POLAR EXPLORATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10571, 28 September 1910, Page 4

POLAR EXPLORATION.

CAPTAIN SCOTT'S EXPEDITION. THE AIOTOR SLEDGES. (Per Press Christchurch, September 27. Among the passengers on the s.s. Toii"-ariro. which arrived at Lytteltou to-chiv, was Mr 15. C. Day, who is in charge of the motor sledges to be used bv Captain Scott's Antarctic expedition. Mr !)av brought out three motor sledges." which, standing complete and ready for action,- are in cases at Lyteitoll. In conversation With a reporter, Air Dav said that the three motors were similar in design and construction. Each was driven by a four-cylinder motor of 14 horse-power. They were capable of doing three miles and a-hali :it top speed and a mile and a-half at bottom speed. The idea of these comparatively low speeds was Pliat the men accompanying the sledge would be able to walk alongside during their journeyThe driver could walk by the side of the motor and control it without any difficulty. Trials had shown that each of tho "motors could pull a two ton load over any surface, either soft, snow some feet deep or hard ice. Trials were held last March in Norway, where motors were introduced to snow 6ft deep, and each pulled a «*niple of tons in good style. The motors do not run on wheels, but work on the endless belt principle in a similar way to the principle adopted in the army traction engines. The frames are built of ash, the only metal being that used in the working parts, which are of steel and aluminium. The mechanical construction was. in fact, very similar to that of an ordinary car, with the exception that motor sledges did not run on wheels. The total length of the sledges is 1 titt, but fore ami aft there are lengthening poles, running out. 4ti at each end, and bringing the total, length up to 24ft. These it was anticipated would be of service in negotiating crevasses. These poles may be unshipped and loaded on the sledges if so desired, and they may also be used for tent-poles. It was (pule probable, that they would he so used by the party with the sledges, so that they could simply camp by their machines at the end of their day's journey. Air Day said that the exhaust comes out into an exhaust receiver, and is carried straight out of that through a big tank for melting snow. This, it was believed, would result in the saving of oil for cooking purposes. The sledges would be used i'or depot laying on the southern journey, and alsfi to go as far south as they possibly could —probably a distance of -I'll) miles, or as far south as the foot of the southern glacier. The sledges have, of course, been specially designed for work in tho Antarctic, and Air Day is very hopeful that they will achieve satisfactory results. The amount of petrol taken for each journey of 400 miles will be 250 gallons, weighing close "it 20001b. This will leave a balance of a. ton of a general cargo of provisions and other requisites for the men, ponies, and dogs. Travelling on '"smooth barrier" hard snow should suit the .sledges, but a good deal would depend on how tho blizzards of the Antarctic were behaving at the time.