SOUTH POLE STATION

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28422, 31 October 1957, Page 7

SOUTH POLE STATION

More Permanent Establishment » [From DENIS WEDERELL, “The Press” Correspondent with the U.S. Antarctic expedition.] McMURDO SOUND, October 29. Dr. Paul Siple. scientific leader at the United States station at the South Pole, believes that the pole would be an excellent place to maintain a scientific station “even beyond International Geophysical Year commitments.” He said this in an interview with Rolla Crick, of the Portland “Oregon Journal,” who was stranded at that base this week.

“Much can be accomplished here of scientific value in years tc come.” said Dr. Siple, noting that “we are now in the satellite age.”

Dr. Siple will be relieved shortly by Mr Palle Mogensen, who will be the scientific leader during the winter of 1958. Mr Mogensen, who was a technical adviser to the Marie Byrd Land trail party last year, is waiting at McMurdo Sound to fly in to the pole station.

The South Pole itself probably lies within a 200-yards circle of oil drums laid out on the snow beside the base. During the long winter night more than 400 star shots were taken by theodolite in an effort to determine its exact position.

Because of the extreme cold, said Dr. Siple to Mr Crick, it was impossible to determine the position of the pole more closely than at present indicated because t)f the low temperatures. In the cold the bubble in the alcohol level expanded, making accurate readings impossible.