STORY TOLD BY ELLSWORTH

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21685, 20 January 1936, Page 11

STORY TOLD BY ELLSWORTH

♦ FLIGHT AT LAST ACCOMPLISHED MANY FORCED LANDINGS AND DELAYS “LIVED COMFORTABLY” AT LITTLE AMERICA (UNITED PEESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received January 19, 8.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 18. An account by Mr Ellsworth himself of his flight and of events since he and his companion lost touch with the rest of the world has been

received by wireless from the Discovery 11. Mr Ellsworth says: “At last a trans-Antarctic flight hj..: been accomplished, but not without some difficulty. We were forced to land four times on the way and once we were held up for seven days, on three days of which a blizzard raged. “On previous landings we were delayed for two days by bad visibility and snowstorms. Finally, our fuel being exhausted, we were forced to land about 25 miles from Little America. “After four days spent in futile efforts to communicate with the outside world, we proceeded by sledge to Little America, where we found the radio shack in first-class condition. In it we lived comfortably until yesterday, wljen the roar of an aeroplane let us know that our lonely wait was over. Difficulties of Flight “Shortly after 4.15 p.m. (Greenwich meantime) on the day we started, we realised that the radio

had failed, but there was nothing we could do except continue the flight. “After passing the mountains of Hearst Land, we flew at an altitude of 10,000 feet over a high plateau with isolated mountains at intervals. Then these gave way to an unbroken plateau. “At 5.45 p.m. I dropped the Stars and Stripes on hitherto unclaimed territory. “For three hours we flew over mountains and at 9.5 p.m. ran into bad visibility which reduced our altitude to 6400 feet. Finally we were forced to land at latitude 79 degrees 12 minutes south, longitude 104 degrees 10 minutes east. “Later the weather cleared, and in the late afternoon of November 24 we warmed the engine and took off. but after half an hour in the air we were forced to land because of poor visibility. Several other attemps to proceed to Little America failed, until' December 5, when w r e took off and flew towards our objective. Little America Reached “We had almost sighted the Bay of Whales, when the fuel which had served us so well finally gave out and we fixed our position at latitude 78 degrees 45 minutes south, longitude 165 degrees 36 minutes east. “After four days spent in work with the radio apparatus, we packed our hand sledge and tramped the few miles to Little America. Since then we have been busy co-relating the data gathered on the flight. “We have been most hospitably treated by Lieutenant-Commander Hill and the officers of the Royal Research Society’s ship Discovery 11., and we are enjoying the comforts of civilisation once again.— North American Newspaper Alliance copyright. CONGRATULATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

TRIBUTE TO MASTER AND MEN OF DISCOVERY 11.

SYDNEY, January 18. “It is gratifying to learn that the efforts of the Discovery, made possible by the co-operation of the United Kingdom and New Zealand Governments with the Commonwealth, met with such signal success,” said the Minister for Defence (Mr R. A. Parkhill). “Australians will feel some iustifiable pride in the distinguished work of the Royal Australian Air Force, which was carried out with characteristic efficiency. “The master and ship’s company of the Discovery 11. and the members of the Royal Australian Air Force are to be congratulated on the happy result of their co-opera-tion in this, unfamiliar region, and further details of their activities will be awaited with interest. “The people of Australia and the world generally will rejoice with the

citizens of America, as they have sympathised with them in these weeks of anxiety, in the news that the intrepid explorer and his gallant pilot are safe and well.” The Prime Minister (Mr J. A. Lyons) offered his congratulations to the commander of the Discovery and those with him. Sir Douglas Mawson said: “The safe arrival of Mr Ellsworth and his companion at the Ross Sea after crossing a considerable unknown section of the Antarctic is grand news. “The course selected for the flight conferred on it outstanding geographical merit. I am delighted that Australians have been the first to congratulate Mr Ellsworth. By this Australian effort, his success has been made known to the world.”

ARRIVAL OF WYATT EARP YESTERDAY

(Received January 19, 8.50 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 18. A message from the Wyatt Earp says that at 2.30 Greenwich mean time, the vessel at last broke through the ice barrier bordering the Ross Sea, and is now heading directly for the Bay of Whales, where she is expected to meet Mr Ellsworth on Sunday.

GRATITUDE OF U.S. GOVERNMENT

NOTED EXPLORERS RELIEVED (Received January 19, 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 18. The Discovery’s sensational rescue o£ Mr Ellsworth and Mr Kenyon, after many had given them up for lost, is being widely displayed in the press. Many prominent explorers, including Rear Admiral Byrd, Bernt Balchen, Stefansson, and R. C. Andrews expressed pleasure and relief at the rescue.

The New York “Herald-Tribune,” in a leading article, commends the perserverance of Mr Ellsworth for a successful flight after previous failures, and adds praise for the work of the Discovery. Mr Cordell Hull (Secretary of State) to-day expressed the Government’s gratification at the Discovery’s rescue of Mr Ellsworth, and praised the British Government and the Dominion for “fine co-operation” in locating the missing explorers. THE EXPLORERS’ WIVES LONG PERIOD OF SUSPENSE LONDON, January 17. The London newspapers spoke by radio telephone to Mrs Ellsworth, who told the “Daily Mail”: “I have been waiting, waiting, and waiting. The suspense was pretty bad. I guess that this is the first time I have felt cheerful for a long time. I am most grateful for everything the Australians have done.”

Mrs Hollick-Kenyon said that, with her family, she had been standing by the telephone ever since the report that the Discovery had sighted a man at Little America. She felt that her husband would be safe. “He is such a grand fellow,” she said, “and so strong. With his tremendous strength and skill, I knew that he would be all right. I suppose I was foolish in worrying about him after all the things he has done and the dangers he has been through, but I was not different from other wiyes in doing so.”