FOR THE ANTARCTIC

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 119, 23 May 1933, Page 7

FOR THE ANTARCTIC

ELLSWORTH EXPEDITION PLANS REVEALED Souid of tho details of the forthcoming Antarctic expedition under the leadership of Lincoln/Ellsworth have bceii revealed by Sir Hubert Wilkins, says the-,."New York Times." The newest Antarctic trip will start officially when Sir Hubert sails for Norway. The 150-foot ship that, will cany the party is to be , thoroughly overhauled and the plans at present call' for' her to leave Norway about August 1 for New Zealand. Mr. Ellsworth believes that a small party on a trip of this type is best, Sir Hubert said, and for that reason the entire expedition will consist of only fifteen men, the smallest number ever to make such a journfey. The ship is to leave Now Zealand for the Bay of Whales about November 1, arid about December 15 will arrive at its base. Sir Hubert said that the Bay of Whales is the location called Little America by Adinjral Byrd. It also has been ■ known under several other names. f ■■■.■■■.. • The main objective of tho expedition which Sir Hubert characterised as a "flight of discovery," is a 3,000----mile round-trip non-stop flight over the Antarctic Continent. It is hoped to obtain much valuable; geological and geographical data. 'The trip is purely scientific in its scope. Mr. Ellsworth is to act as tho navigator on the flight and the pilot will be Bernt Balphen, transatlantic flyer who headed the aeroplane. division ou Admiral Byrd's recent survey. The ■ entire: t"rij» is . being financed by Mr. Ellsworth, and Sir Hubert hopes that it will be known as the Ellsw6rth Expedition. His only part, ht) declared, was as an adviser and reporter. The;flight is to start from the Bay of Whales and proceed over the Ross Sea. It is hoped to determine whether this, body of water flows to Australia or if it is terminated by a mountain range after about 500 miles. Sir Hubert characterised the middle third of the 1,500-mile stretch as the most dangerous. Only one airship is being taken and that is to be equipped with a now type of landing ski devised by Mr. Balchen. The ship can attain a speed of more than 200 miles per hour and it is hoped to make the round-trip flight in about twenty hours. ■ If conditions are unfavourable and the ship is forced down, the crew may be out of touch with the base for several days. It was decided not to take a second aeroplane, Sir Hubert said, because there was no certainty that it too would not get lost if it became necessary to send a rescue party after the flying explorers. • ' An automatic camera is to be .attached to the aeroplane, and it will take photographs of the trip at the rate of oue every six seconds. In addition, Mr. Ellsworth also will take pictures with a specially dovised camera Of his own construction. Sir Hubert was presented to the members by another explorer, Vilhjalmur Stefausson, who related that he took Sir Hubert on his first Arctic trip twenty years ago.