U.S ANTARCTIC BASE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28514, 18 February 1958, Page 3

U.S ANTARCTIC BASE

More Comforts At Byrd Station [From DENIS WEDERELL, “The Press” Correspondent with the U.S Antarctic expedition.] McMURDO SOUND, Feb. 16. Life at Byrd station will not be as rugged this winter. The base which last winter ran short of timber, light bulbs, beer, and many other items, should this year be as snug as any in the Antarctic. Mr George Toney, scientific leader at the 18-man station last winter, said here today that the Navy had been working hard to ensure that the men who are now settling down there would not go short of essentials or comforts.

The tunnel system, which was a packing-case and parachute silk makeshift, was being completely rebuilt, and extended to the magnetic building 100 yards from the main group of buildings and the balloon shelter to give cover to the scientists who last winter had to struggle out in foul weather and across deep snow drifts to make their observations.

A new wood-framed building of insulated canvas had been built as a recreation room, another was to be used as an emergency shelter, and a new stores area had been tyuilt, said Mr Toney. New weasels, a snocat, and a 20-ton crawler tractor have been sent in to replace the worn-out vehicles which were used to recover material from the airdrops earlier this season. This week a 19-man tractor train party is working at thp station, helping the Navy men there to stack the stores, rebuild the tunnels, and extend the base. They arrived there a fortnight ago after a record-breaking 11day trip oyer the 650-mile trail from Little America. They hauled 200 tons of stores—more than has been carried in by any of the three trains since the first went overland in December, 1956. In another week they will head back to Little America.