Antarctic ‘Ghost’ Station Visited

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31597, 7 February 1968, Page 14

Antarctic ‘Ghost’ Station Visited

To avoid landing on an American “ghost” station in the Antarctic which was closed two years ago, the pilot of a United States Navy ski-equipped Hercules which visited the base 13 days ago landed two miles away and taxied for 15 minutes to reach it.

At the time of the landing there was a white-out with a 3500 ft cloud ceiling and visibility of one mile. Radar had picked up the Eights Station radar antennae and the aircraft homed-in on them. The visit to Eights Station was to decide whether it might be reopened. There are no immediate plans.

Eights Station, in Ellsworth Land, near the base of the Antarctic peninsula, consists of 11 Bft by Bft by 27ft vans. They were flown to the site in January, 1963, and grouped to form the station. It was the first time this method of station construction was used. It was later used for the Plateau Station. The Hercules, with an internal fuel tank, made the 1350-mile, six-hour flight directly from McMurdo Station. Only four radio antennae and the top of a tractor were visible above the snow. The station was buried 10ft.

An entrance to the station was discovered by the aircraft commander (LieutenantCommander F. A. Prehn)

when he fell through an aurora dome. There was no snow inside. On the table were several half-filled coffee cups and a half-smoked cigarette. Cans were on the shelves. The generators were fueled and the rubbish bucket had one day’s refuse in it. Everything was as it had been left on November 14, 1965.