366 NEAREST THE POLE 



may be utilised in the interior of the vessel, to reduce 

 weight, while at the same time increasing its structural 

 strength, and not lessening the strength and rigidity 

 of the interior bracing. 



In the interests of strength, the frames of the Roose- 

 velt were made treble, keel, keelson, stem and stem- 

 post exceptionally strong; the planking is double; 

 the deck beams, and especially the 'tween-deck beams, 

 which are to be just below the water-line, are extra 

 heavy, and spaced more closely than usual. Ad- 

 ditional struts from the bilges, and strong posts rom 

 the keelson, longitudinal tie plates at the water-ways 

 and on the upper deck beams, and transverse bulk- 

 heads, add still further to her great strength. 



In the interest of lightness there is no 'tween-deck 

 planking, no interior fittings; and the spars and rig- 

 ging are made as light as possible. 



The keel, false keel and keelsons are of oak, and 

 form a rigid backbone to the ship six feet in height. 

 The stem and rudder and propeller posts also are of 

 massive oak timbers, the former having a depth on the 

 ship's axis of seven to ten feet, to take the blow^s when 

 ramming ice. The frames also are of oak, placed 

 almost close together, and each composed of three 

 thicknesses of timber bolted together to give great 

 strength. The planking is double, yellow pine inside 

 and oak outside. 



The sides of the ship are from twenty-four to thirty 

 inches thick. 



To keep even these heavy sides from being crushed 

 in, they were reinforced by heavy deck beams placed 

 unusually close together, and a lower tier of heavy 



