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On August 23, 1931, the submarine
Nautilus arrived in Arctic waters, only 600 miles from the Pole. At
last, this was what Hubert Wilkins and the crew had been working for,
traveling some 5000 miles to get there. After a harrowing several months
of travel in the refurbished 0-12 submarine, requiring numerous repairs
along the way, the weather conditions were now favorable for diving. But
when Commander Danenhower ordered a check of the equipment, the
unthinkable was discovered. The diving planes were missing. This was a
crushing blow and the most recent in a long chain of mechanical problems
with the Nautilus. Although he carefully avoided saying so
specifically, Wilkins believed that crew members had sabotaged the
submarine.
In spite of these problems, Wilkins
was determined to continue with the scientific experiments. Chief
scientist Harold Sverdrup was able to work in the diving chamber without
difficulty and proceeded to take core samples, as well as record
bathymetric data and gravity measurements. Scientists determined the
temperature and salinity of the water at various levels, and collected
plankton. On August 31, Captain Danenhower came up with a technique to
take the sub under the ice. He trimmed the sub two degrees down at the bow
and proceeded under a three foot thick ice floe. Wilkins later wrote,
“The noise of the ice scraping along the top of the vessel was
terrifying. It sounded as though the whole superstructure was being
demolished.” (Wilkins 15/28 p.70). When an inside inspection revealed no
damage, Danenhower trimmed down further and continued under the ice. An
attempt was made to use the large ice drill, but the shaft failed. Danenhower
had to back the sub out from under the ice. |
