ICE BARRIER EXPLORED

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 82, 31 December 1928, Page 9

ICE BARRIER EXPLORED

EXPEDITION BY BYRD ON SKIS DISCOVERY INLET LARGER THAN SUPPOSED INDICATIONS OF LAND Commander Byrd made a trip on skis and explored part of the great Ice Barrier. He found (hat Discovery Inlet is about ten miles longer than is shown on the maps. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copy right.) (United Service.) (By Russell Owen.—Wireless to “NewYork Times.”) Aboard the Barque City of New York, December 27. The size of Discovery Inlet has been greatly extended as the result of the trip ashore on skis by Commander Byrd. He found that at a point about ten miles from the entrance to the inlet where it has been supposed that it ended, it turns south and forms, an inner narrow bay filled with old ice. This inlet is about ten miles longer than is shown on the maps. It turns to the right and narrows to a width of about a mile.

Just at this narrow point on the west side are two large ice hills resembling ice-covered nunataks about 40 or 50 feet above the barrier and 150 to 200 feet above the bay and ice. Between them is a narrow valley running to the south-west. The ice around the hills is fissured into small cracks which are filled with snow. Beyond this point the bay opened up and continued for several miles to a point where it narrowed and ended against a large ice boulder, beyond which could be seen a line of crevasse extending for many miles.

Barrier Believed to be Anchored to Laud.

It has been believed for some time that there was land under the barrier at Discovery Inlet, because this bay has retained its formation ever since it was first charted. The presence of hills at the point in the barrier where it is bent to the south is believed by Byrd to give a good indication that there ,is land at this point anchoring the barrier. An aeroplane flight over this region, during which a photographic map will' be made of it, will give accurately its outlines and probably do much to prove that there is land under the ice near the inlet. It is difficult to explain how otherwise it has retained its peculiar formation.

It is intensely cold on the barrier, much more so than on the bay beneath, and it was impossible for the travellers who were clad for speed rather than wsjrmth, to stand still for more than a few moments, despite the summer sun.

Altogether they covered 35 miles on skis, and were ready to turn in when they reached the ship, and had something to eat. Before they returned the ice to which the ship was moored began to break up under a swell from outside the bay,.where a stiff breeze was blowing, and the ice anchors had to be shifted several times. When Byrd arrived the ship was being bumped by some very large cakes of ice which were at least six feet thick, so the dog teams were taken aboard, and we put out to sea again, heading for the Bay of Whales. Today we are coasting along the Lee of the barrier toward the east, sailing with a light breeze to save coal, and we hope to arrive at the bay late tonight. Byrd Describes His Journey. December 28. Commander Byrd states: “Our visit to Discovery Harbour appeared to be' worth while from a geographical standpoint. We reached the Great Ice Barrier about 177,40 longitude, 70 miles west of the entrance to Discovery Harbour. As we approached the Barrier we could see to starboard two places where the barrier sloped down to the water’s edge. These were about one hundred yards wideband this phenomenon is interesting, as the barrier generally rises more or less perpendicular from the water’s edge from 30 to 160 feet high. “Though it is midsummer down here we found Discovery Harbour filled with what we call ‘bay ice,’ for threequarters of its length. We have found that this beautiful ice-locked harbour is not accurately charted. It may be that there has been some change in its contour since the last explorer reported it. Wrongly Charted. “Strom, Balchen, Brarthen, Petersen and I proceeded on skis eastward of the head of the harbour to select a landing .field, as we hope later to chart Discovery Harbour with our automatic mapping cameras. We have found that instead of running east and west, as shown by charts, there is a general curve from eastward towards the south, so that at the end of the harbour, where the lines of the ice-barrier meet, its direction runs nearer to the north and south than it does east and west. At a point about three-quarters of the distance between the ship and the end of the harbour the barrier sloped gentlj- down to the bay ice, so that we were able to climb into the barrier; which we ascended to, 150 feet and still we had not reached the top. At this point Strom, Balchen and Brathen proceeded to investigate some of the snow peaks we had seen lying to the south-east. “Near the curve of the harbour there turned < it to be several of these peaks with valleys between, and we decided that, though they are snowcovered, land lies under them, and that this is part of some land that keeps intact this extraordinary harbour. fashioned in the lee Barrier. There were several places towards the end of the harbour both sides of which sloped down to the water. At the end of the harbour the two barrier walls do not meet because of the small channel exte. ding to the south-east. "Dr. Richovd. the Norwegian whaler told me that he had followed this crack, and that it curved around to the sea. This shows that that part of the barrier to the northward which forms part of Discovery Harbour is an island. As there is a strong easterly current running along here and under the barrier it indicates that this ice island is resting somewhere on land. This I believe is of some interest to geographers, as there has been a great deal of discussion whether or not the Ice Barrier or parts of the barrier rests on land. Lowest Depth of Water.

“We have been taking soundings regularly, aud the lowest depth of water we have so far recorded at or near the barrier is 245 fathoms. Later, after jnannimr Discovery Harbour from the

air and taking more soundings we hope to be able to show conclusively that a considerable part of the barrier about the harbour rests on land. We have found other errors in the chart. The depth-finder, which we took so much trouble and expense to put on the ship, has proved well worth while, as we can get accurate sounds without stopping the ship by getting from the bottom of the ocean the time of the return of the echo of the sound we make with electricity. “We have reached the barrier some days earlier than any other explorer, and are getting interesting data on the pack ice and bay ice that one might, find at this time of the year. We passed’ two ice packs in the Ross Sea, in addi- 1 tion to the one which we had such a. difficult time getting through, but we were fortunately able to get round them, to westward without being put mnchi' off our course.” PARTYTO SEARCH FOR BASE? SITE CHEERLESS PROSPECT (Rec. December 30, 5.5 p.m.) • Ross Sea, December 28. Our future home for the year lieaj just ahead, shrouded in a haze that# conceals the end of the bay.- We haveij just tied up to bay ice, which is heavy; and extends out many miles from} Framheim, Amundsen’s old station, tha, place near which the expedition exs pects to. have its winter quarters. Comi mander Byrd, with Balchen, PetersenJ and Bramte, and two dog teams, driven* by Walden and Vaughan, are going in-5 land in two or three hours to try to find? a site for a base, and if possible try to* locate Framheim. We reached here’ early this morning and found it was im«J possible to get more than a short dis-; tance into the bay, which is usually not! clear of ice until about a fortnight? from now. - Weather Good. But the weather is good, and there* is a strong tide or current breaking off’ parts of the ice continually, and it. may be possible to take considerable} material ashore even before the goes altogether. Dogs and sleds, with' large quantities of stores, may be] moved some time before we are able to., get up the barrier, which is. very low at this point The dog drivers are busily packing sleds with food; for a week, as well as tents, sleeping bags, and radio -outfit, so that if the ship is forced to put out by stornrtheywill be able to get along comfortably until we return. The sleds are on the ice alongside the ship, with men busily-engaged getting their gear together on them, so that work ashore may be said to have ’ actually started. Everyone 'is elated at being here,., and also at the calm weather, which had been predicted for the Bay of Whales, but of which we had been sceptical. Vast Unknown TerritoryThere is an unusual haze over the ice, and it is impossible to see more than a few miles. Beyond that mysterious curtain of blue and white lies a tremendous territory, which is to be explored, and it is about as forbidding to-day- in this-gray light as could be imagined. It is a cheerless place, grim enough to discourage the'most ardent real estate auctioneer.' Commander Byrd expects to stay away for a day or two, and our activities for the next two weeks will depend largely upon what he learns of the ice conditions on his long trip inland. The commander has appointed Larry- Goul, geologist, second in command . down here, as Brophy, the regular second in command, is in New Zealand.. Gould is popular on the ship, and for the last week has. been ready.- to ■ supervise the unloading, which will be a difficult and possibly dangerous task if done on the bay ice.

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