ARCTIC TRIPS PLANNED

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1929, Page 2

ARCTIC TRIPS PLANNED

i ZEPPELIN ON EXPLORATION V:.- VOYAGE.

Three cruises over the Arctic by the Graf Zeppelin under charter to the International Society for the Exploration of the Arctic by airship early next spring are planned by D r Fritjof Nanesn- of the association, it was recently stated in (the “New York Timps.” . - The plans for the dirigible’s venture into the Arctic’s frozen wastes with a List of noted scientists from the principal nations became known following Dr Nansen’s announcement, at LOpenhagen last week that Fairbanks, instead of , Nome, as originally planned would be the dirigible’s base for its Arctic explorations. According to* present plans, the Graf Zeppelin will remain at its Fairbanks base for about three weeks next April, whjle preparations for a flight over the North Pole and ' the Arctic Ocean’s “dead spot” are beiiig completed.

FIRST FLIGHT ABOUT APRIL Ist. The first of the dirigible’s three fligtus is expected to be made from a Northern Norway base about April Ist. {ts. course will carry the big ship on a wide swing oyer the North Atlantic, across Greenland, and along the Canadian shore-of the Arctic Ocean to Fairbanks. 1 .-

-There the big ship will be moored to a 60-foot mast, which is to be erected Uy, the community of Fairbanks, under arrangements whjch have been jinade with l)r Nansen. The concrete base, and the'6o-foot mast will be pro--1 vided by the 'community, while' the jZeppejin , -works at, Friedrichsjiafen, .Gehnany, will ship to Fairbanks durthe winter the large metal cast Biyival to’ which tlie Graf Zeppelin-.will. pe moored. ' /- Preparation ; qf the dirigible ~land■ing-field ■ing-field ,on* tlie shores .of the Tansr- • Uppmi.e;vFairbb’nks,-' iS;-ex-Aja'skau /fit . • ser;;io' * so ' i^5^VR ‘t -^ #'’'^lX^l'^n4-V ',otHeii • r for : H lm;, : Fai^hariks 'base ■te!ore/ ; the., ; ,'cifclng-'*'Of, -. navigation., next : :/ who.' will/ haye i|io‘'s6ryicing;of;the;.airsliijl •'•if ß *|^^|^iij;-preparji^dn-for 'yts ‘|jftbF;sh<3 ;-cfuis->e‘ oyer tfye 'NoftH' Pole, |his -ifn),l 'aritli 'spepd ' ths. winter/there )n : ;,(Prppa;ration; for•• the -larrival' of the Graf Zeppelin early in April. According to the plans, several days will be spent at Fairbanks after the Graf Zeppelin’s arrival from Norway in preparing the ship for the hazardous flight over the Pole. The flight to the Pole will be made on a direct course from Fairbanks, crossing out over the Arctic . Ocean at a point in extreme North-west Canada. The return flight is'expected to follow a long swing south s along ,a course north of the Canadian'shore..

. The return flight to Friedrichshafen will complete the circumnavigation of the earth, at high-latitudes by following ' the Siberian shore and that of Northern Europe to Norway and then south along the Scandinavian coast to .the ship’s-home, station.'

SCIENTISTS WOULD' BE ABOARD

' . Fifteen /internationally-known scien-v-Sts,* -hedded ; by Dr Nairisen, will accompany the- Graf Zeppelin, according to the'planis. ,The two who will represent the United States have not been selected.- The scientists would make studies of meteorological conditions, the effect’ of the Arctic’s atmospheric conditions upon radio, terrestrial magnetism and electricity and other scientific researches during their five weeks’ tour, and especially on the flight to and from the North Pole from Fairbanks.

Oi special interest will be the conditions they .find around the north magnetic pole in Norther Canada, where they will study the sluggish swirl of 'm’agnetie currents about the Pole and also- conditions surrounding the secondary magetic pole in Northern Siberia.

•-"It is understood here that Dr NansPn’s ; selection' of Fairbanks .as the Arctic, base - for- the Graf Zeppelin was prompted,by a study of .meteorological conditions in the vicinity of .the two Alaskan cities. Fairbanks, it was found, is not only free from the mountainous ranges which hem in Nome on the north-east, but is also free of the fogs of. the coast, and has an equable climate. These considerations, urged upon Dr Nansen during his visit here %.iree months ago by representatives of the City of. Fairbanks, are believed to have resulted in its selection as the base.

It is also expected to prove more feasible to transport to Fairbanks by the Alaskan railway the fuel and other supplies which will b erequired for the base than it would be to ship them tto Nome.