Spare Parts
Spare parts for the machines and engines presented an important consideration. Spitzbergen lay so far away from the factories which had made the material that we could not have any missing parts sent after us. So, as far as the engines were concerned, we decided to draw up a list of the spare parts which we should most likely need. As an engine is made up of so many different parts the best things to do seemed to me to order one complete reserve engine. We should thereby have the certainty that in every event we should have at hand one reserve part for the complete engine no matter which part should suddenly be required. (By chance we came to need a reserve part which we never had thought about!)
“Rolls-Royce” also made up a list of the parts which they thought we might need more than one of, and thus we got an extraordinarily fine equipment. We had in all engine spare parts to a value of 38,000 kronen. We should not have been able to get this equipment had not the Rolls-Royce people shown us the great consideration of agreeing to take back everything which we had no use for. We were in a position similar to most expeditions, and had great financial difficulties to cope with. I mention this as every one here at home seemed to think that Ellsworth’s gift of 85,000 kronen would suffice for our needs. But that was not the case. The two flying machines together cost $82,000, and on these alone the money was almost all spent. When the expedition’s accounts are toted up I believed that they will show a sum of at least $100,000 in excess of Ellsworth’s gift—and that, even after we had pinched and spared on every side. Against this we can reckon with a certain income from stamps (this cannot at present be estimated), and the expedition will also have an income from newspapers, films, lectures and this book, all of which combined should cover the debt of this necessary $100,000. The essential part of the expenses all came before the start, but any income only accrued some time after our return. The position at Christmas time last year appeared very unpromising, and the outlook seemed hopeless. The till had long been empty. Yet orders must be placed if everything was to be ready in good time, and everything had to be paid in ready cash. Bills streamed in, followed by demands for payment whenever they were not settled at once. But where were we to get the money? It is satisfactory to look back, now that everything has been accomplished, but it was far from pleasant at the time. Our private household bills got very, very old,—so hard-up were we!
Dr. Ræstad, who had the financial management of the undertaking, worked on through these conditions quietly and calmly, and he was lucky in being able to carry through a task which probably no one else could have accomplished. Thanks to him we were able in April this year to have everything collected in Tromsö, ready for our departure for Spitzbergen, so that after looking through our equipment we were able to say, “There isn’t one thing missing.”
Up till now only the returns from the newspapers have come in. We have therefore an alarmingly large overdraft at the bank. As the account is so overdrawn we have still difficulties to face, and must therefore set about the fulfillment of our many obligations. We can now look forward to a time when our income will be sufficient to pay off our overdraft, and leave a balance, which will be used for the realization of Roald Amundsen’s old plans.
It is on that account that I have taken this opportunity to write about the financial side of the expedition. There are a number of people who think that we have become rich folk. How often have I not been congratulated—not only because I have come back with my life, but also because I have returned as a millionaire. Probably the films shown in this connection have given this impression. But people should realize that we are at the mercy of the big film companies who fix the price. If we ourselves had cinema theaters stretching through the world’s towns, then could Roald Amundsen set out to-day on the realization of his wonderful plan: the exploration of the sea between the Pole and Alaska.
Back to the matter which I am really discussing. The same goodwill met us in Marina di Pisa when Director Schulte-Frohlinde himself made out the list of spare parts, assuring us (by giving the matter his own personal attention) that we should have with us every article necessary for the flying boats’ requirements. The bill for these spare parts ran up to about 28,000 kronen.