U.S. ANTARCTIC SHIP BACK

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28491, 22 January 1958, Page 12

U.S. ANTARCTIC SHIP BACK

Ice-Damage To Propeller

The United States Navy transport Private John R. Towle arrived at Lyttelton yesterday morning with four propeller blades badly bent after a difficult passage through the bay ice from McMurdo Sound. Because of the vibration from the damaged propeller the lightlyloaded ship was restricted to a speed of 10 to 12 knots for part of its voyage to New Zealand, said the commander. Captain C. A. Barrett. The vibration was later reduced by shifting oil aft to set the stern lower in the water.

The damage was caused when the Towle was following an icebreaker through a channel in the bay ice, said Captain Barrett As the thick ice was broken it was swept by a strong north wind into the path of the Towle and fouled the propeller. When the Towle arrived at Cape Hallett to transfer cargo to the Greenville Victory the damage to the blades could be seen easily through the clear water. The ship’s progress back to the United States would not be seriously impaired and the propeller would be repaired when the Towle reached its base at New York, Captain Barrett said. The Towle is due to leave Lyttelton for the United States tomorrow. Machinery Unloaded At Cape Hallett two 40-ton tractors and about 250 tons of general cargo, including supplies and equipment for the construction of the new runway at Cape Bernacchi, were transferred at sea to the Greenville Victory. Captain Barrett said that the new 5000 ft runway under construction at Cape Bernacchi would permit wheeled aircraft to land and take off there all the year. It would probably be the air base for -aircraft flying between the Antarctic and Christchurch, New Zealand, and would replace McMurdo Sound, which would be used only by ski-equipped aircraft. All the equipment and supplies for the new airstrip would have to be landed “across the beach” which was a difficult operation as the beach was often clogged with broken bay ice Ayhich could only be shifted by the wind, he said. When the Towle berthed at Lyttelton a yellow quarantine flag flew from the mast. On board the New Zealand artist, Mr Peter Mclntyre, was recovering from an attack of jaundice and had spent 10 days in isolation in the ship’s hospital. No-one was allowed to leave or board the ship until she had been cleared by health officials. Among the passengers in the Towle were seven other New Zealanders, including the former leader of Scott Base, Dr. Trevor Hatherton, and Mr Jim Bates, one of the two mechanics who serviced the tractors of the New Zealand trans-Antarctic party. Three of the New Zealanders were from the New ZealandUnited States base at Cape Hallett —Messrs J. Humphries, a geophysicist, and M. W. Langevad, a radio communications technician, both of Christchurch, and C. E. Ingham, a Wellington scientist. The other two, Mr Peter MacDonald, who was engaged' on solar radiation studies, and Mr Herbert Orr, a seismologist, were with Dr. Hatherton at Scott Base.