Byrd’s Food Problem

Evening Star, Issue 19942, 11 August 1928, Page 13

Byrd’s Food Problem

Tins Crumble Away in Appalling Cold Reindeer Skin Clothing Supplies Being Sent Direct to Dunedin Selection of clothing for an Arctic or Antarctic expedition is of tho gravest importance. If it is badly'done death and disaster follow, for in howling Polar blizzards . selection of dolling, that will keep out wind and moisture and cold is as vital as the choice of food. Commander Byrd, for his forthcoming journey to Antarctica, has selected reindeer-skin clothing specially made by tho Eskimos.

[By Rcssed Owen’.—Copyright.]

Tho clothing for tho expedition is of the best possible quantity. 'Tho are now on their way to New York, having been made by the Eskimos ot the Lomen. Reindeer Corporation in Alaska. All tho clothing was selected by Byrd after many talks with Amundsen and oilier men used to cold weather. Tho full parkas are made ot reindeer skin, and are windproof. They have an inner lining of fawnskin and a largo expanse, so that they will give free dom of movement and the maximum of warmth. There are also skin socks with fur inside, made this way so that the moisture of tho foot inside many stockings goes through the fur and on to tho hide. This minimises tho danger of frozen feet, for damp footgear is dangerous. Frozen feet are the greatest danger on an expedition of this kind, as a man suffering from frost-bitten feet soon drops out. Tho footgear will a (so bo packed with some grass from Finland which has been fonud to be a splendid insulator, and has been used on all Polar expeditions. There are other types of footgear, ski boots patterned after some made in Norway, and boots lor use in slushy weather. The sleeping bags are made of reindeer skin, and are coming from Alaska. They are very warm and protected by an outer bag of canvas to prevent wind getting into them and also to keep from wearing. Eiderdown sleeping bags will also be taken, as they are useful either in the house or ; n very cold weather inside the fur bags, bub they are useless if much moisture gets into them.

other Polar explorers to guide him, but some mistakes had beeu made in obtaining tho food supplies of each of these expeditions. Amundsen fared well on his South Polar trip, and nobody got scurvy, but both Scott and Mawson had trouble with food.

It is exceedingly difficult to preserve food at temperatures far below the freezing point, because it lias been found that tin, in which most foods are packed, crystallises at 30 below zero and gradually crumbles. Byrd lost a lot of gasoline in a mysterious way while in Greenland, and finally learned it was from, deteriorated tin. It is seldom that tinned' foods are exposed to very cold weather in the open on such trips, for as soon as possible they are placed in shelter. In their,outlying bases most explorers have left pemmican, biscuit, chocolate, and other foods in wrappings unaffected by cold. But. Byrd wishes to make doubly sure of keeping all his supplies intact, and ■so has gone into the matter not only of what to take, Rut how to pack it. In this, ho has had the assistance of Dr Francis D. Cozan, of Johns Hopkins, who will be the medical officer of the expedition, and other men who have made careful inquiries on tlie subject. The Bureau of Standards has also tested containers to ascertain the exact effect of cold.

Tin will probably have to bo used to a large extent,'but it will be protected not only’ by coats of some protective substance both inside and out, but also kept from tho cold as much as possible Certain foods will be packed in glass, although the danger of breakage will limit the use of this material. And experiments are now being made to learn if some other metal may not be suitable.

When it came to deciding what sort of food should bo taken Byrd found himself confronting one of his most difficult problems. Ho had the experience of ‘Amundsen, Scott, Peary, and

THE FOOD OF THE PARTY

To provide a balanced diet, great care is being taken to select the best foods. Dehydrated vegetables will form a large part, as they not only have the advantage of offering a way of transporting all tho vegetables necessary, but they are so light that they reduce tho weight of the cargo tremendously. A small tin of vegetables weighing only a few ounces will make the equivalent of pounds of fresh vegetables when water is added. ...

prepared of any exjwdidon into the Antarctic.

Tho collection.of materials and equipment is only a part of the work that Byrd has to supervise; an important problem which ho has had to decide himself is the matter of personnel. An expedition succeeds very largely because of the-men who compose it. Loyalty, willingness, good humour, intelligence, and courage are even more necessary than, physical stamina. .Unless men can work together cheerfully, helping each other, shouldering burdens without a whimper, undertaking disagreeable tasks without thought of self, no expedition can succeed.

Anti-scorbutic experiments have been made in a, laboratory in Indianapolis to determine the best way of combating scurrv. So far as food goes, tho Byrd expedition will probably be tho best

SELECTS CHEERFUL COLLEAGUES

So Byrd has been picking his men, not only because of their ability, but because of their having the “spirit of the thing,” as he puts it. Byrd himself is a good leader; he has qualities in the field that cannot be appreciated except by one who has seen him in difficulties, but. he must have with him men who will follow him loyally.

one man who is a pilot, a good mechanic] a surveyor, and a dog driver. Ho conics from Canada. All these applications have been carefully examined, the most likely sorted until they numbered only a lew hundred, and most of these have been personally interviewed by Commander Byrd. His scientific staff was the most difficult to select, because upon it depends the scientific results of tho expedition. With all these men and all these materials, the question at onto arises what is the best use to make of them. There has been much good work done in Antarctica —Scott alone brought back scientific information that filled twelve largo volumes—and it became necessary to decide what work would bo tho most valuable, what field of exploration would yield the greatest results, how to avoid duplicating the work of predecessors, and many other complicated scientific questions.

So this matter of personnel has taken up much of Ids time. There have been more than 5,000 applicants for places in tho expedition. Obviously, many ot them were ineligible, although it is surprising the number of capable scientific men, as well as pilots and seamen, who have asked for a place on any terms.

There is an ex-commander of the British Navy going as bo’sun on the ship. An assistant doctor will be a seaman. As a matter of fact, men have been, to some extent, selected because of their versatility. There is

EASE AT

DUNEDIN

The main outlines of Byrd’s work, both in the air and in tho field' of scientists who will work at the mam base and on sled trips, have been settled, but there is much yet to be discussed. Commander Byrd has talked with most" of tho prominent authorities in the country on these matters, has had correspondence with others abroad, and has had the assistance of such organisations as the National Geographic Society, the American Geographic Society, and the American Museum of Natural Scientific staffs have been engaged in searching all the books on' the Antarctic, tabulating what has been done, and making suggestions as to the programme to bo followed. Behind all this is the business organisation which has made, it possible to do such a. tremendous amount of accumulation in a short time. Richard Brophy, as _ business manager, has charge of this. Nothing ia bought except on requisition, of which copies go to the ship, the warehouse in Hoboken, where supplies are being sent after special packing, and to Dunedin, in New Zealand, where many of the supplies are consigned.

Many of the foodstuffs are being sent to Dunedin in refrigeratory ships, and other things are being sent there to prevent overloading the little Samson on her long outward voyage. It can he seen from this brief outline of activities—an outline from which much has been omitted for lack of space—that the preparation of an Antarctic expedition such as this is a tremendous task, and one which calls for executive ability as well as experience. Exploring is only half the task; getting ready to explore is what breaks the heart of the man who goes into the Arctic or Antarctic for an extended trip. When lie once gets settled down on the ice and the ship loaves a. band of twenty-five men to spend the terrific Antarctic night, separated _ from the nearest civilisation by 2,300 miles of storm-tossed sea and ice, or when the work of exploration begins over a territory in which an accident duo to lack of foresight might easily mean death—then the way in which this preparation has been done will determine whether Byrd is to bo successful or whether tho Antarctic will claim a few more bravo men as it claimed Scott and his companion.