Science: Amundsen’s Plans

The plans of the Norwegian Roald Amundsen for a North Pole flight are taking shape. His aide will be an American—Lieutenant Ralph E. Davison, detailed for this duty by the U.S. Naval Air Service. Recently married, Mrs. Davison begged her husband that she be allowed to accompany him on a novel honeymoon. By a fortunate compromise, she will go with him to Pisa. Italy, where Amundsen’s planes are under construction by Dornier, famed German designer, and from there to Spitzbergen, Norway. The expedition (set for July) plans to explore the territory between Spitzbergen, Norway, and Point Barrow, Alaska. Apart from collecting data for scientific aeronautics, Amundsen and Davison will explore 1,000,000 square miles of territory, and gather information as to the possibilities of commercial flying across the Polar regions—which may ultimately furnish the shortest route between the three continents of America, Europe and Asia. The Dornier plane has a radius of action of 1,300 miles; Spitzbergen is 500 miles from the Pole, but over 1,700 miles from Point Barrow. The explorers will, therefore, make several seven-hour trips from Norway to the Pole, and make a cache there of fuel and supplies, for the last dash across the frozen top of the earth.