370 NEAREST THE POLE 



in the McKay & Dix shipyard at Bucksport, Maine, 

 and the ship was launched the 23d of March, 1905, 

 Mrs. Peary shattering a block of ice containing a bottle 

 of champagne against the steel-clad stem as the hull 

 glided down the ways and christening the ship Roosevelt. 



The installation of the machinery began two days 

 later at Portland, Maine, and was practically com- 

 pleted in less than two months. 



The official measurements of the ship are as follows: 

 length, 184 feet; breadth, 35.5 feet; depth, 16.2 

 feet; gross registered tonnage, 614 tons; maximum 

 load displacement, about 1,500 tons. The backbone 

 of the ship, viz. ; keel, main keelson, stem and stern 

 posts, as also her frames, plank sheer, the waterways, 

 and garboard strake, are white oak. Beams, sister 

 keelsons, deck clamps, 'tween-deck waterways, bilge 

 strakes, ceiling, and inner course of planking, yellow 

 pine. Outer planking, white oak, and decks, Oregon 

 pine. Both the ceiling and outer course of white oak 

 planking are edge-bolted from stem to stem and from 

 plank sheer to garboard strake. The fastenings 

 are galvanised iron bolts, going through both courses 

 of planking and the frames, and riveting up over 

 washers on the inside of the ceiling. 



Special features of the ship are as follows: 



First, in model, a pronounced raking stem and 

 wedge-shaped bow; very sharp dead rise of floor, 

 affording a form of side which cannot be grasped by 

 the ice ; a full run to keep the ice away from the pro- 

 peller; a pronounced overhang at the stem to still 

 further protect the propeller, and a raking stempost. 



Second, peculiarities of construction; the unusual 



