SUBMARINE TRIP

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 April 1929, Page 5

SUBMARINE TRIP

; ACROSS ARCTIC SEA. SIR HUBERT WILKINS'S FLAN. GREAT DANGERS POINTED OUT. j United Press Association—By Klee trio tViegraph Cop) l.gUt.) (Australian Press Association.) NEW YORK, March 29. . Sir Hubert Wilkins informed the “New York Times” to-night- that he was conducting an active inquiry into the possibility of making a submarine trip across tne Arctic Sea, but that lie has no definite, plans yet for doing so this year. Admitting that he would like to bore his way through, the waters beneath the Pd air ice to study ooen n de.pt hs and currents. Sir Hubert- sa id: “1 nave had this trip in mind for 15 years. 1 believe that the journey could be made in a month, and July would he the most favourable. It would be possible; to do it this summer and try back in time to resume- liiv Antarctic work in Octobernext. ’ ’ Sir Hubert Wilkins was non-commit-tal when asked whether he had; planned an expedition tor the coming isummer, r>ut admitted it- would require tlvo. aid of ‘some government, aii<i the had heoii making inquiries. He. said B‘tetanson Had suggested the. idea in 1913. A Washington message .says the Navy submarine experts regard Sir Hubert Wilkins’s plan to cross the Arctic in a submarine as highly impracticable. It is. learned that lie asked the department recently to provide a submarine for t-lie venture, hut the request ‘‘was not looked upon favourably.” The great depth of the Arctic icefield and the limited underwater cruising range of submarines were considered the "outstanding deterrents to the accomplishment of .such a plan. It is pointed out that Arctic icebergs arc or ten to the extent of many hundred feet, i'e-low the surface of the ,sea, while the- greatest depth ever attained by American underwater craft is 31S feet.

The underwater cruising range of a submarine is only 200 miles, and should Sir Hubert’s boat exhaust its batteries wiiiie beneath the ice floe he would be trapped un! ess lie could blast his way out. it is seriously doubted that a depth bomb would be sufficiently powerful to work through the. heavy sheet ice. . . Sir Hubert Wilkins announced that he is consulting the Lake Torpedo Company for the purpose of procuring a submarine. He estimated the distance in, ithe Arctic to be traversed by the vessel, one type of which was already .available, with an “airlock ’ which would enable egress while submerged, woii'cl lie approximately 2000 miles. The cost of the expedition would. be. 150,000 dollars. Stefanson, commenting on the venture, said: “Of course it pleases me very much that Sir Hubert Wilkins is adopting my plan, but 1 am also worried because it- is a very dangerous enterprise. Ten or twenty years from, now a submarine voyage of this nature will be a. commonplace thing without danger, but at present it is a mighty dangerous thing.” . , ~. Stefauson added that it was feasible to blast ice upwards to a'dow a submarine to rise.