BYRD EXPEDITION

Evening Star, Issue 20128, 19 March 1929, Page 8

BYRD EXPEDITION

MOMENTS OF ANXIETY NO WORD FROM MOUNTAIN PARTY RELIEF MEASURES IN PREPARATION [By Bussell Owen.] Copyright, 1928, by the ‘ New York "Times’ Company and ‘St. Louis Post-Despatch.’ All Rights for Publication Reserved Throughout the World. Wireless to 1 New York Times.’ BAY OF WHALES, March 18. (Received March ID, at 11 a.m.) It is now two days since wo heard from Larry Gould and his companions on the geological tri,p to the Rockefeller Mountains. Radio with them was maintained till 2.30 on the afternoon of tho 11-th, hut since then no word or signal has been received. It is probable that sme failure of the radio caused them to bo cut olf, but there is a possibility of a mishap, and Commander Byrd is preparing to fly over tho moment that the weather shows signs ot clearing. Dog teams arc leaving to-morrow to back up both aeroplane parties, and they will continue to the mountains if Hying continues impossible. Gould bad a rope for safety in climbing the mountains, a good tent, sleeping bags, and plenty of fuel and food for two months. The weather has been unfit for flying, and they had orders not to start hack until they received word That the landing conditions were suitable, which would seem to rule out the possibility of a crack up in an attempt to take off. Gould is Commander Byrd’s second in command here, and he has been on two Arctic expeditions, and both pilots arc level beaded, experienced men, June in particular being noted fur bis thoroughness and caution, as well as daring when in tho air. All this, however, docs not mitigate the fact that Commander Byrd is concerned at not hearing from them. Appreciating as he does the many hazards of landing away from the base at this time of the year, he did not think that, tho trip should bo made, and bo yielded reluctantly to persuasion when the scientific importance of the flight was emphasised. If radio failure is not the cause of their silence, there is only one other possibility, and that is that they tried to tako off without notifying the base, and crashed, smashing their radio set. We can hardly believe that this happened, as Baicbcn. who was piloting, has had so much experience in taking off from the snow.

It. seemed when the party left lor tho mountains that the flight could be made in safety, because, even if the weather became had—as it did for a week or more—patience would bring better weather, and patience is a supremo Antarctic virtue. All the pilots arc agreed that if the plane could laud safely there should bo little danger. H still seems incredible—even to those familiar with Antarctic dangers—t,hat anything serious can have occurred at the mountain. The party easily weathered the worst storm that wc have had. and when last heard from they had apparently completed their geological survey, and were impatient to get back. Ihdeetl, Commander Byrd bad urged them to bo very conservative with regard to any more visits to tho mountains, where they might meet with mishap in a storm. They have had only one flay since they were lasi heard from when they might have made a short survey trip, and it is not likely that they did so. Even if they did, it is unlikely that they mot with a mishap in the mountains, as there arc no crevasses there. Tho situation was not deemed serious until last night, when forty-eight hours had elapsed without word from tho. piano. Then Commander Byrd ordered preparations to be made for rescuing them. He is now packing up his navigation instruments and getting a plane ready to leave, and, as the sun lias boon out for a short time and the sky shows signs of clearing, it is Imped that a few hours’ clear weather will permit a flight to bu made. If that cannot be done, flog teams will start to-morrow morning.