CHAPTER XVII

PREPARING FOR THE AIRSHIP POLAR EXPEDITION
 

     Going to Paris the first of January, 1906, I at once set on foot an exhaustive inquiry as to the practicability of motor-balloons in polar ex­ploration. All the known experts and authori­ties were consulted. Among them were Henri Julliot, who had built the Lebaudy, and who afterward built La Patrie, La Republique, and other airships; Commandante Bouttieaux, of the French Military Aeronautic establishment at Meudon; Captain Ferber, who since lost his life in an aeroplane flight; Colonel Renard, the well-known authority on aeronautics; the construct­ors, Maurice Mallet, Edouard Surcouf, Louis Godard; F. S. Lahm, an American who is prominent in aeronautic circles in Paris; the veteran Wilfred de Fonvielle, who took a big balloon out of Paris during the siege in 1872; Count de la Vaulx, who holds the long-distance spherical balloon record, and many others. Santos Dumont, the young Brazilian who had done such valuable experimental work with motor-balloons, thought so well of our project that at one time he seriously considered joining me in the effort. All sorts of opinions were drawn from the men who spoke from experience and knowledge of the art, but the general judg­ment was favorable to the project. 

     The idea of seeking the Pole in a motor-driven balloon—a true airship—caught the imagination of the French people, and I was given cordial welcome everywhere. The emi­nent scientist and astronomer, Prof. Janssen, of the Observatory, said: "Andree's voyage was suicide; yours promises success." He presented me to the famous French Academy of Sciences, where much encouragement was generously ex­tended by the savants. I was made a member of the Aero Club of France, and addressed by invitation the Aerial Navigation Society, the Meteorological Society, and other bodies. 

     Thorough investigation of details having con­vinced me that the airship afforded at least a promising means of reaching the Pole, I deter­mined to build such a ship, and to build it, if possible, quick enough to enable us to take it to the Arctic regions during the summer then ap­proaching, and to have at least an experimental voyage with it. Airships and polar expeditions cost a great deal of money, and I was fortunate enough to have the necessary capital at my command. 

     Before leaving America I had placed my project before the owners of the newspaper with which I have been associated for a quarter of a century, the Chicago Record-Herald. Mr. Frank B. Noyes, then publisher of the paper, and the President of the Associated Press, the greatest news-gathering organization in the world, liked the idea, and took me to Mr. Victor F. Lawson, then the owner of the Record-Herald, and also of the Chicago Daily News. After a full and searching discussion it was agreed that we should organize the Wellman Chicago Record-Herald Polar Expedition. This title was dreadfully long and clumsy, but nothing else would do. Mr. Lawson subscribed for most of the stock of the corporation, and did so through public spirit and his desire to aid in doing something for progress. Only inciden­tally did he think of advertising his newspaper, and he knew that as a business proposition it would be a losing one—that if it was advertising he wanted he could get much more in other ways at far less cost. 

     Nevertheless, when the plan of the expedition was announced, a part of the press received it with skepticism and sneers. In their opinion it was nothing but an advertising scheme. Worse still, emboldened by their narrow imagination, many declared the project was only a fake, a bluff, that there was no serious intention of try­ing to reach the Pole, and so on to the end of the string of denunciation and slander. Of course it was useless to reply to these criticisms. One could only go ahead with his work and do the best he could. 

     One theory I have always held, and still cling to it. It is that the great newspapers of the world should take the lead in all good works for the public benefit—reformations, constructions, experiments, explorations, furtherance of all worthy activities in all the fields of progress and endeavor. In my efforts I have had the support of some of the greatest journals on both sides of the Atlantic, and I am proud of it. I hope the day may come when our newspapers will be still more enterprising in these fields, and when journalistic breadth will be found sufficient to welcome, recognize and encourage all good work, no matter if made under the auspices of others in the profession. The old idea that newspapers are rivals, and must fight one another, ignore the other's activities or belittle and sneer at them—even questioning the motives and assailing the character of individuals—is a narrow, short­sighted one, savoring far more of the country cross-roads than of metropolitan journalism. 

     That our project should be received with gen­eral skepticism was perfectly natural, and no one could complain of that. Few people in America knew what had been done or could be done with modern airships. They could not get out of their minds the idea that an airship was nothing but a balloon, and that its car was only a basket. Even the newspapers which attacked and sneered were guilty of like lack of information. Some of the caviling editors plainly showed they did not know the difference between an aeroplane and a motor-balloon; supposed it was always fifty below zero in the Arctic regions; and were unaware whether Spitzbergen was a town in Norway or an island off the coast of Sweden. One editor, who attacked us fiercely, spoke of Smeerenburg as a populous city where we could get all the labor we required! 

     Those early months of 1906 were days of feverish activity. Perhaps it would have been better not to try to go on with the expedition that summer, but we Americans like to do things rapidly, and the rapidity of our operations astonished the slow-going people of Europe. By the end of January I had finished my con­ferences with experts and decided upon the size and plan of the airship. The contract for build­ing this huge ship in all its parts was let to M. Louis Godard, a well-known constructor and aeronaut, who was believed to stand at the head of his profession. 

     A staff of engineers and experts was organ­ized, including M. Gaston Hervieu, gas en­gineer, Alexander Liwenthaal, an architect, and M. Colardeau, a mechanical expert. In Nor­way I chartered a steamship to carry us to Spitzbergen, again securing the old Frithjof, which had taken us to Franz Josef Land in 1898. A hydrogen gas apparatus of large capacity was built in Paris to be transported to Spitzbergen. One hundred and ten tons of sulphuric acid for making hydrogen were ordered from Reher and Ramsden, Hamburg, and seventy tons of iron turnings were secured in Norway. Tons of pro­visions were purchased from Armour & Co., Chicago, and Acker, Merrall & Condit, New York, and shipped across the Atlantic. A ship­load of timber and building material of all sorts was procured in Norway, clothing and general outfit in London, also instruments for naviga­tional purposes. Sledges were ordered built to my specifications. Steel boats I ordered from Mullins, the well-known builder of Salem, Ohio, and a good supply of malted milk from the celebrated Horlick establishment at Racine, Wis. Pumping engines, a steam engine and boiler, lathes, drills and tools for a machine shop were ordered in London. 

     This incomplete list will give the reader an idea of the wonderful lot of work which is involved in the preparation of an expedition like this—an expedition which ran into most of the arts and sciences and involved prodigious foresight and care if everything was to be at­tended to in proper fashion. Spitzbergen being an uninhabited country, and there being no means of communication between our head­quarters and Norway, save by sending our steamer to and fro—a voyage of from 15 to 20 days at the least—it was necessary to take with us everything necessary for our large and com­plex building, mechanical, aeronautic and chem­ical operations. I am proud to say that not a tool or nail or appliance or material was lack­ing. Not only in this first campaign, but the two campaigns which followed, there never was a demand from any of our departments which was not filled from the stock we had with us. 

     As it was my plan from the first to equip the airship in such manner that its crew could at any moment, if necessary, bring the craft down to the surface of the ice-fields, and then con­vert themselves into a sledging party, it was necessary to have dogs for the sledges. Alex­ander Trontheim I could not get hold of this time, but after overcoming many difficulties man­aged to get another resident of Siberia to send men down the Ob river to the Ostiak tribes on the Arctic coast and from them procure a pack of thirty selected sledge dogs, to be delivered at Archangel by a certain day. The dogs were delivered in time, at a cost of about $70 per dog, though I dare say the natives got not much more than the equivalent of a two dollar bill apiece for them. Instead of sending the Frith­jof all the way round to Archangel to take these dogs aboard, as I had done in 1898, arrangements were made to have them shipped by regular steamer across the White Sea to Norway. An­other complication was met at this juncture. The laws of Norway do not permit alien dogs to be landed in the country. But the Norwe­gian government at Christiania made a special dispensation in our behalf, as they had done be­fore, and the unfailing courtesy of these officials I wish to acknowledge. 

     An effort was also made to build motor-sledges, in accordance with the plans I had pre­viously prepared. But it was not successful. I was compelled to go to America and to leave the details in the hands of assistants. They built the sledges far too heavy—good for work on smooth ice, as they proved when tested out on the lakes of Norway, but useless upon the rough ice of the polar ocean. 

     In America, as well as Europe, many scien­tific bodies gave us recognition and encourage­ment. The National Geographic Society of Washington formally endorsed our Expedition and appointed a committee with Prof. Henry Gannett as its chairman to aid us in preparations for scientific work. Through the then President of the Society, Prof. Willis Moore, Chief of the United States Weather Bureau, Major Henry B. Hersey, Inspector of the Weather Bureau, who had volunteered for the service, was attached to the Expedition as meteorologist and also as navigator, and later I made him executive officer. He served with the Expedition two years. Felix Riesenberg, a young sailor from the U. S. Revenue cutter service (now of Columbia University) was also engaged, and Dr. W. N. Fowler, of Bluffton, Ind., was signed as medical officer. A few skilled machinists were taken from Paris, and about 25 mechanics and general workmen were engaged at Tromso, Trondhjem and Hammerf est, Norway, including Paul B joervig, who had been with me both in Spitz­bergen and Franz Josef Land, and Olaf El­lefsen, who had been a valued member of the Franz Josef Land party. 

     The National Geographic Magazine for April, 1906, published the following: 

"At a meeting of the Board of Managers of the National Geographic Society on March 16, 1906, President Willis L. Moore in the chair, the following resolution, moved by. Dr. Alex­

ander Graham Bell and seconded by Rear Ad­miral Colby M. Chester, U. S. N., was unan­imously adopted: 

     " 'Resolved, That it is the sense of the Board that the plans outlined by Mr. Walter Wellman for reaching the North Pole are carefully and thoroughly considered, and give good promise of success; 

     " 'That the Board heartily approves of these plans, and will do everything in its power to aid in carrying them out; 

     " 'That the Board accepts Mr. Wellman's proposition to send a scientific representative, and will, as far as possible, see that such repre­sentative is equipped for the work involved.' 

     "Major Henry E. Hersey has been appointed the representative of the National Geographic Society to accompany Mr. Wellman, and the scientific program is now being arranged by the Research Committee of the Society, consisting of Vice-President Henry Gannett, Chairman ; Prof. C. Hart Merriam, F. V. Coville, Prof. A. J. Henry, Prof. 0. H. Tittmann, C. W. Hayes, Prof. L. A. Bauer, W. H. Holmes, 0. P. Aus­tin, and Admiral C. M. Chester. 

     "When the Spanish-American war began, Major Hersey was in the charge of the climate and crop work of the U. S. Weather Bureau in Arizona. He obtained leave of absence, raiseda regiment, and offered his services to the govern­ment. Only part of the regiment was needed, so that Major Hersey was transferred as captain to the Rough Riders, of which he was the rank­ing major when the war closed. Since then he has been connected with the U. S. Weather Bu­reau. Probably two additional men will ac­company Mr. Wellman and Major Hersey in the airship voyage. 

     "The first announcement that Mr. Wellman would attempt to reach the North Pole in an air­ship was made on December 31, 1905. Mr. Victor Lawson, the principal owner of the Chicago Record-Herald and a life member of the National Geographic Society, supplies the money. His public spirit and generosity in thus supporting an expedition which will probably cost more than $250,000 before it is complete is deserving of the highest respect and appreciation. The expedition has been incorporated under the laws of Maine, with Mr. Lawson, president; Mr. Frank B. Noyes, editor of the Chicago Record-Herald, treasurer, and Mr. Wellman, general manager. The plans of the airship were deter­mined after much deliberation with the leading experts in aeronautics of France. 

     "Among Mr. Wellman's advisers were Alberto Santos-Dumont; the engineer, Henri Julliot, who built the Lebaudy dirigible and who hasjust been accorded the grand cross of the Legion of Honor; Commandant Renard, of the army, representative of the distinguished family whose names are famous in the history of aerial naviga­tion; Commandant Bouttiaux, chief of the army aerostatic station at Meudon; Captain Voyer, assistant chief and a man of great experience in aeronautics and with dirigibles ; M. Goupil, well-known mathematician, the greatest authority in France on aerial screws, engineer, and chevalier of the Legion of Honor; Captain Ferber, an expert not only in aeronautics, but in aviation; M. Edouard Surcouf, a well-known constructor and engineer, who is now building a dirigible for M. Deustch (de la Meurthe) ; M. Louis Godard, the aeronaut and constructor who has built scores of ships of the air, and who has made 500 ascen­sions; and many others." 

     The De Forest Wireless Telegraph Company had undertaken to equip the Frithjof with wire­less, and also to establish stations at Hammerfest, Norway, and one also in Spitzbergen, so that constant communication could be maintained from our camp to civilization. Owing to internal troubles, the De Forest Company did not com­plete its contract. They did send instruments to Europe, and one man; but I had to take charge of the operation and endeavor to secure results. We equipped the Frithjof, and built a tall mast and station at Hammerfest, at great expense. The number of messages we were able to get through in nowise compensated us for the outlay of money, labor and annoyance. 

     With all these affairs of men and materials and supplies and outfitting and construction and preparation on my hands, it may be imagined that I was a pretty busy man. And at the same time we were building the second largest airship in the world.