ARCTIC CRUISE

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1929, Page 5

ARCTIC CRUISE

IN THE GRAF ZEPPELIN

(United Press'Association—By Electric , Telegraph— Copyright;. ■ LONDON, Sept. 25. ■ “I look upon tins expedition as the most important in my career,” said Dr Nansen, who,loads the Graf Zeppelin, width has been lent to him by the German Government, to the North Pole in mid-April next, (as already cabled). Ibe crew, lie said, would be the same as that which accompanied the airship on her round the world tour, with Captain Lolnnann as the. navigator. A full Arctic equipment, including twenty dogs and sledges, will be carried. The expedition starts from Tromso, going westward over the island of Spitsbergen and over North Greenland, to the mouth of the in Canada, .and thence to Fairbanks, the journey occupying from four to •five days. After refuelling, said Dr Nansen,, the airship would make a. round cruise of the Arctic regions, lasting four or five days, returning to Fairbanks. Thence it returns homeward via Northern Siberia. Dr Nansen hopes to determine the distribution of land and water in the jArctic regions, and also to map any new land that is sighted. It is known that the Arctic Pole is situated in an ocean, but the depth of the ocean has not yet properly been measured.; Dr Nansen explained that the sea depths are to be measured by an ingenious apparatus, lowered from the airship into, the ice cracks and water janes that may be found. He describes the expedition as being more or less a pioneer trip, and one probably leading to the establishment of a chain of permanent,, and semi-per-manent wirelessly-equipped meteorological posts all round the Arctic Circle, thus invaluably assisting the forecasting of weather in Northern Europe and in the British Isles.