ENCIRCLING THE POLE

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1929, Page 7

ENCIRCLING THE POLE

BYRD’S GRAPHIC STORY “NATURE’S GREAT DAM” (By Russel Owen, Copyrighted, 1929, by the “New York Times’’ Company and “St Louis Despatch.” All rights for publication reserved throughout the world. Wireless to “New York Times”). ; ■ BAY OF WHALES, December 3. Commander Byrd, continuing his account of the Polar flight, after the pass was reached, showing a plateau with an unobstructed route to the Pole, states: —

“There was not less than three hundred miles between us, and the Pole. If the sun remained, the sun-compass and wind-drift indicator should take us there as straight as a bee flies. We would have to ride the engines all the way. The plateau was so high that, if one of the three engines should stop, we would have to land on the snow, which, at places was nearly two miles above sea level. It was an uncertain thing at any time, and the engines must keep going. I was saying this to myself when the starboard engine began to splutter and Brent nosed down. Harold rushed to the gas tank valves and stood looking at the engine, and listening to the jarring interruptions which the missing cylinders caused in. rhythm. Mac., for once, hesitated in his, mapping work. Aftei’ winning our hardiest struggle, was our flight to be ended so near the objective? Bernt hurriedly manipulated the altitude control. In an effort to. economise on the precious fuel, the gasolene had been made too lean. 1 The motor began to sing again. I say sing, for its. loarwas music, when it was nottinissing a beat. , . , . “Flying on a flight of this-kind is full of contrasts. Everything is perfect one minute. The next everything is black. All was well again. We looked around. Ahead was an apparently limitless plateau glistening in sunshine. The Great Polar Plateau at last! It was good to see it, after the months we had wondered about it, and the hundreds of times that we had asked ourselves if ,we would ever be lucky enough to reach it. To the left there were great mountain masses looming high above our level. I would hesitate to estimate their altitude, but they are very high, since at this place the plateau itself was about ten thousand feet above the sea level. Mac’s photographs must tell the story. Beyond this mass there were separatad peaks of many different shapes running to the south-eastward. There was one great isolated peak, completely snow-covered, and looking like a great, inverted, white porcelain bowl. Back of us, running east and west, along the line of the plateau, there were enormous peaks, lifting their heads high into the air. I looked over to the right, and I got one of those kicks that pulls a man away from civilisation — which repays him for his efforts. There was a new mountain range in the distance, running north and south. This was a new bit of land to add to the map of the world. Mac would, shoot with his camera and we felt it was worth while bringing him for that alone. “It occurred to me, as I looked around at the mountains, that they must fringe the whole plateau. This was Nature’s great dam . holding the ice and snow there until, in geological ages, the frigid period would lift itself from Antarctica and until a vast amount of the snow melts and runs out to the ocean that lies down below. It will not be revealed at present. We can only guess what lies beneath that great ice cap, and what is its depth. It is one of

THE WORLD’S MYSTERIES. That imaginary point, the South Pole, is in the centre of an uplifted plain hundreds of miles in diameter—a magnificent edifice, seemingly built to make more inviolable the tiny spot which we. were seeking. The plateau seems to range from seven thousand to eleven thousand feet in altitude. Beyond, sticking up through a great ex pause of snow, a very lonely little black mountain mass, we saw a small peak speck. It was hard to realise that it was the top, probably, of a mountain about five hundred feet above sea level. “On we went flying at the rate of five hundred miles an hour* through the air towards our goal. Our drift indicator showed the wind was from the left. We had to head the plane a dozen degrees to the left in order to fly straight south. It was impossible to tell our exact altitude above the plateau, and therefore it was not easy to get our actual ground speed, as it would have been over water or ice near sea level; but there was a way! With a stop watch, we got the time that it took a smoke bomb beneath to traverse a length of twelve inch wire in the bottom of the plane. Turning south, we took the time over the same object in the same manner. Then, with simple arithmetic, we calculated our speed. To do this we were forced to open two foot trapdoors. A strong wind coming up through it quickly numbed the face. We observed that it was ten below zero and was getting colder as we approached the Pole. “We found the wind as we neared the Pole was against us. Instead of flying one hundred miles an hour over the plateau, we were making only eighty-four or eighty-five miles. This was a disappointment. It would take us longer to reach the Pole than .we had calculated; but we would come back faster. We took a look back at the mountains, and, when we saw their great height, we realised that we must be very careful to allow for the wind. Unless we reached our pass on the Axel Heiberg Glacier and thence fly through down to the Barrier, we might be trapped by the mountains which we could not scale. There were many very important reasons, then, why the wind drift indicator and the sun compass should be used with the greatest care, and why-Bernt and Harold should steer carefully. Suppose the clouds should close in around the mountains before our re turn? That would indeed, trap us, but it was one of those chances we had to take. The character of the plateau surface - varied greatly from time to time. We saw to the left the foot of a magnificent glacier running down from the mountains and showing chaotic masses of crevassed ice, shining blue against the white . snow. This may have been the Devil’s ■ Ballroom, that dangerous area which (Amundsen traversed. We passed over

groups of haycocks—those small, rounded domes of snow which cover bottomless pits. r ,There were wind formed sastrugi, arrow shaped, which, appeared hard, with knife edges, and glistening more in the sun than other snow surfaces. That area must have been one of violent winds. A landing there would have been like landing among rocks. It was in great contrast to the surface that we reached later, which was smooth, and had the appearance of soft snow in an area of light winds. “While the mountains were still looming large on the left, we attempted to shoot the sun ’with the sextant, to get our altitude, and so as. to give us a sun line that would cut our line of flight, and, at the point of intersection, tell us >what the sun had to say about our progress; but the air was not smooth enough. The five hundred and twenty-five horse power engines in the nose of the plane, exerting their great force to keep us two miles high, seemed to add to the weaving motion of the plane. It was impossible at this time to keep the sun and the bubble in the sextant together long enough to get a dependable sight. We hoped that things would be favourable later on, but this did not worry us, for our distance was so short that we could hardly miss our objective. Our altimeter showed us to be keeping about the same atmospheric pressure, and we were therefore not changing our altitude very much. The snow beneath. US seemed to be getting further away, so we judged that the plateau was sloping down with a gentle incline. Back in the tail of the plane was the meteorograph recording the changes in temperature, pressure and humidity, which, after the flight would tell the whole story. We would know the exact moment of the taking off, the time of every subsequent altitude, and the moment of landing at the mountain base and at Little America. AMUNDSEN AND SCOTT.

“Beneath us, somewhere, was the trail that Amundsen blazed to the South Pole trail, now buried far beneath the snow. My admirationi for that great explorer increased tremendously when I saw what he had to contend with. In his honour, and in honour of Bernt and the other Norwegians at Little America, and the whalers who, with great generosity, have helped us, we carried with us a Norwegian flag. We have not forgotten the extraordinary hospitality that France showed to the Trans-Atlantic fliers, nor the friendship demonstrated for America at that time, and the sportsmanship displayed at 7 the success of the Americans in face of their gallant flier, who had set out on a more difficult feat. “Half an hour past midnight, we again tried to get the altitude of the sun, The sight was better this time. It showed us to be close to our dead reckoning position. That was good, but there was still enough movement in the plane to prevent our being certain of that sight. There was probably an error in it, and just how much we could not tell. We felt confidence in our sun compass and drift indicator, and, luckily, our sight did not change our calculations. The temperature seemed to be falling as we neared the Pole. The mountains abaft the beam were fading now, and clouds, which may have covered unseen mountains, showed on the horizon off the port bow. Harold was piloting and Bernt came aft to tell me that it was not quite so clear ahead, and that we might find mist near the Pole. Once or twice we thought we saw snow drifting beneath. An Antarctic storm seemed to be closing in on us, but we thought we could get back to the mountains ahead of it. It was a great plane, with great engines. With reasonable luck we should beat that storm. We had extended the Grosvenor trail. We now were so near the Pole that within easy visibility lay Scott’s trail who with his companions had perished on his way back —that great hero, who had shown that there are things more important than life; who in failure won immortal success. In his memory and that of his gallant comrades, and in honour of our cousin and friend, the British Empire, we carried with us a British flag.

NEEDLESS CONTROVERSY. “There flashed through my mind the fact that some had attempted to start a wild controversy covering the territorial rights of the British Empire and the United States, as the result of our discoveries. What a pity that there could be such a controversy! This is a peaceful and scientific mission—trying to extend the boundaries of land and knowledge made by those heroes who gave their lives here! If the spirit of this expedition towards those gallant men, and the nations that they represented, could be known and felt, it would add its mite toward furthering the good fellowship so vitally important now that our country has joined ‘with other nations in a sincere effort to secure peace and harmony for the world. “The Barrier edge was now about foui- hours back. No wonder that the boys thought I was flying beyond the Pole —the Pole which was only a little more than three hundred miles from the Barrier’s edge. The wind had caused us to take longer than we had expected, but, at last the big moment had come. That imaginary point, the very bottom of the world, was, according to my reckoning, somewhere beneath and within our view! I handed Harold the following message to radio to our comrades at Little America: “My calculations indicate that we have reached the vicinity of the South Pole. Flying high for a survey. Soon’ turn north.” Bernt turned the nose of the plane to the right, while I attempted to get the altitude the sun with the sextant, but there was far too much movement of the plane for results. We knew exactly what the altitude of the sun

should be, since the- altitude of the sun’s centre at any moment, at the Pole is equal to the declination of sun, which, at that time, was 21 degrees 27 minutes. The sun circles that point without any noticeable change in altitude. We flew on to the right for five or six miles further. I had wanted to go fifty miles beyond the Pole, instead of half-a-dozen, but we had been a long time in reaching it. I saw Harold’s and Bernt’s anxious eyes on the gasolene gauges. It would not be fair to these fellows to go any further.

I “We turned the nose of the plane back toward Little America. When I we reached the place at which we had turned to the right, we opened a trap door and dropped an American flag weighted with a stone from Bennett’s grave. We stood and saluted the spirit of our gallant comrade, and our country’s flag— little silk flag and that small stone,' tied together at the bottom of the world! “We were about 2,500 feet above the Pole, and the temperature had further dropped from ten degrees below zero. The visibility was good in most directions. But what was direction? All directions are north from the Pole! When we passed over the Pole we had changed our time a whole day. Now .we had changed it back again! We still had a job to do. WINDS WERE GATHERING in force. In a short time we could see more patches of drifting snow beneath us. We watched the sun compass and the drift indicator like hawks. We must hit the mountain pass! On and on we went. The time that seemed long before crawled now. The first mountains to the right, which had been clear on the outward journey, were half covered with clouds. Mac photographed them. It was apparent that a storm had just reached there. Bernt had increased the motor revolution, and the great Cyclone engine was doing its stuff. We. aimed our course a few degrees to the right, so as to reach the Barrier more to the eastward than we had left it, to get a better view of Carmen Land, and to obtain survey photographs which geographically are of great importance.

“Suddenly, Bernt gave a shout of joy, fox’ a little to our left was the pass we had come through, only partly cloud covered, and what we took for the Axel Heiberg Glaciei’ was almost dead ahead. Clouds were beginning to form. We were just in time. We were very thankful that we did not have to waste precious time and gasolene looking for a way through the mountains. Soon we were sliding down the Axel Heiberg Glacier. It wrfs very rough, but our plane was light. In another few minutes, Harold brought lxer down gracefully on the ice-hard sastrugi—at oui’ little mountain base. We put aboard two hundred gallons of gasolene, and left three hundred and fifty pounds of food, ten gallons of gasolene, ten gallons of oil, and a gasolene stove for Larry Gould’s party. In an houx’ we were read, and Harold lifted the “Floyd Bennett” easily from the snow and headed for the camp. We took north ovei’ a rolling white plain, and it seemed to us that we could see all that we had left behind. A few more weeks’ work, and then home!”

BRITISH SUPPORT FOR BYRD. • LONDON, December 4. Herbert George Ponting, F.R.G.S-, in a letter to the “Daily Mail,” speaking for all of Captain Scott’s comrades, denounces the whole tone and spirit of the remarks by Major Gran. Ponting says that his remarks can only recoil on himself. Commander Byrd spent two years in preparing his expedition, and he established his base on the Great Ice Barrier in December last. His staff includes geologists, meteorologists and other scientists. His main geological party is now proceeding—with dog teams —to examine the mountains that are five hundred miles from the base, which mountains Majoi- Gran dismisses as a “phantasy.” , Ponting adds: “Every Polar explorer knows that this vast range was first discovered by Sir Ernest Shackleton. I highly admire Commander Byrd’s and his comrades’ achievements. It was a colossal task. Byrd’s fine wireless tributes to Scott and the other pioneers, as well as his words before Scott’s statue at Dunedin, were a most beautiful and touching tribute from one man to the memory of another.” ' NEW ZEALANDER’S COMMENT. WELLINGTON, December 5.

Mr H. T. Ferrar, geologist in Scott’s first Antarctic Expedition 1901 to 1904, when asked to comment on Gran’s cablegram from Copenhagen, said:

“With reference to the criticism of Commander Byrd’s flight over the South Pole, Gran is rather severe. Commander Byrd’s story shows that he and his pilots are to be heartily congratulated on their successful twenty-four hours’ flight to the South Pole and back. Ah* surveys and air reconnaissances that are being made will facilitate, the work of Gould and his geological party. Now that Byrd has achieved one of the objects of his expedition, he will no doubt carry his explorations eastward and discover territory to which legitimate claim may be laid. Gran’s remarks about mountain ranges near the Pole are hard to follow. For instance, he talks of some of these ranges being south of the South Pole which of course, is absurd. It is difficult to understand what he means by saying: “The land on the whole is a plain.” It is well known that the Polar Plateau is nine thousand feet above the Great Ice Barrier. Moreover, it is buttressed by mountains, twelve thousand to fifteen thousand feet high, between which Byrd had to pass on the flight.”