awarded in peacetime.
White House Press Secretary
Hagerty later told reporters
that the trans-polar cruise was
the Presidents own idea las
much as anybody's" from the
beginning, and that no one
had followed the progress of
the Nautilus more closely than
Mr.. Eisenhower.
Skipper "Dazed" by Events
The Nautilus skipper, picked
by helicopter off his craft near
Iceland last night and flown
Immediately to Washington.
admitted being "a little dazed''
by it all.
Just IA hours ago was sub
merged. and 70 hours ago was
travelling under ice" he ex-
planned. Things are moving
too fast"
Mrs. Anderson. flown from
their home at Mystic, Conn, by
Admiral Frank B. Warder, COM
mander of Atlantic Fleet Sub
marine Forces. Joined her hus-
band at the White House.
Comdr. Anderson, officials
said, will fly to Britain tomor-
row to rejoin the Nautilus
probably by helicopter-before
it reaches Portland, England,
Tuesday.
The Nautilus is now under
command of her executive Of
f1cer. 1t. Commander Frank M
Adams, 80, of Tunica. Miss.
Gives Intriguing Facts
Comdr. Anderson's report al
a special White House news
conference, following the award
ceremony, was full of intriguing
information, such as:
Temperature of the water
deep in the Arctic Ocean is
about 80 degrees.
Polar ice is IL feet thick on
the average, with some ridges
extending down more than SO
feet.
The water at the North Pole
is 1910 feet deep-l,927 feet
deeper than previously re-
ported.
Inside the Nautilus, the tenn
perature during the entire trir
was kept at a comfortable y
degrees and the relative humid
ity at 1880 per cent.
When you peer up while
cruising under the polar ice
pack. the ice looks like clouds
going by very rapidly.
Cuts Thousands Of Miles
In citing distance-cutting ad.
vantageS of the trans-polar
route, Mr.. Hagerty said the
Nautilus would have Travelled
only $500 miles from Honolulu
if it had proceeded directly tc
the British Isles after emerging
from the Arctic basin. instead
of stopping near Iceland. The
ordinary ship route between
Honolulu and Britain is $500
miles. From Tokyo to London
the commercial route now is
200 miles, Mr.. Hagerty
added. while the underline.
pole route would be only $500
miles.
Comdr. Anderson recalled
that the Nautilus made SOME
preliminary explorations in the
Arctic last year, getting to
within $50 miles of the North
Pole-closer than any previou;
ship. This was from the At
lantic side.
! The Nautilus left her New