Show t THE STAKE WILL BE FAME FADE OR DEATH t i People will soon be looking to the North fo for forn fori r S i n ws vs of Walter Wellman's expedition Nothing half so elaborate nothing that has involved ed so muc much h i thought scientific scientific and mechanical knowledge h has ha s k ev ever been brought into play to try to solve the problem problem lem of the North His own description was published in the June McClure 1 It is a a mos most t S- S rr f fascinating story story- It will not bear boiling down fo for forc r K c there are no superfluous words in it His airship h has hasy hasi s pun pun- y i been built at Spitzbergen It is shaped cigar-shaped 18 3 feet long and its greatest diameter is 52 feet 5 inches anches From the bottom of the car which is 11 5 feet et long ong to the extreme height of the gas as receiver is IS 65 6 feet The surface of the gas receiver or balloon bal gal loon is feet or something over half an acre i i. i It is intended to support a weight of rI L P It will will carry a twin screw V r t engine the fuel Y will vill be gasoline at first later gasoline and gas Th The e I S 5 crew all experts will number four men Every pre caution has been taken every difficulty ty far so a as s t human foresight has been able r to anticipate has hat v been provided a It is a case of Jules Verne imagination r reduced reduce d r to science or so nearly reduced nearly reduced need that scientific me men n declare that it J has hs a good chance to succeed Of th the e r voyage voyage age Mr Wellman Io says With a south wind o of f ten ten or fifteen miles an hour it would be practicable f tL to to the 1 go pole in a single day With calms o or r neutral winds it would take tv two i o days With winds wind s directly contrary blowing at the Y mean force of th the e region and season ten miles an hour it would take take tak e r five days dars With winds blowing always contrary and an d ri at t g a mean force considerably f higher than the genf gen gen- era era ei-dl I average we l could not get there at all f Those are the chances On its face it loo looks ks like t tempting Providence for the final hope after all aU is K that hat at the winds will vill be is propitious at least not alto alto- J gether c contrary A reg regular log tofi is to be made and a 1 cord ord in writing set down every fifteen minutes Andre sailed away without much calculation I It t was w s a trust to luck from the start star t and that tS t the end nd No whisper has wa s ever come back of f his Ilis fate t i V has Las prepared for t the c v voyage w with the ut ut- t- t 15 t e f it i i most precaution and thoughtfulness and with a skill and forethought that ought to propitiate the tho winds At the same time he and his his companions companions' will be e s sappers appers and miners and also a forlorn hope lope They Ther take tabs their lives in in their hands and play for or immortal fame or death |