TWO CONTINENTS ?

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 121, 19 November 1934, Page 9

TWO CONTINENTS ?

ANTARCTICA DIVIDED

ADMIRAL BYRD'S THEORY

LONG-SQUaHT STEAIT

United Press Association—-By Electric Tele^

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LITTLE AMERICA, Nov. 17.

Long-sought evidence confirming the existence of a transcontinental passage dividing. Antarctica was found by Admiral Byrd, who flew over the region, in what he described as the most important discovery of his career as an explorer.

After flying about 770 miles in 6 hours 50 minutes he reported that he had aerially surveyed 50,000 square miles of the area .roughly between the Queen Maud and Edsel Ford mountain ranges. He said he had noted enough geological evidences to compel a radical revision of existing ideas of Antarctica 's continental structure if.not to prove that there are two continents instead of one in the South Polar region. The party included Messrs. Harold June, pilot; William Bowling; second pilot; Kennett-Kawson, navigator, and Clay Bailey, radio operator. The' triangle Admiral Byrd plotted had its apex at latitude 81 degrees 05 minutes south and longitude 146 degrees I 30 minutes west, at. which point tho sur-1 face of tho Barrier dipped substantially enough to convince him that the long- \ sought strait lay underneath water-1 borne ice. . From hero the flight swung northward into Mario Byrd Land, where they .found a mountain range of "majestic size" • which Admiral, Byrd believes either a separate continent from the main mass of Antarctica or an insular group welded together by the ice sheet. On returning Admiral Byrd re-, vcaled that ho may have completed his last flight on the expedition. Tho depletion of his physical resources result-1 ing from the long isolation at the 801 - i ing base taxed him more heavily than j he realised. Contrary, to, his hopes, he has failed to make a rapid recovery, since he returned. Ho believes mak-, ing dangerous flights to be unfair to; his companions,' as he would be a burden on them in case of a forced landing in an isolated section. As further proof ,of his conclusions Admiral Byrd ' reported that at the lowest latitude reached, about where he believed the water passage' between the land formations should be, he noted unusual crevasse formations and snow colourings that he is positive mark the meeting place of land and sea ice. ■