FORCED NORTHWARD

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 93, 14 January 1936, Page 9

FORCED NORTHWARD

Wyatt Earp on Voyage to Bay of Whales

(Received January 13, 10.10 p.m.)

New York, January 13,

A North American Newspaper Alliance copyright message from the Wyatt Earp says: "For three days the heavy ice-pack edged the Wyatt Earp northward of the most direct course to the Bay of Whales, where it is hoped to find Mr. Lincoln Ellsworth and his companion. To-day, however, the vessel reached the westerly margin of the long ice tongue, and we are now able to make south-westward progress in fairly open water. It is still too early even to speculate when the Wyatt Earp will reach the Bay of Whales, for she still must- push through 500 miles of iceladen water before reaching the Ross Sea. which is generally ice-free.”

AWAITING OPENING IN ICE Progress of Discovery II (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, January 11. The organising committee of the Antarctic voyage of the Royal Research ship Discovery 11, which has been ordered to the Bay of Whales to help in the searifli' for the American explorer, Lincoln Ellsworth, and his companion hag received a message dated to-day from the master, giving the ship's position and the report: “Ice heavier. Leads less open. Lying to awaiting opening.” “BLANKETED” RADIO Some Support For Theory While admitting the possibility of Mr. Lincoln Ellsworth’s radio being “blanketed” by ice, Jlr. C. R. Russey, a radio expert of Christchurch, thinks that mechanical trouble is more likely the reason for so long a silence. The theory of Mr. JI. E. Wiig, Norwegian Consul at Bluff, is no wild one, however. There are certain places in New Zealand which are recognised as “dead spots.” Localities surrounded by hills, which also are “blanketing” agencies, frequently cause trouble in this way. Some districts in Southland are reputed to be very deadening to the ether waves. Jlr. Russell, next month, intends to experiment in those districts. He has attached a transmitting set to .a motor-car. The results of his experiments will be made known when Jlr. Russell returns. “If Jlr. Ellsworth has his radio mast erected in an ice pocket then the present theory holds,” Jlr. Russell said. “It will be just as though he is trying to send messages from an outfit iu a steel room. Practically nothing could be heard.” The high bergs would deflect the ether waves or perhaps absorb them.

Shortwave radio was a most intricate thing. It was impossible to keep trace of its vagaries. Possibly the waves from the transmitter were going astray, as it were, and no receivers were so situated that they would pick up the message. There were cases where messages had been heard thousands of miles away from the anticipated place of reception. But it would be extremely unlikely, Mr. Russell said, that messages from Little America would not be heard in some -country.

The chance of trouble with the transmitting set was very great. Jlr. Ellsworth would be using either batteries or an hand generator. The batteries might be run down, or the generator might not be giving the necessary service. All was a matter of ot course. Yet a man with Mr. ElUworth's experience was hardly likely to be ignorant of the hindrance of icebergs which were reaching higher than the radio mast