CHAPTER III.
BEGINNING THE VOYAGE.
I determined to build a vessel of such strength and equipment as couldnot fail, with ordinary good fortune, to carry us through the greatestdangers in Arctic navigation. Short of being absolutely frozen in theice, I hoped to reach the pole itself, if there should be sufficientwater to float us. The vessel, which I named the _Polar King_,although small in size was very strong and compact. Her length was 150feet and her width amidships 50 feet. Her frames and planking weremade of well-seasoned oak. The outer planking was sheathed in steelplates from four to six inches in thickness. This would protect usfrom the edges of the ancient ice that might otherwise cut into theplanking and so destroy the vessel.
The ship was armed as follows: A colossal terrorite gun that stood inthe centre of the deck, whose 250-pound shell of explosive terroritewas fired by a charge of gunpowder without exploding the terroritewhile leaving the gun. This was to destroy icebergs and heavypack-ice. A battery of twelve 100-pounder terrorite guns, with shellsalso fired with powder. All shells would explode by percussion instriking the object aimed at. A battery of six guns of the Gatlingtype, to repel boarding parties in case we reached a hostile country.There was also an armory of magazine rifles, revolvers, cutlasses,etc., as well as 50 tons of gunpowder, terrorite, and revolver-riflecartridges.
The ship was driven by steam, the triple-expansion engine being500-horse power and the rate of speed twenty-five miles an hour. By animportant improvement on the steam engine, invented by myself, one tonof coal did the work of 50 tons without such improvement. The bunkersheld 250 tons of coal, which was thus equal to 12,500 tons in anyother vessel. There was also an auxiliary engine for working thepumps, electric dynamo, cargo, anchors, etc. One of the most usefulfittings was the apparatus that both heated the ship and condensed thesea water for consumption on board ship, and for feeding the boilers.
The ship's company was as follows:
OFFICERS.
Lexington White, Commander of the Expedition.Captain, William Wallace.First Officer Renwick, Navigating Lieutenant.Second Officer Austin, Captain of the terrorite gun.Third Officer Haddock, Captain of the main deck battery.
SCIENTIFIC STAFF.
Professor Rackiron, Electrician and Inventor.Professor Starbottle, Astronomer.Professor Goldrock, Naturalist.Doctor Merryferry, Ship's Physician.
PETTY OFFICERS.
Master-at-Arms Flathootly.First Engineer Douglass.Second Engineer Anthoney.Pilot Rowe.Carpenter Martin.Painter Hereward.Boatswain Dunbar.
Ninety-five able-bodied seamen, including mechanics, gunners,cooks, tailors, stokers, etc.
Total of ship's company, 110 souls.
Believing in the absolute certainty of discovering the pole and ourconsequent fame, I had included in the ship's stores a specialtriumphal outfit for both officers and sailors. This consisted of aViking helmet of polished brass surmounted by the figure of asilver-plated polar bear, to be worn by both officers and sailors. Forthe officers a uniform of navy-blue cloth was provided, consisting offrock coat embroidered with a profusion of gold striping on shouldersand sleeves, and gold-striped pantaloons. For each sailor there wasprovided a uniform consisting of outer navy-blue cloth jacket, withinner blue serge jacket, having the figure of a globe embroidered ingold on the breast of the latter, surmounted by the figure of a polarbear in silver. Each officer and sailor was armed with a cutlasshaving the figure of a polar bear in silver-plated brass surmountingthe hilt. This was the gala dress, but for every-day use the entirecompany was supplied with the usual Arctic outfit to withstand theterrible climate of high latitudes.
Foreseeing the necessity of pure air and freedom from dampsurroundings, I had the men's berths built on the spar deck, contraryto the usual custom. The spar deck was entirely covered by a hurricanedeck, thus giving complete protection from cold and the stormy weatherwe would be sure to encounter on the voyage.
Our only cargo consisted of provisions, ship's stores, ammunition,coal, and a large stock of chemical batteries and a dynamo forfurnishing electricity to light the ship. We also shipped largely ofmaterials to manufacture shells for the terrorite guns.
The list of stores included an ample supply of tea, coffee, cannedmilk, butter, pickles, canned meats, flour, beans, peas, pork,molasses, corn, onions, potatoes, cheese, prunes, pemmican, rice,canned fowl, fish, pears, peaches, sugar, carrots, etc.
The refrigerator contained a large quantity of fresh beef, mutton,veal, etc. We brought no luxuries except a few barrels of rum forspecial occasion or accidents. Exposure and hard work will make theplainest food seem a banquet.
Thus fully equipped, the _Polar King_ quietly left the Atlantic Basinin Brooklyn, N. Y., ostensibly on a voyage to Australia. Thenewspapers contained brief notices to the effect that Lexington White,a gentleman of fortune, had left New York for a voyage to Australiaand the Southern Ocean, via Cape Horn, and would be gone for twoyears.
We left on New Year's Day, and had our first experience of a polarpack in New York Bay, which was thickly covered with crowded ice.Gaining the open water, we soon left the ice behind, and, after amonth's steady steaming, entered the Straits of Magellan, havingtouched at Monte Video for supplies and water.
Leaving the Straits we entered the Pacific Ocean, steering north.Touching at Valparaiso, we sailed on without a break until we arrivedat Sitka, Alaska, on the 1st of March.
Receiving our final stores at Sitka, the vessel at once put to seaagain, and in a week reached Behring Strait and entered the ArcticOcean. I ordered the entire company to put on their Arctic clothing,consisting of double suits of underclothing, three pairs of socks,ordinary wool suits, over which were heavy furs, fur helmets,moccasins and Labrador boots.
All through the Straits we had encountered ice, and after we hadsailed two days in the Arctic Sea, a hurricane from the northwestsmote us, driving us eastward over the 165th parallel, north ofAlaska. We were surrounded with whirlwinds of snow frozen as hard ashail. We experienced the benefit of having our decks covered with asteel shell. There was plenty of room for the men to exercise on deckshielded from the pitiless storm that drove the snow like a storm ofgravel before it. Exposure to such a blizzard meant frost-bite,perhaps death. The outside temperature was 40 below zero, the insidetemperature 40 above zero, cold enough to make the men digest anArctic diet.
We kept the prow of the ship to the storm, and every wave that washedover us made thicker our cuirass of ice. It was gratifying to note thecontrast between our comfortable quarters and the howling desolationaround us.
While waiting for the storm to subside we had leisure to speculate onthe chances of success in discovering the pole.
Captain Wallace had caused to be put up in each of our four cabins thefollowing tables of Arctic progress made since Hudson's voyage in1607:
RECORD OF HIGHEST LATITUDES REACHED.
Hudson 80' 23" in 1607Phipps 80' 48" in 1773Scoresby 81' 12" in 1806Payer 82' 07" in 1872Meyer 82' 09" in 1871Parry 82' 45" in 1827Aldrich 83' 07" in 1876Markham 83' 20" in 1876Lockwood 83' 24" in 1883
"Does it not seem strange," said I, "that nearly three hundred yearsof naval progress and inventive skill can produce no better record inpolar discovery than this? With all our skill and experience we haveonly distanced the heroic Hudson three degrees; that is one degree forevery hundred years. At this rate of progress the pole may bediscovered in the year 2600."
"It is a record of naval imbecility," said the captain; "there is noreason why our expedition cannot at least touch the 85th degree. Thatwould be doing the work of two hundred years in as many days."
"Why not do the work of the next 700 years while we are at it?" saidProfessor Rackiron. "Let us take the ship as far as we can go and thenbundle our dogs and a few of the best men into the balloon and finisha job that the biggest governments on earth are unable to do."
"That's precisely what we've come here for," said I, "but we must haveprudence as
well as boldness, so as not to throw away our livesunnecessarily. In any case we will beat the record ere we return."
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