NO. i.] THE FRAM. 



But apart from considerations of mere strength of structure, there were 

 questions of design or model which, it was believed, would play an important 

 part in the attainment of the desired end. It is sometimes expedient in an 

 encounter to evade the full force of a blow rather than oppose it, even if it 

 could be met with impunity; and there was reason to believe that by a 

 judicious choice of model, something could be done to break the force of a 

 n nip", and thus deprive it of half its terrors. It frequently happens that 

 small vessels, of which a considerable number every year visit Spitsbergen 

 and Novaya Zemlya waters from the North of Norway, when caught in the 

 ice, are raised bodily out of the water without sustaining serious injury. 

 These vessels are by no means remarkably strong; but, like most small sail- 

 ing craft, they generally have a considerable rise of floor, and sloping sides. 

 When, therefore, they are nipped the ice, instead of being opposed by a verti- 

 cal wall like an ordinary ship's side, meets a sloping surface, and is pres- 

 sed down under the bilge, causing the vessel to rise until the ice from oppo- 

 site sides meets under her keel, and forms a bed for her to rest on. Hence 

 their immunity from destruction. 



In order to utilize this principle it was decided to depart entirely from 

 the usual deep-bilged form of section, and to adopt a shape which would af- 

 ford the ice no point of attack normal to the ship's side, but would, as the 

 horizontal pressure increased, force the attacking floes to dive under the ships 

 bottom, lifting her as described above. How this desirable end was sought 

 to be realized in the Fram, will best be understood by a reference to the plans 

 (PI. I and II), showing her lines and two of her cross sections. It will be seen 

 that plane or concave surfaces were avoided as much as possible by giving 

 her round and full lines. This, while increasing the power to resist pres- 

 sure from outside, also had the advantage of making it easy for the ice to 

 glide along the bottom in any direction. 



The Fram is an auxiliary screw steamer rigged as a threemasted fore 

 and aft schooner. Her engines, built at w Akers mekaniske Vaerksted", are of 

 200 indicated h. p. and were expected to drive her, when moderately loaded, 

 at a speed of 6 knots, with a coal consumption of 2.8 tons a day. 



The first thing to be considered in making out the design was the size 

 or carrying capacity to be chosen. As a general rule it may be said that, 

 for any given strength of material, the strength of the ship will vary in- 



