MACMILLAN EXPEDITION

Evening Star, Issue 19023, 19 August 1925, Page 6

MACMILLAN EXPEDITION

PROBABILITY OF ABANDONMENT SERIES OF MISFORTUNES Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright WASHINGTON, August 18. (Received August 19, at 12.45 p.m.) Tho Macmillan naval-air expedition, which is searching for an undiscovered Arctic continent, will in all probability be abandoned this week, according to indications here. Mr C. D. Wilbur (Secretary to tho Navy) sent a radio message to Captain Byrd asking for a report on tho weather conditions, and whether he believed it was worth while to continue the search. Simultaneously, though not in reply, Captain Byrd despatched a radio message to Mr Wilbur stating that unless the flyers were favored with exceptionally good weather for tlye remainder of this week it would bo necessary to abandon tho proposed Polar seas flights. Oiflcials of the navy, and the National Geographical Society, who were consulted by Mr Wilbur before he iient his message, are in favor of a cessation of the flight and an immediate return southward, and making a beginning on the other portions of the expeditionary programme in the uncharted areas of Baffin Island, lying to the west of Southern Greenland.

From the start the expedition encountered a series of unforeseen difficulties. Firstly, tho ships were short of fuel, and there was a delay in coaling. Then the arrival at Etah disclosed the necessity for constructing special platforms on the beach before assembling the planes . Since August 3, when the planes were launched, the weather has been unusually severe and unprecedented for summer snows and fogs, which hampered tho operations for the period permitting air exploration, which expires on August 25, when tho midnight sun wanes, after which the conditions will he much worse.

In brief lapses of the storm the aviators flew westward from Etah, and attempted to find a base for supplies. They found the fjords clotted with ice, and they wore unable to land. They finally settled in Flagler Fjord, to which' they are still carrying only small amounts of provisions, due to the difficulty of rising from the water. One plane was out of'commission for several days, due to the heavy Arctin seas springing the seams.—A. and N.Z. Cable.