THE NEXT FLIGHT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 28 January 1929, Page 9

THE NEXT FLIGHT

OVER KING EDWARD LAND

CITY OF NEW YOBK MAY CliUlSfi

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "Tho Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, This Bay. Commander Byrd will mako his.next ilight hi tlio Antarctic over King Edward Land, states a private message received in Auckland on Saturday morning ljy Mr. R. 0. Brophy, second in command of the Byrd Expedition, who arrived from Wellington by the Limited express. Mr. Brophy has como north to complete arrangements for the shipment of the team of 15 dogs which arrived by the Niagara yes> torday from Vancouver. These dogs, under charge of Mr. Inncs Taylor, whu is an aviation pilot and dog driver, will bo sent south by a fast goods train tonight, and will be transported from Wellington to Lyttolton on Wednesday night. Arrangements have been made to place, them in quarantine at Dunedin until they are shipped on the Eleanor Boiling next month. A quantity of scientific gear which is being brought from America will also be loaded on tho Eleanor Boiling at Dunedin. An aeroplane, two tractors, SOOO gallons of aviation petrol, 4000 gallons of kerosene for heating houses at "Little America," Commander Byrd's homo in the Antarctic, and 2000 gallons of ordinary petrol for tractors and automobiles, makes up a bulky portion of the shipment now in store at Duncdiu. Also there are four portable houses specially insulated and built to withstand a blizzard of 100 miles an hour; and foodstuffs to augment supplies sufficiently to meet the requirements of forty men for eighteen months. "The City of New York," said Mr. Brophy, "will have to be out of the Antarctic before loth March, and consideration is being given to tho possibility of a cruise of the South Pacific during tho winter to carry out charting investigations with the aid of the sonic depth-finder installed' Jou board. Personally I don't expect to visit the Antarctic until next year. I shall go by the City of New York on her first trip after winter."

NUMEROUS GIFTS. During the interval Mr. Brophy may have to revisit America to arrange for the raising of the balance of the funds necessary for the expedition. "We have received numerous contributions in cash and merchandise from friends and supporters of the expedition in New Zealand, and for those wo are very grateful," Mr. Brophy remarked. Ho added that the expedition was steadily being built up to its full strength. Its,total financial value when completed would be 1,500,000 dollars, including the two ships now in use, four aeroplanes, two large crawler tractors, two automobiles, extensive scientific equipment, 15,000 dollars' worth of fur, clothing, and boots and shoes, some of which cost 50 dollars a pair. So large are some of the boots that there will "bo no difficulty in accommodating four or five pairs of thick socks. TRACTORS TO RELIEVE DOGS. '.Regarding the problem of transport, Mr. Brophy said that the use of tractors to relieve dog teams should be a great success. The caterpillar typo had been well tested in snow conditions in North America, and such tractors were in constant use in lumbering and mining districts in temperatures as much as 40deg. below zero. This was made possible by using kerosene for the cooling system. The expedition also had an automobile equipped with skis on the front and a caterpillar tread on the rear wheels, and Mr. Brophy had arranged to take his personal car to the Antarctic, where he expected to find it adaptable to snow travel.