Damaged Glacier Back At Lyttelton From Antarctica

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28774, 20 December 1958, Page 21

Damaged Glacier Back At Lyttelton From Antarctica

Four hours ahead of schedule, the United States Navy icebreaker Glacier arrived at Lyttelton yesterday afternoon from McMurdo Sound and berthed at the oil wharf. This time, instead of taking in diesel oil, the ship is discharging excess oil to lighten her before she goes into the floating dock at Wellington. In the dock the Glacier will have all six blades of her two propellers replaced. She is expected to leave Wellington early in January for the Antarctic. The Glacier is to move this morning to No. 1 Breastwork. She is expected to sail tomorrow evening for Wellington. On her trip south, the Glacier stopped first at McMurdo Sound, where she delivered 100 tons of cargo and 400 J.A.T.O. bottles. She then sailed to Little America station, where she discharged cargo and loaded selected supplies, equipment, I.G.Y. records and specimens. Islands Discovered Visiting the little-explored Terra Nova Bay area, the Glacier made oceanographic and survey studies. Two islands were discovered in this area by the Glacier. It has been suggested to the United States Hydrographic Office that the islands be named “Russell Islands,” after a helicopter pilot, Lieutenant-Commander Ross Russell, and in appreciation of the helicopter pilots who have flown in the Antarctic during the last four years. This officer piloted the helicopter frdm which the islands were first sighted. Equalling this event was the discovery of an emperor penguin rookery, the home of more than 50,000 of these large birds. It is believed to be the largest of the 10 known rookeries in the Antarctic and was located between Coulman Island and Lady Newnes ice-shelf. More than 100 square miles of the Lady Newnes ice-shelf, the Glacier found, has disappeared. Checking of the ship’s charts affirmed that two-thirds of the ice-shelf has disintergrated since it was last charted in 1912. No landing place could be found at Terra Nova Bay for the New Zealand party. At the places at which it was hoped to land them the ice was too crevassed. The party was later transferred to the Staten Island. While in this area the icebreaker found herself in rafted pressure ice from 6ft to 20ft thick. The loss of two propeller blades, and the bending of the four remaining blades, reduced the ship’s power by 20 per cent., causing her to be stranded in the ice for four days. In trying to push through the heavy polar ice the starboard propeller shaft was put out of action by a burnedout bearing. With only one propeller, on

which were only two bent blades, the Glacier pushed and pounded her way through the ice and headed up the coast of Victoria Land—the earliest that any ship has completed a close transit of this area. In this operation the commanding officer and the executive officer carried out continuous ice reconnaissance by helicopter. Hovering over the ship, they issued orders to the officer of the deck about the best courses. The helicopters made continuous round-the-clock flights, returning only to refuel until the Glacier finally reached open water. Christmas In Port For the first time since she was commissioned, the Glacier will be in port for Christmas — at Wellington. “So far we have spent each Christmas in the ice down south.” said an officer. “It will be an unusual—the most welcome—experience to be in port for Christmas, and I can tell you we are all looking forward to it.” Those on board were interested to hear that there was a huge amount of mail awaiting them. “We haven’t had any mail for four weeks,” said an officer, with an aggrieved air, offset by a humorous twinkle in his eyes. “Except a little letter mail brought by air,” he added. “No Christmas parcels—no Christmas packets. That mail cannot arrive aboard too quickly.” Fifteen minutes later a truck, piled high with mail, was alongside the Glacier.