£20,000 SUBSCRIBED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 November 1924, Page 16

£20,000 SUBSCRIBED.

AMUNDSEN’S PROJECT ASSURED.

NEW YORK, Nov. 14. Captain Amundsen, the polar explorer, who is raising funds for the projected ; flight across the Pole, has announced that the undertaking is .now assured. •

A hundred thousand dollars (£20,000) has been raised through Mr Lincoln Ellsworth, the explorer, who will accompany the expdition. An additional 50,000 dollars (£10,000) is sought by Captain Amundsen, so as to have enough for the three planes required. Mr Ellsworth will pilot the first plane across the Pole.

Captain Amundsen estimates the journey will require' sevfen hours from Spitsbergen to the Pole, and 14 hours from the Pole to Point Barrow, Alaska. Captain Amundsen originally planned the flight for last May, .but money difficulties caused the temporary abandonment of his plans.

Three “whale” seaplanes will be used, but as none of them.is capable of carrying sufficient petrol for the entire flight from Spitzbergen to, Alaska, two. will merely serve as flying depots for the third. • •

The maximum petrol capacity of each is only 16 hours, whereas the proposed journey, if . the Wind is contrary, may take up to 28 hours. Starting together, the three machines will descend after a* four hours’ flight. One of the machines will distribute its petrol, except sufficient' to carry it back to Spitzbergen, among the other two. It will then return to Spitzbergen. The two remaining machines will fly for a further eight hours, when a second descent will be made, and petrol sufficient for a seven hours’ flight will be transferred from the second to the third machine. The emptied seaplane will be left in the Polar .Basin, and the crew will bo carried by the seaplane still in use. With petrol sufficient for 14 or "5 hours, this machine sliquld be able to cover the rest of the trip to Alaska. The total distance is more than 2000 miles.