BYRD EXPEDITION.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 22, 26 January 1929, Page 7

BYRD EXPEDITION.

SUPPLIES FOR ANTARCTICA.

DOG TEAM ON NIAGARA.

FOOD AND FUEL FOR WD^pER

Commander Byrd will make his next flight in the Antarctic over King Edward Land, states a private cable received in Auckland this morning by Mr. Richard G. Brophy, second in command of the Byrd Expedition, who arrived from Wellington by the limited express. Mr. Brophy has come north to complete arrangements for the shipment of a team of 15 doge, which arrive by the Niagara to-morrow from Vancouver. These dogs, under the charge of Mr. Innes Taylor, who ie an aviation pilot and dog-driver, will be sent south by tie fast goods train on Monday evening, and will be transported from Wellington to Lyttelton on. Wednesday night. Arrangements have.been made to place them in quarantine at Dunedin until they are shipped on the Eleanor Boiling aext month.

A quantity of scientific gear which is being brought from America will also be loaded on the Eleanor Boiling at Punedin,. An aeroplane, two tractors, 8000 gaUone of aviation petrol, 4000 gallons of kerosene for seating the house* at "Little America," the Byrd home in the Antarctic, and 2000 gallons of ordinary petrol for the tractors and automobiles, makes up the bulky portion of the shipment now in store at Dunedin. Also, there are four portable houses, specially insulated, and built to withstand a blizzard of 130 mike an hour, and. foodstuff* to augment the •applies sufficiently to meet the requirements of 40 men for eighteen months.

"The City of New York," said Mr. Brophy, "will have to be out of the Antarctic before March 15, and consideration is being given to the possibility of a cruise of the South Pacific during the winter to carry out charting investigations with the aid of the sonic depth-finder installed on board. "Personally, I don't expect to visit the Antarctic until next rear," continued Mr. Brophy. "I snail go bv the City of New York on her first trip'after the winter."

During the interval Mr. Brophy may have to re-visit America to arrange for the raising of the balance of the funds necessary for the expedition.

AatufaUKe firm Mew Zealand. "Wβ have received numerous contributions in cash and merchandise from friends and supporters of the expedition in. New Zealand, and for these we are very grateful," Mr. Brophy remarked. He added the expedition was steadily being built up to its full strength. Its total. financial value, when completed, w6uld be 1,500,000 dollars, including the two.ships now in use, four aeroplanes, two large crawler tractors, two automobiles, extensive scientific equipment, 15,000 dollars' worth, of fur clothing, and boots and shoes, some o* which cost 50 dollars a pair. So large are some of the boots that there will be no difficulty in accommodating four or five pairs of tnick socks. *^

Regarding the problem of transport, Mr. Brophy said the use of tractor* to relieve the dog teams should be a great .success. The caterpillar type had been well tested in snow conditions in North America, and .such tractors were in constant use in the lumbering and mining districts, in temperatures as much ae 40deg. below freezing. Thie was made possible by using kerosene for the cooling system. The expedition also had. an automobile equipped witn eki» on the front and a caterpillar tread on the rear wheels, and Mr. Brophy had arranged to take his personal car to the Antarctic, where lie expected to find it adaptable to enow travel. During his- stay in Auckland Mr. Brophy will confer with Dr. Kidson, Dominion meteorologist, regarding the use of additional meteorograph apparatus at the base. Hia desire is to secure an instrument: and equipment of a suitable type to mount on the radio tower, as it would have a much greater value in that position than the present apparatus has on the top of the expedition's observation house.