MEN OF PARTS

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

MEN OF PARTS

CREW OF BASE SHIP All told, there are thirty-three men on tho City of Now York Many are scientists, but as on tho Eleanor Do - ing, it is a case of “ all hands for all jobs.” Tho crew is a decidedly amateur ouo to have brought a small vessel across the P.acific, but the men are so enthusiastic over thoir mission that they have not taken long to pick up tho finer points of handling their ship. H. Harrison, the aerologist, is chief of tho aerologist branch of the United States air mail service. Ho hails from New Jersey. . Frank Davies is the magnetic expert on the expedition. He was associated with the M'Gill University, Montreal, and also tho Carnegie Institute at Washington. G. H. Black holds a position as head tractor instructor in tho United States iiriuy* Ho will bo associated with tho work of the tractors on the ico pack. Howard Mason was formerly editor of Uio ‘ Q.S.I. Radio Magazine,’ published in New York. Ho was with tho Wilkins expedition m Alaska and the North Pole regions for two years. Ho transferred from tho Eleanor Boling to tho City of New York at Papeete. L. K. Grenlio is an experienced Polar man. Pie was a member of Commander Bvrd’s expedition to tho North Pole in 1926. Ho is one of the radio operators. , . , L. V. Berkner was granted leave by the Department of Commerce by Mr Herbert Hoover, who was head of that department, and who was recently elected President of the United States, to join the expedition. Mr Berkner is the chief radio operator. Thomas V. Mulroy is tho chief engineer and also chief engineer of tho expedition. He is a member of tno United States navy, and accompanied Commander Byrd to the North Polo m 1920. Joseph T. Rucker comes from tlie Paramount Famous Lasky Picture Corporatiou. He is on© of tlio moving and “still” picture photographers. Mr Rucker has been associated with the moving picture business in Los Angeles and New York for tho past sixteen years. This is his first visit to this part of tho world, but he has made annual long trips to China and the East during tho last seven years. An interesting person is Job Jaconsen, the sailmaker. He is sixty years of a (T c and is a man of wide experience. He served with the United States navy for thirty years, and is now on the retired list. He was a member pt a previous expedition to the Arctic, and during recent years held a position as watchman at «thc Fidelity inist Company premises in New York. The loro of adventure and romance still clung to him, as ho resigned his position to join the expedition. Dr Francis B. Comau was associated with the John Hopkins Hospital at Baltimore, ouo of the loremost research institutions in America. Ho received lus training in this hospital, and Mr John Hopkins recommended him for tho Antarctic expedition. Louis Reinhart hails from Germany. Ho was in the German army, and was attached to the Kaiser’s private kitchen staff during the early part of the Great War. A. B. Crcagh, the second cook, is also a much-travelled man. He was a member of the crew o) the vessel Speed]acks, which was owned by an American and made a cruise round the world in 1920-21. U. Richard Renter was a member of Commander Byrd's North Pole expedition in 1926. He is recognised as the principal musician on board the City of New York. John J. Bayer, tho second engineer, is a man who has seen a great deal of the world. He was associated with, the United States navy for twenty-five years. Charles A. M'Guiiuiess, chief officer, was formerly in the British Navy. Ho went to German East Africa during the war, and later served on ships running in tho danger zone between Germany and Ireland, Sverre Strom hails from Norway. He is second officer, and is a man of many' parts. He is thirty years of age, and has spent twenty years in the ico around Spitzbcrgcn. He was selected by Commander Byrd as the chief ico man of the expedition. Beud’ick Johansen is the bo’swain. Ho comes from Norway, and made tho voyage in the City of New York Jrom Norway to America as chief officer. He is about forty-five years of age, and has spent the greater part of ins past life among tho ice regions of tho North Pole. Messrs Strom and Johansen will bo tho ice pilots.

Other members of the ship’s company are; —

Esmondo AV, O’Brien, first assistant engineer. Quin A. Blackburn, seaman and topoBraathan, seaman and ski expert. Jacob Bursey, seaman and dog driver. Anson W. Perkins, seaman; George A. Thorne, jun., seaman; Paul A. Siple, Boy Scout seaman. Arthur Berlin, fireman: James A. Fenry, fireman; Lyle Womack, fireman ;~- Boehning and Darling, liremen.

Carl 0. Petersen, radio operator. Victor H Czegka, machinist; Chas. G- Gould, carpenter. Frank T. Davies ; physicist. Paul A. Siple," of Erie, Pennsylvania, who is a seaman in the City of New York, was specially chosen by Commander Byrd to represent the Boy Scouts of the United States in the expedition. Of three lads who stowed away in the City of New York before she sailed from her home port, llobert White Lanier was the lucky one. Ho is a negro orphan, and belongs to Jersey City. Ho survived a gas fumigation of tho“ ship for three days, and had hidden four previous clays on the beams under the wharf waiting his chance to stow away. Lanier, who is a goodlooking Jail, said ho “ wanted to be the first hlackfellow to get to the South Pole.” He was signed on.