LAST MINUTE RUSH

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19481, 30 November 1928, Page 15

LAST MINUTE RUSH

THE BYRD EXPEDITION. ICE CONDmONS SATISFACTORY. (PBES3 AS3OCXATXOK TELEGRAM.) DTJNEDIN, November 29. Provided all goes well in the meantime the City of New York will depart from Dunedin direct for the Bay of Whales either to-morrow night or early on Saturday morning. "We are trying to get away to-morrow night, but we do not know whether we can make it," said Commander 'Byrd this morning. "We will have to do some tall going to get through in time. On receipt of a final report from the C. A. Larsen, the City of New York will sail for Ross Sea wnere she will meet the factory ship, which will tow her through the ice." From morning to night every member of the expedition is working at high speed, and a large collection of stores has now been sorted, and together with the equipment is being loaded on the City of New York and Eleanor Boiling. At a reception tendered by the Harbour Board, Commander Byrd said that it depended entirely on the C. A. Larsen when they went through the ice to the Bay of Whales. However, they expected to get to the ice barrier about December Bth and it was possible that they would pull into the Bay of Whales about Christmas Day. They would commence their southern march at once. Dog teams and a party of men would be put ashore immediately and a start would be made on the laying down of bases. There would be tents and supplies of food every twenty-five miles, with a larger depot every one hundred miles. A small aeroplane would also be put ashore and flights made to explore the country and pick out bases. They expected to add something to the achievements of Scott, Shackleton, and Mawson. Tlie dash to the Pole was only a very secondary thing. What they wanted most to do was to fly over this great unknown territory,. A satisfactory report of the ice conditions has been received from the whaler C. A. Larsen. I