The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 403 pages of information about The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 2.

The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 403 pages of information about The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 2.
is still widely used on smacks.  These simple pumps have been shown by experience to work better than any others in severe cold.  The fore-deck also has skylights over the fore-saloon, the main and fore hatches, and finally the capstan.  This is of the ordinary horizontal type, from Pusnes Engineering Works; it is driven by the motor below, as already mentioned.  The capstan can also be used as a winch, and it can be worked by hand-power.

The Fram carries six boats:  one large decked boat (29 x 9 x 4 feet) —­ one of the two large boats carried on Nansen’s expedition —­ placed between the mainmast and the foremast, over the skylight; three whale-boats (20 x 6 feet), and one large and one small pram; the two last are carried on davits as shown in the drawing.  One of these whale-boats was left behind on the Ice Barrier, where it was buried in snow when the ship left.  It was brought ashore that the wintering party might have a boat at their disposal after the Fram had sailed.

For warming the vessel it is intended to use only petroleum.  For warming the laboratory (chart-house) there is an arrangement by which hot air from the galley is brought up through its forward wall.

The vessel was provided with iron chain plates bolted to the timbers above the ice-skin.  The mizzenmast is new.  There was a crack in the beam that forms the support for the mizzenmast; it was therefore strengthened with two heavy iron plates, secured by through-bolts.  Two strong steel stanchions were also placed on each side of the engine, carried down to the frame-timbers.  The old mizzenmast has been converted into a bowsprit and jib-boom in one piece.  There are now standing gaffs on all three masts.  The sail area is about 6,640 square feet.

All the cabins are insulated in the same way as before, though it has been found possible to simplify this somewhat.  In general the insulation consists of: 

1.  In the cabins, against the ship’s side and under the upper deck, there is first a layer of cork, and over that a double panelling of wood with tarred felt between.

2.  Above the orlop deck aft there is a layer of cork, and above this a floor of boards covered with linoleum.

3.  Under the orlop deck forward there is wooden panelling, with linoleum over the deck.

Bulkheads abutting on parts of the ship that are not warmed consist of three thicknesses of boards or planks with various non-conducting materials, such as cork or felt, between them.

When the vessel was docked before leaving Horten, the zinc sheathing was removed, as already stated, since fears were entertained that it would be torn by the ice, and would then prevent the ice from slipping readily under the bottom during pressure.  The vessel has two anchors, but the former port anchor has been replaced by a considerably heavier one (1 ton 1 1/2 hundredweight), with a correspondingly heavier chain-cable.  This was done with a special view to the voyage round Cape Horn.

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The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 2 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.