OVER THE POLE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 47, 5 December 1929, Page 5

OVER THE POLE

BYRD'S EPIC FLIGHT.

PIONEER EXPLORERS HONOURED ANXIETIES AND TROUBLES. (By Russell Owen, Copyrighted, 1928, by the "New York Times" Company and "St. Louis Post-Dis-patch." All Rights for Publication Reserved throughout the world. Wireless to "New York Times.") (United Press Association—Copyright.) BAY OF WHALES, (December ;3. _ Commander Byrd, continuing his story of his flight to the Pole, tells of his 'anxieties and troubles, and of his thoughts of the gallant explorers who went before him. There was not "less than 300 miles between us and the Pole. .IJ the sun remained, the sun compass and wind drift indicator should take us there as straight as a bee flies. We would have to ride the engines all the way. The plateau was so high that if one of the three engines should stop we would have to land on the snow, which at places was nearly two miles above sea level —an uncertain thing at any time, but more uncertain with a load on board. The engines must keep going. I was saying this to myself when the starboard engine began to splutter. Bernt nosed down. Harold rushed to the gas tank valves and stood looking at the engine and listening to the jarring interruptions that the missing cylinders caused in the rythm. Mac for once hesitated in his mapping work. After winning our hardest struggle, was our flight to be ended so near the objective? Bernt hurriedly manipulated the control. In an effort to economise on the precious fuel, the gasoline had been made too lean, and the motor began to sing again. I say "sing," for its roar was music when it was nox. missing a beat. Flying on a flight of this kind is,full of contrasts. Everything is perfect one minute and the next everything is black. The Polar Plateau. All was well again, and we looked around. Ahead was the apparently limitless plateau, glistening in the sunshine. The great polar plateau at last! It was good to see it after the months we had wondered about it. and the hundreds of times we had asked ourselves if we would ever be lucky enough to reach it. To the left were great mountain masses looming high above cur level. I would hesitate to estimate their altitude, but they are verv high, since at this place the plateau itself was about 10,000 feet above sea level. Mac's photographs must tell the story. Beyond this mass were separated peaks of many different shapes running to the south-eastward. There was one great isolated peak completely snow-covored and looking like a great inverted white poroelain bowl. Back of us, running east and west along the rim of the plateau, were enormous peaks, lifting their heads high into the air. I looked over to the right and got one of those kicks that pulls a man away from civilisation, and which repays him for his efforts.

There was a new mountain range in the distance running north and south, a new bit of the land to add to the map of the world, which Mac would shoot with his camera. We felt that it was worth while bringing him for that alone. It occurred to me as I looked around at the mountains that they must fringe the whole plateau. nature's great dam holding the ic? and snow there until, in geological ages, a period would lift itself from Antarctica until a vast amount of snow melts and runs out to the ocean that lies down below, it will not be revealed. At present we can only guess what lies beneath that great ice cap and what is its depth. It is one of the world's mysteries that that imaginary point, the South Pole, is in the centre of an uplifted plain, hundreds erf miles in diameter—a magnificent edifice seemingly built to make more inviolable the "tiny spot which we were seeking. The plateau seems to range from 7000 ft to 11,000 ft in altitude. Bevond the new mountain mass we saw a small peak sticking up through the great expanse of snow, a very lonely little black spec. It was hard to realise that it was the top probably of a mountain about 0000 ft above sea level. On we went, flying at the rate of 100 miles an hour, through the air toward ofnr goal. Our drift indicator showed a wind from the left. We had to head the 'plane a dozen degrees to the left in order to fly straight south. It was impossible to tell our exact altitude above the plateau and therefore not as easy to get. our actual ground speed as it' would have been over water or ice near the sea level, but there was a way with a stop-watch. We got the time it took a smoke bomb beneath to traverse the length of a 12-inch wire in the bottom of the 'plane. Turning south we took tho time over the same object in the earn? manner. Tiicn .with simple arithmetic, we calculated the speed. Getting Colder.

To do tliis wo were forced to open the twq-foot trap-door, and the strong wind coming up through it quickly numbed the face. I observed that the temperature was 10 degrees below zero. It was getting colder. As we approached the Pole, we found the wind against us, and instead of flying 100 miles an hour over the plateau Ave were making only 84 or 85. This was a disappointment. It would take us longer to reach the Pole than we hud calculated but we would come back faster. We took a look back at the mountains, and when we saw their great height we realised that we must be very careful to allow for the wind. Unless we reached our pass on the Axel Heiberg Glacier, and flow through down to the Harrier, we might be trapped by the mountains. We could not scale- them. There were many very important reasons then why the wind' drift indicator and the sun compass should be used with the greatest care, and why liovni and Harold should steer carefully. Suppose clouds should .close in around the mountains before our return.. Unit would indeed trap us. But it was one of those chances we had to take. Changing Surface.

The character of the plateau surface varied greatly. From time to time we saw to the left, the foot of a magnificent glacier running down from the mountains, and showing chaotic masses of crevassed' ice shining blue against the white snow. This may have been the Devil's Ballroom, that dangerous area which Amundsen traversed. We passed over groups of haycocks, those small rounded domes of snow which cover' bottomless nits. There were wind-formed sastrugi, arrow-shaped, which appeared hard, with knife edges, and glistening more in the sun than the other snow surfaces. That area mtist have been one of violent winds.

Landing there would,have been like landing among rocks. It was in great contrast to the surface we reached later, which was smooth and had the appearance of soft snow in an area of light winds. While the mountains were still loontino- large on the left, we attempted to shoot the sun) with the sextant, to get our altitude, and so give us a sun lino that would cut our line of flight and, at the point of intersection, tell us what the sun had to say about our progress, but the air was not smooth enough. . . The 525 horse-power engines in the rose of the 'plane, exerting great force to keep us two miles high, seeded to add to the weaving motion of the 'plane, and it was possible at this time to keep the sun and the bubble in tho sextant together long enough to get a dependable sight. We hoped that things would be favourable later on, but this did not worry us, for our distance was so short that we could hardly miss our "objective. Our altometer showed us to be keeping about the same atmospheric pressure, and we -were therefore not changing our altitude very much. The snow beneath us seemed to be getting farther away, so we judged that the plateau was sloping down with a gentle incline Back in the tail of the, 'plane was the meteorograph recording changes in temperature, pressure and humidity! which, after the flight, would tell the whole story. We would know the exact moment of taking-off, the time of every subsequent altitude, and the moment of landing at the mountain base, and at Little America, Admiration for Amundsen.

Beneath us somewhere was the trail that Amundsen had blazed to the South Pole. That trail was now buried' far beneath the snow. My admiration for that great explorer increased tremendously when I saw what he had to contend with. In his honour, and. in honour of Bernt and the other TSorwegians at Little America, and the whalers who, with such great generosity have helped us, we carried with us the Norwegian flag. We carried with us a French flag, tor wo had not forgotten the extraordinary hospitality France showed to transAtlantic ' fivers, nor the friendship demonstrated for America, and the sportsmanship displayed at the success of Americans. .-,.■■,; At half anl hour past midnight we a<'ain tried to get, the altitude of the sun. The sight, was better this time, and showed us to be close to our dead reckoning position. That was good, but there was still enough movement iti the 'plane to prevent our being certain of tho sight. There was probably an error in it. and just how much we could mot tell'. We felt confidence m our sun compass and drift indicator, and Juckilv our sight did not change our calculations. The temperature seemed to be falling as we neared the Pole. The mountains abaft the beam were fading now, and clouds which may have covered unseen mountains showed on the horizom off the port bow. Harold was piloting, and Bernt came aft to tell me that it was not quite so clear ahead, and that we might find mist near the Pole. Once or twice we thought we saw snow drifting beneath. An Antarctic storm seemed to be closing on us, but Ave thought we. could get back to the mountains ahead of it. ft was a great 'plane with great engines, and with reasonable luck we should beat that storm. British Flag Carried. We were now so near that Pole that within easy visibility lay Scott's trail, who, with his companions, had perished on his way back. That great hero, who had shown there are things more impotrant than life, and who, in failure, won immortal success. In his memory, and ini honour of our cousin audi friend the British Empire, we carried with us the British flag.

There flashed through my mind the fact that some had attempted to start a wild controversy covering the territorial rights of the British Empire and the United States as a result of our discoveries. What a pity there oould be such a controversy! . This is a peaceful and scientific nYission trying to extend the boundaries of land and knowledge made by those heroes who gave their lives here. If the spirit of this expedition towards those gallant men. and the nation that they represented, could be known and felt it would add its mite toward furthering the good fellowship so vitally important now that our country has joined with other nations in sincere effort to secure peace and harmony for world. At the Pole. The Barrier edge was now about four hours back. No wonder the boys thought I was flying beyond the Pole the Pole which was only a little more than 300 miles from the Barrier's edge. The wind had caused us to take longer than we had expected, but at last the big moment had come; that imaginary point, the very bottom of the world was, according to my reckoning, somewhere beneath and within our view. , " ~ I handed to Harold the following message to radio to our comrades in America: "My calculations indicate that we have readied the vicinity of the South Pole. Flying high for survey. Boon turn north." Bernt turned the nose of the plane to the right, while I attempted to get an altitude of the sun with the sextant, but there was far too much movement of the 'plane for results. We knew exactly what the altitude of the sun should be, since the altitude ol the sun's centre, at any moment at the Pole, is equal to the declination of the sun, which at that time was 21 degrees 27 minutes. The sun circles that point without any noticeable change in altitude. Wo flew on to the right for five or six miles, then circled and flew left an equal distance, and followed our original line of flight five or six miles further. T had wanted, to go 60 miles hoyond the Pole, instead of half a dozen, but we had been a long time in reaching it. I saw Harold's and Herat's anxious eyes on the gasoline prmges. Tt would not be fair to these fellows to go any further. We turned the nose of the 'plane hack towards Tittle America. American Flag Dropped. When we reached the place at which, we had turned right we opened the trap-door and dropped the American flag, weighted with a stone from Bennett's grave. Wo stood and- saluted the- spirit of our gallant comrade, and our country's flag, that little silk flag and that small stone tied together at the bottom of the world. We were about 2500 feet above the Pole, and the temperature had dropped to 10 decrees below yovo. Visibility was good in most directions. But what was direction? All directions are north from the Pole. When we passed over the Pole we had changed our time a whole day. Now Ave had changed it back again. We still had a job"to do. Winds were gathering in force. In a short time we could see more natches of drifting snow beneath ns. We watched the sun comoass and the drift indicator like hawks. We must hit the mountain pass On and on we went. Time that seemed long before crawled now. The first mountains to the right, which had been clear on the outward journev. were half covered with clouds. Mac

photographed them. Apparently a storm had just reached there. Bernt had increased the motor revolutions, and the great Cyclone engines were doing their stuff. We aimed our course a few degrees to the right so as to reach the Barrier more to the eastward than we had left it, to get a better •pjew of Carmen Land, and to obtain survey photographs, geographically of great importance. The Pass Found. Suddenly Bernt gave a shout of joy. A little to our left was the pass we had come through, only partly cloudcovered, and what we took for the Axel Heiberg Glacier was almost dead ahead. We were just in time. We were very thankful that we did not have to waste precious time and gasoline looking for the way through the mountains. Soon we were sliding down the Heiberg Glacier. It was very rough, but the 'plane was light. In another few minutes Harold brought her down gracefully on the icehard sastrugi at our little mountain! base. We put aboard 200 gallons of gasoline and left 3501bs of food, 10 gallons of gasoline, 10 gallons of oil, and a gasoline stove for Larry Gould's party. In an hour Ave' AAere ready, and Harold lifted tho Floyd Bennett easily from the snow and headed for camp. We Avent north oyer the rolling Avhite plain, and it seemed to us that we could see all that Ave had left _behind. A few Aveeks' AA-ork, then home.

REPLY TO MAJOR GRAN.

MR PONTING REFUTES ATTACK.

LONDON, December 4

Mr Herbert George- Pointing, F.R.G.S., in a letter to the "Daily Mail," in which he claims to speak for all Captain Scott's comrades, denounces the Avhole tone and spirit of the remarks made by Major, Trygg\-e Gran concerning Commander Byrd's description of the Antarctic mountains.

The letter says that such remarks can only recoil upon himself. Commander Byrd spen.t two years preparing his expedition, and established his base on the great ice Barrier in December. His staff includes geologists, meteorologists and other scientists. The main geological party is now proceeding with dog teams to" examine the mountains 500 miles from tlie base, which Gran dismisses as phantasy. v "Every Polar explorer knows this vast range was first discovered by Shackleton," says Mr Ponting. "I highly admire Commander Ryrd's and his comrades' achievement. It is a colossal task. Commander Byrd's fine wireless tributes to Captain Scott and the other pioneers, and his words be--fore Scott's statue when in New Zea-_ land, were a most beautiful and touching tribute from one man to the memory of another."

Mr Ponting was photographic officer to Captain Scott's Expedition. He is widely travelled and is a noted photographer. He was correspondent for "Harper's Weekly" during the RussoJapanese War. Major Tryggve Gran was jjjhe ski Scott's expedition. At the time he was a lieutenant in the Norwegian Naval Reserve. He accompanied Dr. E. L. Atchison and Mr A. Cherry-Garrard who were in charge of the party that recovered the bodies of Captain Scott and his-comrades. He was the to fly across the North Sea.

A GEOLOGIST'S COMMENT.

MEMBER OF SCOTT'S EXPEDITION

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day

Mr H. T. Ferrar, avJio Avas geologist in Captain Scott's first Antarctic expedition in 1901 to 1904, Avhen asked to comment on Major Gran's comments cabled from Copenhagen, said: "With reference to the criticisms of Commander Byrd's flight oyer the South Pdle, Major Gran is rather seA'ere. Commander Byrd's story slioavs that he and his pilots are to be heartily congratulated on their successful 24 hours' flight to the South Pole and back. The air surveys and air reconnaissances that are being made.will facilitate the work of Professor Gould and his gee*graphical party. Noav that Byrd has achieved one of the objects of his expedition he will no doubt carry his explorations eastward and discover territory to which a legitimate claim may be .laid. ■ •.

"Major Gran's remarks about the mountain ranges near the Pole are hard to folloAv. For instance,' he talks of some of these ranges being south of the South Pole, Avhich, of course, is absurd, ft is difficult to understand what he means by saying ' the land on the Avhole is a plain.' It is Avell knoAvn that the Polar plateau is 9000 feet above the Great Ice Barrier. MoreoA'er it is buttressed bv mountaias from 12,000 to 15,000 feet high, between which Byrd had to pass on his flight."