FINE RESCUE WORK

Evening Star, Issue 20130, 21 March 1929, Page 8

FINE RESCUE WORK

BYRD S HAZARDOUS FLIGHT - FINDS PARTY SAFE AND WELL [By I!ussell Owen.] Copyright, 19-S, by Die ‘ Sew York Times’ Company and ‘Si. Louis Post-Despatch.’ 'All Plights lor Publication Reserved Throughout the World. .tireless to ‘.Nciv York Times.’ ) PAY OF WALKS. March tin. Commander Byrd yesterday rescued (he Gould party from the Rockefeller -Mountains, where their plane was destroyed in a terrific storm. All are well. A hole opened in the clouds to the east yesterday, and despite a wind w hich made tho flight hazardous, Commander Byrd flew through to his three men in the mountains, whose, long silence had so alarmed us. All throe were safe and well despite hours of fighting with terrific storms. The rescue plane returned in the darkness with Balchen and June, but Commander Byrd, Gould, and Hanson (the radio operator, who flew with his chief), are remaining until another | flight can be made to bring them hack to Tuttle America. The wind is blowing the drift snow, and it is cloudy out,.lliere, but there is some hope that the flight may be made later in fbe day. Those at tho mountains have plenty of food, shelter, and fuel. The silence of Gould's party at the Rockefeller range is explained by their battle with a, terrific storm, which mi Saturday wrecked their plane. The wind tore the plane from the snow and " from the lines by which it was anchored, carried it a mile, and dropped it a splintered wreck on the glacier ice. The men had worked for hours in the gale, -which at times blew them straight out from the linos they were holding. Finally the plane was lifted straight up in the air and it disappeared. There is no doubt they have discovered a new Antarctic storm area comparable with that of Adelie Land, where Sir 'Douglas Mawson had sueli appalling storms. When resting outside Gould and' his companions had to lie flat and hold themselves in place by the aid ■' of knives and ski sticks stuck in tho ■ ice. Only the sloping wall of the hill ■ prevented their tent from being blown away. The flight was made and the rescue accomplished at a time of great depression in our camp.