Polar Flight

When the Shenandoah broke loose some months ago from its mooring mast at Lakehurst, N. J, and avoided destruction by supreme skill, cautious Mr. Coolidge vetoed all plans for a Polar flight. Now that the U. S. has two large dirigibles in its possession, and such perfect command of both ships has been demonstrated again and again, there is revived talk of the expedition. General Mason M. Patrick in fact wants the ZR3 transferred to the Army, and a race between ZR3 and Shenandoah "to either the North or the South Pole." There would be sufficient thrill to a polar flight even without the element of a race. If a mooring mast and hangars were erected at Nome, Alaska, the actual distance to the North Pole would be comparatively small and either vessel could fly there and back in 72 hours. But terrible dangers would be involved The dirigible would be deprived of all weather reports, and might meet wild and unexpected gales in the barren North. The terrible cold of Arctic regions, enhanced by altitude, would tax the endurance of the crew to the utmost, and extreme precautions would be necessary to prevent freezing of radiators and engines. A forced landing in the frozen wilds would mean certain death. Success would have little value. Fleeting observations of magnetic action, a rough sketch map of hastily observed and barren, ice-covered areas would be the sum total of results. "Is the game worth it?" queried close students of aeronautics.