RADIO SOON FAILS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 98, 20 January 1936, Page 9

RADIO SOON FAILS

Bad Weather Encountered

TRAMP TO LITTLE AMERICA

Continuing his account, Mr. Ellsworth states: —

“Shortly after 4.15 p.m. G.M.T. on the day we started we realised that the radio had failed, but there was nothing we could do but continue our flight. After passing the mountains of Hearst Land, we flew at an altitude of 10,000 feet over a high plateau with isolated mountains at intervals. Then these gave way to an unbroken plateau. At 4.45 p.m., G.M.T., I dropped the Stars and Stripes on hitherto unclaimed territory.

“For three hours we flew over mountains and at ,9.5 p.m. ran into bad visibility and reduced our altitude to 6400 feet. Finally we were forced to land, our position being latitude 79.12. longitude 104.10. Later the weather cleared and late in the afternoon of November 24 we warmed the engine and took off, but after half an hour in the air were forced to land owing to poor visibility. “Several other attempts to proceed to Little America likewise failed until December 5, when we took off and flew toward our objective. We had almost sighted the Bay of Whales when the fuel which had served us so well finally gave out. We fixed our position at latitude 78.45 degrees and longitude 163.36 degrees. After four days of working with the radio apparatus we packed our hand-sledge and tramped the few miles to Little America. Since then we have been busy correlating the data gathered on the flight. We have been most hospitably treated by Lieutenant Hill and the officers of the Royal Research Society’s ship Discovery II and are enjoying the comforts of civilisation once again.”