FAMOUS LEADER

Evening Star, Issue 20033, 26 November 1928, Page 9

FAMOUS LEADER

FIMAUSIHG ARRANOEfSffEKTS BUSY DAY IN DUNEDIN Travelling from Christchurch by the night express last night, Commander Richard Evelyn Byrd, the first airman to reach the North Pole, and the first airman to flay a three-engined heavilyloaded plane across the Atlantic, when neither see nor land was _ seen, fpr twenty-four hours, arrived in Dunedin this morning with several members of his staff. Arriving in Christchurch yesterday morning, Commander Byrd was met by the mayor and the consular agent (Mr H. P. Bridge), and taken for a tour of the city. In the afternoon Commander Byrd deposited a wreath at the foot of the memorial to Captain Robert Falcon Scott, tho brave English explorer who died from exhaustion on his battle back to a camp after reaching the South Pole. There was a large assemblage of tho public, and when the train left Christchurch Commander Byrd and hia companions were wished “ God-speed ” hy another big crowd. About twenty members of the crow of the City of New York were on the Dunedin station to meet their chief, and as he stepped off the train they gave him three rousing cheers. Cheering was also renewed when the party went down to the wharf to meet tho. Eleanor Boling. Mr Richard G. Brophy, who has been appointed second in command, and Mi Russell Owen, the correspondent of the ‘ New York Times,’ motored from Christchurch yesterday to make ad sauce arrangements for the whole expedition. Secretary to Commander Byrd is Chief Yeoman Charles E. Lofgren, who served sixteen years with tho United States Navy. Mr Willard Vanderveor, the cinematographer for the Paramount organisation, is also with tho party, which is staying at the Grand Hotel. The only member of the scientific staff who has so far not been on the expedition’s ships is Lieutenant Ralph F. Shropshire. One of the most interesting personalities with tho expedition is the aviator Bernt Balcben, the Norwegian, who piloted the Josephine Ford plane on its flight with Byrd from King’s Bay. Snitzbergen, to the North Pole, and who was at tho controls when the risky landing was made in the eea at Ver-ser-Mur, off the French coast after the plane America had missed Paris in the fog and storm. The other aviators are Dean C. Smith, who joined tho expedition from the air mail service of the States; Captain Alton C. Parker, of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves; and Chief Pilot Harold 1. June, of tho United States Navy. Commander Byrd had a busy day in Dunedin to-day. One of his first duties was to visit the Rattray street wharf, where the Eleanor Boling was berthed, and to inspect the stores. As a compliment to the commander, the “Stars and Stripes ” was flown from the Otago Harbour Board to-day.