DELAYED BY STORM

Evening Star, Issue 26042, 5 March 1947, Page 6

DELAYED BY STORM

BURTON ISLAND ARRIVES , SAILS THIS AFTERNOON Delayed by a storm, the U.S.S. Burton Island, an icebreaker attached to the Byrd Antarctic expedition, arrived at Port Chalmers last night. Although the gale was not apparently as severe as the one which struck the Merrick, Yancy, and Northwind on their journey to New Zealand, the wind was strong enough to carry away the ship’s anemometer, on the foremast, and the vessel rolled 51deg in the 30ft seas. The icebreaker was the last ship to leave Little America. Equipment was taken on board at the Bay of Whales, and the icebreaker left about February 23. The 200-mile-wide open stretch of sea between the Bay of Whales and the ice barrier was already showing signs of ice, and the bow spray would freeze in the air and fall back on to the ship as fragments of ice.

After smashing through the ice barrier the (Burton Island met the Mount Olympus. Admiral Byrd and Admiral Cruzen, who had "traveller from Little America in the Burton Island, then transferred to the larger vessel. LEAVES 5 P.M. The ship will leave # again at 5 p.m. to-day for Wellington. Half of the crew were given shore leave last night; the remainder will bq given liberty in Wellington after the ship arrives on Friday morning. As on previous occasions, stores of food and mechanical equipment .were left- behind. This time the equipment left in the Antarctic included tractors ■ and even aircraft, which were not provided with the shelter of a temporary

hangar or shed of any kind. It is not expected that any harm will come to this equipment in view of the remarkable lack of deterioration shown by machinery left by previous expeditions. 1 In command of the Burton Island is Commander G. L. Ketclium. who is paying his second visit to New Zealand. During the war he visited Auckland for .a time. -

Commander Ketchum served in the destroyer IJ.S.S. Perkins, first as executive officer and. later as captain during the Pacific war. He saw service at Lae, Salamaua, Finschhafen, and Rabaul. His decorations include the Silver Star, awarded for his part in an action against Japanese torpedo and dive-bombers in the Huon Gulf. The Burton Island was commissioned only last December, and Commander Ketchum took command. The Burton Island is similar .to the Northwind in many respects, with the exception that she is a Navy ship, whereas the Northwind belonged to the TJ.S. Coast Guard. She carries two aircraft—a helicopter and a Grumman Amphibian. YANCEY LEAVES. The naval transport Yancey left Port Chalmers at 7.5 a.m. this morning for an undisclosed destination, believed to be Samoa.