UNDER ICE TO POLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20256, 16 May 1929, Page 9

UNDER ICE TO POLE.

VOYAGE IN SUBMARINE. SIR HUBERT WILKINS' PLAN. LONDON, May 8. Sir Hubert Wilkins, who is at present in London arranging the details for the continuance of his work in the Antarctic, where lie hopes to make a non-stop flight of 2500 miles and finish mapping the coastline to the Ross Sea, says that his plans for voyaging to the North Pole in a submarine in 1930 are rapidly maturing. "The machine being prepared is of 200 tons displacement, accommodating eight men, and able to submerge for three days," he said. "It will be fitted with special bumpers and skids, and a long feeler for detecting ice above. When the feeler makes contact with the ice the submarine will bo forced down, the bumpers absorbing the shock, even if the ice is struck head-on. "Wc shall travel at three knots below the ice, crawling toward the North Pole, carrying out scientific work all the time. "Wo shall have five methods of escaping from imprisonment below the ice. The submarine will be fitted with electric drills and melters, enabling it to break through to the surface of the pack ice. Chemicals can be projected upwards and explosives can be employed in case of need. A door in the bottom of the submarine can be opened only from the inside. A special diving suit will enable myself and my companions to leave by way of the door and walk on the ocean bed.

"The journey from ice edge to ice edge should occupy 30 days. Conditions will decide whether wo will start from Spitzbergen or from Alaska."

Sir Hubert Wilkins first announced his plan to attempt to cross the North Pole by submarine when ho was in New 1 ork at the end of March. He had, ho said, conferred with the United States Government officials with regard to the voyage, which would probably bo from Spitsbergen to the .Behring Sea. Sir Hubert pointed out that there is a need of such a trip in order to obtain data of tho depth of the Arctic Ocean, and also to discover if tho bed of the ocean is a conical depression or basin-shaped. He estimated that tho voyage could be completed in a month, and considered that July would in all probability prove tho most favourable time to start, as it would permit, a 1 return in time to resume Antarctic explorations in October. Tho actual Arctic voyage would be about 2000 miles, about 20 per cent, of which would bo on tho surface, as leads in the ico about every 25 miles would be available for cruising. The average thickness of tho ico is from 10ft. to 15ft. and tho maximum 120 ft., according to the explorer. Sir Hubert indicated that the dangers of tho expedition a-ro not great, explaining that tho depth of tho Polar Sea, is between 5000 ft. and 15,000 ft., so that the danger of grounding is remote. Navy submarine experts, however, said Sir Hubert's proposal was highly impracticable, because the cruising range of a submarine is limited to about 200 miles when submerged. Moreover, the greatest depth heretofore attained by an American submarine) was 318 ft., which would probably bo insufficient to negotiate the Arctic ice, the estimated depth of which in many places is several hundred feet.