Show S ANOTHER POLAR FAILURE AfL1 I Under this heading note regarding the abortive attempt of the Russians to I force their way through polar Ice with one of their huge Icebreaking steani crsls I lJltedJn ther Public Ledger Philadelphia September 3rd ledger I this paper S Very few of those who have some I knowledge of the character of the Ice fields pf the polar ocean felt any con fidence in the success of the attempt of the Russian Government to have Its Icebieaklng sleamer Ermak force a passage to the north pole The announcement an-nouncement therefore thut the enterprise I enter-prise had failed causes no surprise The I sUJlI t Ihe news of the failure was brought by the I captain of the steamer BYlthjof who I escorted the BaldwljiZlegler expedi ton to Us first base ol operations He reported that he met the Ermak IC turning from Us fruitless errand De tails of the effort are naturally lack Ing and they must be waited for until the return of Admiral MarakolT unU commander but these Il be mainly interesting an demonstrating the ex lent of the power of the famous Rus sian icebreaking vessel The Ermak was constructed for the sole purpose of crushing a pathway fol f < merchant ships through the heavy ice which obstructs most of the Russian Harbors for many months In the year 4i this work the ship was eminently k successful Of enormous strength it could resist almost al-most any amount of outside pressure On account of massive construction and heavy bows terrific blows ran be dealt by butting and after each al as sault the bows can be lifted and the whole weight of the vessel used to crush the weakened Ice A vessel of this character could probably keep the Ice In the Russian harbors broken sufil suf clently to permit pracllcally uninter rnclcnl rupted navigation and it could most likely carve 1 pathway for many miles through some of the Arctic Icefields In midsummer when rot hasset In The interesting pplnt 1 be to learn to what extent this was done An ordi nary whaler will bult Us way through rotten Ice eight or ten feet Uilck but the far northern fields be yond the cruising grounds of these craft are supposed In many cases to exceed twentyfive feel and It Is I this which certainly has been too much for the Ermak |