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Show TO POLE BY AIRSHIP. 1 DASH WILL BE MADE BY NOTED EXPLORER. Particulars of the Daring Venture in Contemplation Craft to Be Employed Prospects of Success. Mr. Walter Wellmnn, that notnblo explorer nnd Journnllst who has twice gono to the Arctic region In attempts to reach the north pole, expects to stnrt from Sprltzbergen tho first of August on n third expedition, which will travel through the nlr In the largest dlrlgihlo balloon ever built. Tho envelopo of tho balloon Is being constructed by Louis Goddard, of Paris. Par-is. It Is to consist of two lnyers of rubber-covered cotton nnd ono layer tho Inside ono of rubbcr-covcroil fcllk. In its central zone, which Is tho strongest, tho envelopo Is to lmvo h tenstlo strength of 2,800 kilogrammes per sntmro meter (about 575 pounds per snunro foot) thus giving a factor of safety of C to 1. Tho averago fnc-tor fnc-tor of safety Is five to one, as against 3V4 to one of tho Isbaudy airship. Tho form of tho balloon Is to bo maintained main-tained by nn Interior ballonetto filled with compressed nlr by means of n five-horse power motor nnd compressor. compress-or. On nccount of tho trlplo rubber lnyers (which are lapped ono Inch at tho senma nnd sowed together, nnd the stitching then covered with cemented strips) tho lcakngo of gas Is gutirnn-tccd gutirnn-tccd not to exceed 1V6 per cent, per dny. Tho nmount of fuel nnd supplies consumed dally will moro than counterbalance coun-terbalance this. Tho length of tho gas bag will bo 50 meters (1C4.0I feot): Its tveatest diameter, 1C meters (51.49): ltt" surface, 1.9G0 square meters (21,-098 (21,-098 square feet); Its capacity, 0,350 cubic meters (224,214 cubic feet); nnd Its lifting power (with gas having n lifting power of 1,130 grammes per cubic meter) 7,210 kilogrammes, or 1C,-000 1C,-000 pounds. The weight of tho balloon Is 2,8(10 pounds, whllo tho framework, steel car, motors, nnd nil other paraphernalia para-phernalia bring this up to n totnl of 7,500 pounds. This lenves an nvall-nblo nvall-nblo lifting power of 8,500 pounds for tho crow of five men, three or four motor sledges, n metallic boat, nnd nil supplies, says tho Scientific American. Tho airship is to have two four-cylinder four-cylinder wnter-cooled gnsollno motors of 55 nnd 25 horso power. Tho lnrger motor drives n forward propeller through reduction gearing, nnd the smnllcr ono n propeller at the rear In tho samo manner. A speed of 15 miles nn hour will bo obtalnnblo with tho 55-horso power motor, nnd 19 miles nn hour with both. Tho total distance to be covered Is about 1,200 miles, whllo the 5,500 pounds of gasoline to bo carried car-ried should drlvo tho airship nearly twlco this distance. This fuel Is sufficient suf-ficient for a 140-hour run of tho main motor. Should ono motor break down bo-yond bo-yond rcpnlr, the travellers can uso tho other ono; nnd If tho nlrshtp gives out from nny cause, tho travelers can tnke to tho sledges. A wlroless telegraph outfit Is to bo tnke n nlong, so that communication enn be maintained with tho baso ns long ns possible. At n mooting of tho Now York Motor Mo-tor club on Mnrch 23, Mr. Wolltnan explained ex-plained fully his plans for tho trip, nnd showed how ho has tried to pro-vldo pro-vldo for every contingency. Tho airship air-ship is to bo transported to Spitsbergen, Spitsber-gen, inflated there, nnd experimented with during tho month of July. If everything works satisfactorily tho dash will bo mado In August nnd provisions pro-visions will bo carried sufficient for 75 dnys. Everything has been bo carefully care-fully planned by Mr. Wollmnn, who hns nn lntlmato knowledge) of what is required, that tho expedition through tho nlr, If not nltogothor successful, bids fair to be by no moans a dismal failure. |
