BY TUNNEL TO THE POLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 310, 29 December 1900, Page 5 (Supplement)

BY TUNNEL TO THE POLE.

A.REMARKABLE SCHEME ;POR'GETTING FARTHEST NORTH/:

Splendid as wjas the,achievement of ttia young Duke of the AbruZzi, who has just returned 'from the Arctic regions; the, fact remains that he'did not succeed in achieving the object of his -quest, and the North t'ole still remains a spot to, be reached by some more fortunate explorer.

Hitherto those daring spirits who have ventured into the ) unknown , ice-bound regions have taken it for granted that: if the North Pole is to toe reachied at all it will toe by boats, and sledges. The sad exceptions to this class'were poor Andre and his gallant comrades, -concerning wham all hope" is nearly 'ended,- ; M ; •

One inventive, explorer has now. come forward, however, with a scheme that is as .original as it is startling. ,It is nothing less, than a.gigantic feat of engineering, whereby-he hopes to i/each, the region of the North Pole on the rapid transit principle. • > In short, Captain Louis Launette, who is already an Arctic 'explorer..bl some repute, and who was formerly in the French 'Navy,-.proposes to.'build an. ice-tunnel Northward Ho!. It would travel through REGIONS "WHEKE.ICE NEVER : MELTS, -' , : : as we well know from, the Esquimaux' 3 handling of ice for;building purposes; Indeed, supposing for a moment that such' a startling project were actually carried out, there is no doubt .whatever:-that , as regards the tunnel itself -, it would; be ; ■ as permanent a building as any made of r bricks and mortar.

■The original Captain, who' urges , that' ice is at once the cheapest and'the' best possible material for the purpose, firmly believes that by making a tunnel of closely . cemented >:■ ice blocks , and i lighting • it; with electricity,. he, could Jestablish' .a route to the Pole which would:be perfectly protected from the elements, and would be available for travel'at all times. •:■ • Vv

Bases, of supply would" be set: up at ; frequent intervals, .the , communication^through its^entire length beingI.constant. Moreover, there would be constant relay* of dogs thr'oughout^the,tunnel."* :

Coming', as the suggestion does, from a man whose whole life has been spent in. a practical manner, .the idea/cannot, be received with-the indulgent, incredulous smile 'with which we would heir of the pnpposal of.,a; merfe': dreamer. :;'. >It was jwhile :travielling recently :in Northern "Alaska,: h exploring' and prospecting over' ;a wide area of the polar zone that Captain Launette conceived .the idea, and it is interesting to know' that some influential^ European geographical societies, as,;. well as some capitalists; have been so impressed witli the .scheme that a committee has been appointed io enquire into itsi practicability. - :

If an expedition is 'started, the gallant captain will require; a' corps of engineers, surveyors, electricians, and .scientists; besides a gang of'skilled New York ice-,, men who are expert at handling'the iceplough and axe, and a numbei; of Italian * labourers. , ■ '

They would sail in a, suitable vessel as ' far north as it is safe to navigate, whence during the biHef summer, the expedition will hasten, with all speed over the border of the region of perpetual lee, V where the main base of supplies will bo estiblishea. There '■ -" : _ >-; r;THE^:RBAIJ.;WORK::;'.!: ! .'_. df the expedition*would "be<begun, for icemen and labourers would unpack their, tools and begin ..in. earnest \the:task "of building, an, ice tunnel to the North, Pole. The floor,' roof and walls would all be of * frozen water, the interior width /being 11 feet, and the height 8 feet The wall 3 ■would; be 6 feet in thickness, being built of bricks a couple of feet long, a foot and a-haltiwide,-and a foot thick.' The bricks would: be cemented with a compound of salt. ;. '_'. \ ■■. . - ' J. ■ ' ■ '■.'■■■ In^ form the tunnel would resemble an arch; and as the work of the icermen advanced Hhey would be closely followed by the electricians, lamps being- installed at frequent intervals, the wires running under ice along the side of the, tunnel. After this, food depots, repain shops, telephone stations, dog kennels, and all other necessaries would be fixed up at suitable ■points.' f■■-- '• . ' :■: ■■■ -,•• ■ •■■• ■Whatever may ; be its fate. Itie scheme is certainly, a ■ striking one. After all, it Is pnly another version of the Twopenny .Tube. Indeed, since the tunnel would -be 7 ; '■a const'ructipn of::a permanent 'nature,'*; it is sure'y not a far sten to "suggest that instead of such, antiquated and slow■ meth- * ods as sleigh travelling, rails should be laid in the i tunnel and' electric: engines •- ■■■; used for traction instead of Once : established,, the ■ expenses •> of worKing'■'••> would prob,ably\be ho greater,. whlle^ the rate of lqconidtlon /would b© much faatM.