UNDER THE NORTH POLE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16914, 1 April 1929, Page 7

UNDER THE NORTH POLE

WILKINS' NEW PROJECT SUBMARINE EXPLORATION tßlec.Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.t (Australian and N.Z. Pre,»s Association.) NEW YORK, March 31. Sir Hubert Wilkin's announces that he is consulting the Lake Torpedo Co. for the purpose of procuring a submarine in which to explore the Arcue. Ho estimated the distance in the Arctic to be traversed by the vessel, one typo of which is already available with an "airlock" which will enable egress while submerged, would be approximately 2000 miles of coast. The expedition will cost £30,000. Stcfaiison, commenting on the venture said: "Of course it will please mo very much if Sir Hubert Wilkins adopts my plan, but I am also worried, because it is a very dangerous enterprise. Ten or 20 years from now a submarine voyage of this nature will be a commonplace thing without danger, but at present it is a miglny dangerous thing." Ho added that it was feasible to blast the ice upward by the submarine as she rises.

Sir Hubert Wilkins informed the. New York Times to-night that while he is conducting active inquiries into the possibility of making a submarine trip across the Arctic Sea, he has no definite plans yet for doing so' this year. Admitting that he would like to bore his .way through the waters beneath tho Polar ice to study ocean depths and currents, Sir Hubert Wilkins said: "I have had this trip in mind for .15 years. I believe that the journev could be made in a month and that Jiily would be the most favorable. It, would be possible, to do it this summer and be back in time to resume my Antarctic work in October next."

NAVY EXPERTS SCEPTICAL

Sir Hubert Wilkins was non-com-mittal when asked whether ho had planned an expedition for the coming summer, but admitted that it would require the aid of some Government and he had been making inquiries. He said Stcfansonyhad suggested the idea in 1913.

Navy submarine'exports regard the plan to cross tEc Arctic in a submarine as highly impracticable. It is learned that Sir Hubert Wilkins asked the department recently to provide n submarine for tho venture, but the request was not looked upon favorably. The groat depth of the Arctic ice field and the limited undcr-water cruising range of a submarine were considered outstanding deterrents to the accomplishment of the plan. It is pointed out that Arctic icebergs often lie to an extent of many hundreds of feet below the surface of the sea. while the greatest, depth over attained by the American underwater craft is 318 ft. The undor-watcr cruising range of a submarine is only 200 miles and should Sir Hubert Wilkins' boat exhaust its batteries while beneath the ice floe he would be trapped, unless he could blast his way out. It is seriously doubted that a depth bomb would be' sufficiently powerful to work through a heavy sheet of ice.

DE. NANSEN’S PEOJECT FLIGHT IN ZEPPELIN 'Australian nnA N.Z Press Association. WASHINGTON, March 31. Dr. Fridtjof Nansen will arrive at Washington shortly to consult with the Government on plans for a North Polar voyage in the dirigible Graf Zeppelin in 1930. The expedition will have a base in Alaska with a mooring mast. The area to be explored will bo the Arctic Ocean north of the American Continent between Alaska and Greenland. Terrestrial and magnetic electricity and the question of geography will be studied.