POLAR FLIGHT

Evening Star, Issue 22192, 21 November 1935, Page 10

POLAR FLIGHT

HELD UP BY SOFT SHOW EARLIER START TO BE MADE Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright NEW YORK, November 19. . A North American Newspaper Association message from Mr Lincoln Ellsworth states, that an attempt to start on the Antarctic flight this morning failed as unusually bright sun’from 1 until 8 a.m. made the snow too soft and sticky for a take off. "As the flight was definitely scheduled for 8 o’clock no attempt was made to hurry the preparations, although the sun was up early. At the last minute there was half an hour’s delay through clearing the fuel line, which accumulated water that froze. We taxied across the island in an attempt to start, but ; t was soon apparent', that it was impossible. We now plan to leave at 4 o’clock to-morroW morning.” ' ■ TROUBLE WITIJ FUEL GAUGE PLANE PRESUMABLY TURNING BACK. NEW YORK, November 20. (Received November 21, at. 10.5 a.m.) A copyright message to the North American Newspaper Alliance from the Wyatt Earp states that Mr Ellsworth and Hallock Kenyon took off from Dundee Island at 7.50 on Wednesday evening (New Zealand time) for an attempted flight across the Antarctic tq Admiral Byrd’s former base at Little America in the plane Polar Star. . At 11, o’clock on Wednesday night the plane wirelessed: “Back. Fuel flow gauge broke.” This message is interpreted here that Mr Ellsworth is turning back. The plane had sent only one previous wireless message, 48 minutes after the start, reporting that it had progressively passed over • James Ross Island, and was then flying at a speed of 170 miles an hour. The Polar Star, • after passing Ross Island, had left open water behind it and was flying along the eastern edge of Graham Land when it reported a broken gauge. In his last mesasge before leaving Mr Ellsworth said: ‘‘Soon we will be on what has been called the last great adventure in the history of Antarctic exploration. With faith in the reward of perseverance we are bound on a flight of 2,140 miles,' 1,300 of which are over territory not yet seen by human eyes. Wo will pass over unclaimed areas for 600 miles, and that segment of the Antarctic is thought to be, fringed by a coast lino of about 900 miles. Six hours out, and after crossing the eightieth meridian, which'we expedt to cross at latitude 77, wo will be in unclaimed territory. With the permission of the State Department" of the United" States'l will then drop the Stars and Stripes, and so far as that act will suffice to claim the area we discover, even up to the 120th meridian, for the United States I will name the area James Ellsworth Land, after my father, who was himself a pioneer.” ‘