PUZZLING SILENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 127, 25 November 1935, Page 12

PUZZLING SILENCE

THE POJ.AR STAR

PREPARATIONS FOR SEARCH

LAYING DOWN OF

DEPOTS

United Press Association—By Electric TeleBraiili—Copyright. (Received November 25, 2.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, November. 24. A message received from Dundee Island by the North American Newspaper Alliance states:^-, . It is thirty-six liours since Mr. Lincoln Ellsworth and Mr. Hollick-Ken-yon started their' transantarctic dash, and since 4.5 p.m. G.M.T. on Saturday the Polar Star has been out of communication with the Wyatt Earp here. The silence of wireless contact for so long is not causing undue worry here, but calls for immediate action in preparation for the laying down of depots to penetrate the area if nothing further is heard -from them. ■ As the"last word declared- that all was well, with the craft functioning perfectly, in favourable weather it .was, hoped to reach the destination, the.Bay of Whales, but the;wireless silence.is puzzling; as the Polar Star was equipped with emergency apparatus for use if the aeroplane grounded. . The distance to the Bay of Whales along the Great Circle "course is 2140 miles, and despite the high altitudes it would be necessary to attain in order to cross the mountains there, should have been adequate fuel to reach the destination. The speed average up to the time' of the last radio contact should bring the Polar Star. there within? 20 hours if there were no difficulties. ,