BYRD EXPEDITION

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 73, 19 December 1928, Page 11

BYRD EXPEDITION

FAR INTO THE ICE PACK INLAND BASES TO BE LAID THIS SEASON FLIGHT TO POLE NEXT YEAR The Byrd expedition is far into the ice pack, and expects to reach the Bay of Whales in a few days. Commander Byrd intends to lay his bases as far inland as possible this season, and to do most of his important work next year. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Copyright—From the Byrd Expedition.) Vancouver, December 17. In a copyright message from the Byrd Expedition on December 16, Mr. Russell Owen says: “We are far into the ice pack to-day, having started through on the anniversary of Amundsen’s arrival at the South Pole on December 14, 1911. He started south the year before and laid his bases towards the Pole during his first season, but it appears now that we should arrive at the Bay of Whales sooner than he did, because we are only about 700 miles away. He did not arrive there until January 14, 1911. With good luck we should be unloading iu ten days, although it is rash to make predictions down here. “Commander Byrd, like Captain Amundsen, intends to lay his bases as far inland as possible this season, that is, before March, when winter sets in. and to do most of his important work next year, when he will be able to start flying long before it would be possible for a ship to get through the ice. Amundsen began his Polar journey on October 19, when, despite the cold, the weather was fair for travelling, and it should be equally good for flying. Whereas Amundsen spent two months toiling over the snow and crevasses and up dangerous glaciers to the Pole from the Bay of Whales, Byrd will make the flight in less than a day and will be able to map it and examine, the route for some distance on each side. Such is. the advantage of the aeroplane in exploration.” Perfect Weather. “It is a great relief to be going forward again after lying to off the icepack for several days. The weather is perfect, a calm warm day, in which it is not uncomfortable to stand on deck in an ordinary woollen shirt without a cap. The sky is the pale Arctic blue with a tinge of faint grey along the horizon. As far as one can see there is snow-covered ice, hummocked and broken into large cakes with frequent leads of open water between. There are many grotesque shapes formed by the ice that has been heaved up and then eroded, reflecting a glare so brilliant as to tire the eye, and snow glasses might be necessary, if it were not for the streaks of dark open water. A few seals have been seen basking in the , sun, fat sleepy fellows, which raise their heads and look with wild curiosity at the drifting menagerie of barking dogs,, then roll over and go to sleep again. “We are making fair speed, and hope that the ice will remain open for the whole distance through the pack. Such luck would be almost unprecedented, but as this is the earliest any explorer has been able to get through, and as reports from whalers below indicate that the ice is opening more all the time, we are sanguine as to the result. An occasional hard bump against a floe, which grinds its way alongside, reminds us, however, that we are dealing with a dangerous force when set in motion by an unfavourable wind. The peace and serenity of this day brings about a false sense of security. Photographic Difficulties. “Taking pictures here is rather difficult on account of the intense light and the danger of over-exposure and a filter has to be used practically all the time, even when the sky is overcast. Constant experimenting is going on to determine the proper filtering. “Another phenomenon which has caused difficulty is the erratic behaviour of the compasses, which get wilder and wilder as we get farther South. The sticking of the compass is due to the fact that the dip of the needle is so great when close to the Magnetic Pole that the horizontal magnetic forces are too weak to overcome the downward pull. It is a phenomenon with which all explorers are familiar, but it is disconcerting at sea, nevertheless. With the sun compass, however, an absolute check can be obtained.” Ice in Every Direction. “Ice everywhere. As far as the eye can see in any direction there is nothing but a shining white expanse of snow-covered pack with hardly a break in it. but we are nearly 100 miles into it now, and should be through in a few days. The sun is so warm that it can be felt through our coats. The air temperature is 36 degrees, and there is hardly a cloud iu the sky, and only a faint breeze. If it were not for the thunderous jolts with which we hit the pack sometimes, this would be the most placid existence in the world, but occasionally we get a shock that shakes the ship from stem to stern, and we are thankful for the thirty-one inches of timber along our sides and the massive bow. Up in the forecastle there is a rumble like distant thunder as we hit those heavy floes and they grind alongside. The vibration is terrific, but ou deck this is not so noticeable, and we are enjoying this warm and peaceful interval between the roaring Forties and the hard work that awaits us at the Barrier. Penguins’ Amusing Antics. “To-day we saw several penguins, and the first sight of these amusing birds convulsed everyone on board. A pair bobbed up on an ice-floe, alongside, cocked their heads at us, shook them, and waved their flippers as if trying to assure themselves that they were awake. They put their heads together and talked it over and finally decided that they both saw the same thing, for they waddled down to the edge to look us over more carefully. As they walked with a wobbling motion from side to side they waggled their flippers, as if to balance them-' selves, and presented so ludicrous an appearance as to cause everyone to howl with laughter. Finally they ypent awas, sliding pa fljpig holies

across the ice. propelling themselves by their flippers and feet. They move With remarkable speed in this way, fully as fast as a brisk walk. Three of them followed us for half a mile, propelling themselves along and occasionally standing up to look around and make sure that we were still in sight. Ice Forming In Leads. “In the open leads this morning we saw ice forming behind us, almost as fast as we went through. The water was full of ice crystals, and as they came to the surface they formed a sort of scum of ice which would quickly solidify into a thin sheet. It' reminded one of the story of Jules Verne in which a piece of ice was thrown into the sea when it was at the point of freezing, and the ice was just sufficient to start a crust that rapidly spread over the entire surface. It is perceptibly colder at night when the sun drops to about 15 degrees above the horizon, and last night , the temperature went down to 21 above zero, hut it can be seen that we are not suffering from cold yet. although only a few hundred miles from the Barrier. The continued light of the night has made sleep difficult for some of us, hat we are rapidly getting used to it. although one is apt to forget what time of day or night it is.' when the sun shines all the time.” RADIO FROM ELEANOR BOLLING (Australian Press Association.) New York, December 17. The "New York Times” has received a radio from the Eleanor Bolling, 350 miles south-east of Tairoa Heat], New Zealand, bound for Dunedin, to get a second load of supplies for the Byrd expedition. A radio message from Captain Brown, master of the Eleanor Bolling, received at Wellington yesterday by Mr. Richard G. Brophy, second in command of the expedition, reports, that' the steamer is making good time on her passage north and is. expected to arrive at Dunedin to-morrow morning. The Eleanor Bolling will be dry-dock-ed at Port Chalmers for cleaning and painting and will have, a new bronze propeller fitted in place of her present cast-iron one. As soon as she is undocked the Eleanor Bolling will load to her full capacity with stores and equipment. including two aeroplanes, two houses in sections and at least one motor tractor. The steamer will leave Dunedin again for the Antarctic on or about January 1 and will proceed direct to the- expedition’s base at the Bay or Whales. After discharging there she will return to Dunedin for a third cargo, which will clear up all the most of the r(attaining stores.