[Photo at bottom of page]
Thomas C. Poulter of Chicago is Hopeful of Results
on New Trip
To Cruise Long Way
Seattle, Wash. Oct. 19. UP Dr. Thomas C. Poulter of Chicago, hero
of the rescue in 1934 of Admiral Richard E. Byrd from his lonely
observation hut in the Antarctic, is hopeful of results from an
invention which may revolutionize expeditions.
He has perfected an Antarctic snow cruiser which will enable the
forthcoming Byrd expedition to the south pole to explore new lands
by air at heretofore impossible speeds.
The cruiser itself is a huge motor vehicle, insulated against
cold and equipped to carry four men and supplies in addition to
fuel for 5,000 cruising miles. It will carry a five-passenger
cabin plane equipped with skis.
"We will halt at intervals and the plane will go aloft on
observation flights," Poulter said.
The invention was a direct outgrowth of his bitter experiences
in the rescue of Byrd, when it took more than 70 hours to travel
the 123 miles from Little America to the admiral's hut.
Warsaw Daily Times Oct. 19, 1939
Byrd's Craft Coming Down U.S. 30 About 8:30 A.M.
Indianapolis, Ind. Oct. 21 UP-- Admiral Richard Byrd's huge snow
cruiser will start across Indiana Monday on its trip from Chicago
to Boston where it will be placed aboard ship for use on the United
States Antarctic expedition this summer.
Four state policemen will accompany the machine and all highways
over which it passes will be closed. The state highway commission
is co-operating with state police in giving it clear passage across
the state.
The cruiser will enter Indiana on U. S. 6 about 7 a.m., and will
journey east to U. S. 31, where it will turn south to Plymouth.
There it will take U. S. 30 to the state line. The first overnight
stop is scheduled to be made in Fort Wayne.
It is 19 feet wide, 55 feet long and weighs several tons. It carries
its own generating plant for lights and its own machine shop for
repairs. It was constructed in Chicago especially for Admiral
Byrd's Antarctic expedition.
Warsaw Daily Times Saturday, Oct. 21, 1939
Big Snow Cruiser Will Go Through Warsaw Over Road
30
Plans now call for the giant snow cruiser of the Admiral Byrd
expedition to be used in connection with his South Pole expedition,
to leave Chicago for the east at 8 o'clock Wednesday morning.
The snow cruiser was designed and built by the Armour Institute
of Technology Research Foundation. The cruiser is going over land
on its power to Boston where it will be put aboard the ship of
the Antarctic expedition. The ship travels at an average rate
of 25 miles an hour and by being routed from Chicago so as to
make a demonstration in the sand dunes, the distance to be covered
between Warsaw and Chicago will approximate 180 miles, state highway
officials said Tuesday. With time off at the dunes for a demonstration,
it is doubtful if the cruiser will pass through Warsaw before
late Wednesday afternoon.
As soon as word is received in Warsaw of the time the cruiser
will arrive, bulletins will be posted at once at The Times
office. When the cruiser is sighted the Warsaw fire siren
will sound two blasts.
The itinerary as announced from Chicago, for Wednesday, follows:
Leave Chicago with police escort over U. S. highway No. 6 to Gary
city limits, thence on the same road to LaPaz; from LaPaz on U.
S. highway 31 to Plymouth, and thence on No. 30 through Warsaw
to Fort Wayne for an overnight stop. Thursday the cruiser will
follow No. 30 to the Ohio state line and thence eastward to Boston,
its final destination overland.
Warsaw Daily Times Tuesday, Oct. 24, 1939
Bedded Down in Auto Parking Lot Pending Checkup
Chicago. Oct. 25 UP The giant Antarctic snow cruiser designed to
carry members of Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd's new Antarctic
expedition over polar wastes in comfort was bedded down today
in an automobile parking lot.
Traveling under its own power it will begin a cross-country trek
Thursday for Boston, embarkation point of the expedition, with
a stop-over for a "shakedown" on the Indiana sand dunes.
The cruiser, 55 feet long, designed by the research foundation
of the Armour Institute, was driven from the factory to the parking
lot last night. Byrd has said that Nov. 1 is the deadline for
departure of the explorers, due to approaching winter in the Antarctic.
The motor-driven craft is 15 feet wide and 15 feet high, and a
special rout has to be charted for its journey to Boston. Even
so, in many places it will have clearance of only a few inches.
It is designed to travel across snow and ice fields and span a
15-foot crevasse without danger. It can cruise 5,000 miles with
one year's supplies for four men and will carry a five-passenger
plane on top. It is equipped with machine shop, generating plant,
radio, and meteorological recording equipment. It had been scheduled
to leave for the sand dunes today but departure was postponed
for a last-minute checkup.
Anxious Warsawans must wait at least another day before arrival
of the giant snow-cruiser built for Admiral Richard Byrd's Antarctic
expedition, according to R. F. Emmons, Standard Oil representative
here. The large cruiser, originally scheduled to leave Chicago,
traveling east, Wednesday morning, will not leave until 2 o'clock
Thursday morning.
Reason for the delay is that the mammoth machine required two
hours in which to negotiate one corner in Chicago this morning.
Mr. Emmons told The Times today that he did not expect the cruiser
before Thursday and possibly not until Friday.
Two blasts of the Warsaw fire siren will be sounded when the cruiser
nears Warsaw. Advance bulletins will be placed in The Daily Times
windows announcing definitely the time of arrival as soon as it
can be determined with any degree of certainty.
Warsaw Daily Times Oct. 25, 1939
Machine to be Used by Byrd Due in Warsaw After
4 P.M.
South Pole Explorer Admiral Byrd's huge snow cruiser with thousands
of Kosciusko county school children and elders anxiously awaiting
its long delayed passage through Warsaw east on U. S. 30 was expected
to leave Plymouth at 3:30 this afternoon and reach Warsaw some
time after 4:30 o'clock. The schedule included a stop at Walkerton
at 2:00 p.m. another at LaPaz at 2:45 and arrival in Plymouth
around 3:30. No stop in Plymouth was expected. Warsaw was liable
to see the largest land vehicle anytime after 4 p.m. barring delays,
possibly much later.
Earl Kessler, Claypool, who drove north beyond Valparaiso on road
6 told us he saw the big cruiser there at noon today, making but
10 mile per hour. At that rate he did not expect the "snow-byrd"
to reach Warsaw until late tonight, about 6 to 8 o'clock.
The cruiser left Chicago early Thursday morning as scheduled.
Long before the arrival of the snow cruiser in Warsaw and vicinity
state police and members of the state hightway department had
gathered along the route to clear a passage for the monster machine.
The snow cruiser was designed and built for Admiral Byrd and his
Antarctic expedition by the Armour Institute of Technology Research
Foundation at Chicago. The overland trip terminates at Boston,
where the cruiser will be placed aboard a ship of the expedition
to the South Pole.
Warsawan Howard Betz, of 512 North Lake street, played an important
part in recent repair of the snow cruiser after it failed to operate
properly Monday on its scheduled start through Indiana from Chicago.
Former Physics Professor at Valparaiso university Betz was called
to Armour Institute, Chicago where the cruiser was built to direct
vital repairs and changes to a bearing which had failed to function
properly and delayed its start. Betz made the needed repairs in
one day.
Tested At Dunes
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd's huge snow cruiser moved slowly
across norther Indiana enroute to Boston today after completing
on sun-baked Indiana sand dunes the maneuvers it will take a few
months hence on the icy waters of the Antarctic.
State police convoying the grotesque behemoth on its shake-down
cruise said the dunes test was completed before noon and the trip
resumed along the broad pavement on U. S. road 6 on the first
leg of the eight-day trek to Boston. From Plymouth it comes down
U.S. 30 to Warsaw.
It is 55 feet long, 15 feet wide, weights 35 tons and has wheels
10 feet in diameter, each separately powered. It will carry a
five-passenger plane on its roof and combines all the features
of a deluxe trailer, machine shop, generating plant, and laboratory,
complete with radio and meteorological recording equipment. It
will also carry postoffice equipment.
It can cruise 5,000 miles with one year's supplies for a crew
of four. It's radical design, including wheels that turn separately
and in combination and can be retracted or slipped forward or
backward, will enable it to span crevasses as wide as 15 feet.
The cruiser will follow a surveyed route and will make stops at
Fort Wayne, Mansfield, O., Akron, Fredonia, N.Y., Auburn, N.Y.,
Albany, N.Y., Framingham, Mass., and Boston.
Warsaw Daily Times Thurs. October 26, 1929
Continues on Its way East After Delay
Hub Camps are Removed So Machine Can Cross Bridge West of This
City
Crew Fed by C. of C.
Bulletin Columbia City, Ind., Oct. 27 Admiral Richard
E. Byrd's snow cruiser came out loser in its first encounter with
a truck Friday. It sideswiped a vehicle driven by Lloyd Bowman,
Newcastle, Pa., and a hub cap was torn from the cruiser. The truck
escaped serious damage. State police said the cruiser might spend
the night in Fort Wayne, 24 hours behind schedule.
The cruiser has developed motor trouble here this afternoon after
striking the truck and was being "held up indefinitely."
Authorities refused to say whether it would remain here overnight
or go on to Fort Wayne. ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Refreshed by a night's rest the crew of the snow cruiser under
command of Dr. Thomas Poulter, second in command of the Byrd Antarctic
expedition to the South Pole, left the Helvy Standard Oil station
at Center and High streets for its trip to Boston at 7:30 o'clock
Friday morning. Due to delays the cruiser spent the night in Warsaw.
Accompanied by a detail of state police the cruiser started on
its journey which is an average speed of 17 miles an hour, after
the motor was turned up and a few minor adjustments were made.
Even with the early start crowds of several hundred people witnessed
the snow cruiser wend it way from the Helvy filling station out
highway No. 30, East Center street, until it disappeared over
the White hill.
A six-hour delay was encountered in Columbia City when a large
semi-trailer truck sideswiped the cruiser barged in its side
and knocked off a hub cap. The accident occurred while the cruiser
was negotiating Columbia City streets at 9:45. The truck owned
by a Newcastle, Pa., firm was enroute to Chicago and while damaged
somewhat was able to proceed to Chicago.
The first stop is Fort Wayne. Other stops enroute are Mansfield
and Akron, Ohio; Fredonia, Auburn, and Albany, New York; Framingham
and Boston, Mass. At Boston it will be dismantled and put aboard
ship for Little America.
Tired and Weary
Tired and weary to the point of exhaustion, Dr. Thomas Poulter
second in command of the expedition and his South Pole bound crew,
rested in Warsaw Thursday night, the guests of the Warsaw Junior
Chamber of Commerce, while their behemoth of the land, a 37-ton
snow cruiser, stood in the midst of a crowd of thousands of curious
at the corner of Center and High streets here.
Long delayed by undreamed-of obstacles and traffic troubles generated
by its own immense size, the gigantic cruiser slithered and weaved
its way into Warsaw at 10 o'clock last night. Throngs of onlookers,
who had withstood the onslaught of two hours of steady rain, cheered
wildly as the grotesque giant rounded the corner of Lake street
on to Center. Three double tiers of state police cars, red lights
flashing a warning, led the cruiser and cleared traffic.
Engine, Cruiser Meet.
Ironically enough, as it not beset by already a multitude of troubles,
the cruiser met the Winona Railroad's giant Diesel engine on the
main street of town, almost within a stone's throw of its stopping
place. The train was forced to give way until the snow cruiser
had pulled to the curb. Its outside wheels cleared the train only
by inches.
The ominous-appearing procession almost met disaster at the Orion
and Walnut creek bridges, four miles and one mile west of Warsaw.
Local officials had sounded the Warsaw fire siren as the word
was flashed that the cruiser had passed through Etna Green. Natives
of Kosciusko county, realizing the tightness of the situation
which would develop, flocked to the Orion bridge.
Thousands Watch Crossing
Here in almost utter silence, the crowd seemingly awed by the
enormity of the monster facing them, a thousand persons stood
in the rain and watched the resourceful cruiser crew solve the
problem of crossing a narrow bridge. The cruiser is 19 feet and
6 inches wide. The bridge measures just 20 feet. Dr. Poulter ordered
the hub-caps removed to save even those few precious inches. For
two hours he caused the "20th century mammoth" to shimmy,
shake and twist its way across the narrow span. At times it seemed
an impossibility.
After successfully naviagating this bridge, the weary crew spent
another hour worming the land-ship through the Walnut creek bridge.
At long last, crew and ship reached Warsaw, their haven for the
night.
The snow cruiser, when on the Orion bridge extended from rail
to rail in width with only inches to spare, and when the front
of the cruiser reached the east edge of the bridge, the rear was
still only one-quarter of the way across the span. Its enormous
size could well be appreciated at that spot.
Crew Fed Here
Junior Chamber of Commerce executives, who had journeyed to Bourbon
to extend their invitation, fed Dr. Poulter and his crew and furnished
them beds for the night. Honored by the thought of this machine,
which will journey to the South Pole to claim the last bit of
unclaimed land for the United States, stopping here, the town
extended the men a royal welcome.
The strings of colored lights erected only at Christmas and county
fair times, were lighted through the city. An air of festivity
hung over the streets in spite of the downpour of rain.
City and state police, in conjunction with state highway workers
labored through the rainly hours to keep trafic cleared in the
town. Observers declared that never had such a press of automobiles
and persons beseiged our city before.
Traffic Is Problem
Approach of the cruiser to Warsaw presented the local police department
with the hardest trafic problem they have had to face in years.
Aided by state highway workers, Policeman Harve Matthews stood
in the driving rain and by dint of hard work managed to keep the
intersection of Center and Lake streets clear. Officer Judd Pittenger
at Buffalo and Center faced a like problem. Police were handicapped
by motorists driving their cars up to the intersection and then
stopping. They were moved on with difficulty. Streets entering
onto North Lake street were hopelessly blocked. Outlying streets
were lined with parked cars for blocks and a steady stream of
cars that could find no parking space moved by officers Matthews
and Pittenger until the cruiser moved onto Center street. Some
difficulty was experienced in clearing a lane for traffic that
followed the cruiser after it had been parked for the night.
After their few hours of needed rest (the crew of the cruiser
had handled it for 20 hours on end) the dauntless group continued
on its way early Friday morning. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Warsaw, Ind., Oct. 27 --UP--A giant snow cruiser, built to cross
Antarctic wastes undaunted by crevasses 15 feet wide, was unable
to buck crowds of curious Hoosiers and bedded down here for the
night, some 40 miles short of its first scheduled stop at Fort
Wayne.
Fire sirens blasted out to announce its approach to town and a
crowd estimated at 10,000 persons jamed its right-of-way as it
rolled along at a snail's pace of six miles an hour. Police estimated
the crowd exceeded the population of Warsaw by some 3,000 persons.
The Junior Chamber of Commerce hurriedly organized to find some
place to house the grotesque behemoth which will take Admiral
Richard E. Byrd on his next expedition to Little America.
The other trouble encountered by its crew last evening occurred
on a bridge just outside of town. The crew spent an hour and a
half figuring out how to get the cruiser across; then finally
removed the hub-caps from its ten foot wheels to clear the bridge
walls.
A heavy downpour failed to discourage the waiting crowd.
Left Early Thursday
The cruiser left Chicago early yesterday morning and its crew
expected to make Fort Wayne, Ind., before nightfall. But they
reconed without the curiosity of Hoosiers.
Crowds at Plymouth were so large that additional state police
were called to handle the people who lined the right-of-way. The
same story faced the cruiser at each suceeding town. In most cases
fire sirens and whistles were blown to announce its approach.
The cruiser, which was designed by Dr. Thomas C. Poulter, scientific
director of the Armour Research Foundation and a veteran of the
second Byrd Antarctic expedition is 55 feet long and 15 feet wide.
The entire route of its trip to Boston, where it will be dismantled
for shipment to Little America, must be cleared of other traffic
to allow its passage.
It has living quarters for its crew of four, a machine shop, generating
plant and laboratory complete with radio and meteorological recording
equipment and a postoffice. As a crowning touch, a five-passenger
airplane will ride on its roof when it begins its official work.
Dr. Poulter put the cruiser through its paces at Chicago before
leaving and later yesterday gave it a second shakedown on the
Indiana sand dunes where experts said the sand most nearly simulated
the snow and ice of the southern polar regions.
Warsaw Daily Times Friday, Oct. 27, 1939
Craft Progressing Slowly On Trip From Chicago;
to be Here Tonight
With its progress attracting bewildered gazes along the route,
the bizarre Antarctic snow cruiser moved laboriously along the
highway from Chicago to Fort Wayne today on the first leg of an
overland trip to Boston. The enormous steel craft which Rear Admiral
Richard E. Byrd will use on his expedition to the South Pole rumbled
out of Chicago before daybreak today after a series of unforeseen
delays.
Fort Wayne, meanwhile, continued to make preparation for an unofficial
reception tonight, although it was not ascertained whether the
cruiser would arrive early enough for eager thousands to view
the strange behemoth. Indiana State Police received the huge "ice
buggy" at the state line and started relays of escorts.
The cruiser lumbered out of Gary shortly before 11 a.m. following
tests on the Indiana sand dunes. It was reported that due to varying
speeds of the cruiser, the time of arrival here could not be accurately
estimated. Barring any unforeseen hitches, however, it was expected
to reach here "by evening."
Dr. Thomas C. Poulter, scientific director of Armour Institute's
research foundation, who is at the controls, asserted that sand
tests of the 75,000 pound cruiser he designed for Antarctic exploration
proved it was "far beyond our expectations."
The Chicago scientist was elated by the performance of the polar
juggernaut in sand fields near Gary. Dr. Poulter said any necessary
adjustments or repairs would be made tonight at Fort Wayne.
Progress on the first stages of the journey was slower than anticipated
by Dr. Poulter, who was at the controls. At daybreak, shortly
before 6 a.m. the cruiser rolled into Hammond, having travelled
about 23 miles since it started from Grant Park on the Chicago
lake front at 2:45 a.m. On Chicago's outer drive, the cruiser
moved rapidly along at a speed of about 20 miles an hour, but
for most of the distance to the city limits, the machine traveled
at only half that speed because of turns and underpasses.
Approved by Designer
After testing the cruiser, Dr. Poulter jumped gleefully from the
cruiser and explained, "It's perfect," according to
word received here. He said the machine could reach a speed of
25 miles an hour on straight stretches of road, but probably will
only average 10 or 12 miles an hour. Such progress will bring
the cruiser into Fort Wayne late tonight for an overnight stay.
It will arrive on U. S. Highway 30, entering the city on St. Mary's
Avenue and traveling south to Pape Street. It then will proceed
to the Van Buren Street bridge and south on Van Buren to Washington
Boulevard which will be followed east to Maumee Avenue and thence
to the Bueter Road. The cruiser will be stored for the night in
front of the International Harvester plant. Floodlights will be
played on the cruiser so that spectators may get a close glimpse
of the unusual craft.
Because the interior would not accommodate large crowds and because
there would be little to be seen inside, crowds will be permitted
to see only the exterior which is 15 feet high, 20 feet wide and
55 feet long. An area will be roped off permitting spectators
to approach within 10 feet of the craft.
The state and city police departments will provide escorts through
the city and will handle traffic and parking at the Harvester
plant. The cruiser is scheduled to leave for Ohio on Road 30 at
about 8 a.m. the next morning.
An interesting sight will be the manuevering of wheels to make
turns at about 5 locations in the city. Each of the huge 10-foot
wheels can be used in steering. Wheels can be turned at a 5-degree
angle and the cruiser is capable of turning in a circle within
its own length.
Fort Wayne News Sentinel October __ 1939
Bulletin Lima, O. Oct. 28 UP The 35-ton snow cruiser
which Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd is to take to the Antarctic
hit a bridge one-half mile east of Gomer today, turned over on
its side and went into Pine Run.
The massive snow cruiser, which has been lumbering toward Boston
where it will embark, plunged into the creek when its left front
wheel struck part of the bridge and was knocked off. The cruiser
went on its left side.
The accident occurred on route 30 about three hours after the
big piece of machinery, which has been the marvel to thousands
along the route since it left Chicago, left Indiana and entered
Ohio. ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fort Wayne, Ind. Oct. 28 --UP--Admiral Richard E. Byrd's giant
37-ton snow cruiser lumbered into town and out again this morning,
some 36 hours behind schedule and still 845 miles short of Boston,
where it will embark for Little America.
The cruiser wasted no time here. Taking less than an hour and
a half to pass through the city, it set a new mark for speed.
Originally the crew had planned to spend last Thursday night here.
The cruiser's crew of four worked until early Saturday morning
installing new pressure equipment that controls the steering of
the juggernaut. The original apparatus ceased to function properly
Friday after the cruiser sideswiped a truck at Columbia City.
They finished the repairs early Saturday and arrived in Fort Wayne
21 miles away, just five hours later.
The cruiser has been slowed all along its route by the crowds
of spectators who wanted a look at the gigantic machine and by
bridges.
The snow cruiser had its baptismal bath of snow Saturday morning
when a flurry blew up at 7:30. Although it lasted only a few minutes,
the weather bureau recorded it as the first snow of the year.
Bridges have proved the major hazard. At three so far the crew
has been forced to remove the hub caps from its 10-foot wheels
exposing the motors that control its movements, to allow precious
additional inches of clearance. One bridge took two hours to cross,
another an hour. Because of this, the crew would not venture to
guess when they will arrive in Boston.
Warsaw Daily Times, Saturday Oct. 28, 1939
Three-Hour Delay Caused by Damage, Inspection;
Will Stay Here Tonight
The monstrous "snow cruiser" designed to take all obstacles
of Antarctica in stride today was inching its way toward Fort
Wayne between spasmodic breakdowns and unforeseen delays. Scheduled
to whisk its way through Fort Wayne this morning on a delayed
schedule, the giant, bizarre vehicle was still stranded in Columbia
City at noon.
The 75,000-pound "snow boat" emerged loser in its first
skirmish with Hoosier traffic this morning and was laid up by
the damage and inspection for three hours.
The cruiser sideswiped a semi-trailer truck belonging to Bourman
Peebles Company of New Castle, Pa., and driven by Lloyd Bowman
at the west edge of Columbia City. The truck escaped without serious
damage but the collision took a hubcap off the cruiser. Its crew
gave it a thorough going over before picking up the trail to Boston
once more. The huge hub caps contain the housing for generators.
The crew removed all the additional hub-caps from its 10-foot
wheels so they would be able to clear the walls of a bridge outside
of town. They expected to take "about an hour" to cross
the bridge.
State police unofficially guesed that the cruiser might spend
the night in Fort Wayne, just 24 hours behind schedule.
The monstrous machine was forced to bed down in Warsaw last night
when crowds of curious Hoosiers and narrow bridges slowed it to
a snail's pace.
The schedule, repeatedly juggled, placed the Fort Wayne arrival
time at "sometime in mid-afternoon" if other halts and
retarded speed did not hamper the progress. Dr. Thomas C. Poulter,
designer of the huge craft, had scheduled an eight-day itinerary
on the overland trip from Chicago to Boston, where it would be
delivered to Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd for the expedition of
Little America. Almost two days of that time will have been used
in getting the cruiser across Indiana.
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel Friday, Oct. 27, 1939
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