BY PLANE TO THE POLE

Gisborne Times, Volume LI, Issue 5347, 6 December 1919, Page 5

BY PLANE TO THE POLE

SPECIAL MACHINE FOR COPE’S ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION

TO MAKE FINAL DASH OF 400

JIILES

United Press Association—Oorvr.—ht. LONDON. Dec. 4.

Hie Blackburn Company is constructing a single-engined biplane for Commander Cope’s Antarctic expedition, to make the final four hundred miles-’ dash to tin? Pole. It w jii have great lifting capacity, and wil] carry four men., including Commander Cope and Captain Wilkins, also a considerable quantity of siedgn!'4 and camping equipment, arid provisions for at least- ten weeks, to nicer any emergency in the event of the machine crashing, necessitating a return on foot. 'There will he sufficient petrol to cover twelve tnousand miles.

0.' V,1, K .to there being no likelihood m mho-ring a. direct route, it. is proi'g , (, d to start lor the Pole from the •one t ,- ' ia,T * c ' r a t an altitude of db joet. hut the machine must be napah.e of flying at 11.000 feet, .muon, owing to the rarefied atmos"K;n’> is. equal to 21.000 feet for ,o >w-i- latitudes. The machine must warmed throughout the /.hole M. and airtight. . )l,; ’.ehine will he sent to ScandiJ i' ( January to test its suitabilI•''/* f:f dd regions. An oil- " ed. as a water-cool-ir-ig.lay.-_A. and N.Z. Cable-Assn. COPE EXPEDITION 10 TOE ANTARCTIC. mr erxest mills joyce L--. x REVIEWED. V : . e arrivals from Svdnev by the Moeraki last week, states * the Dominion, was Mr Ernest Mill® Joyce? name >.eil known in New Zealand “u-Mm 7 liat gallant .hand of An- -• -j '~vpi.no: x, to v/iiom the lure A-mr u i J< r rn - region-, is irresis<..,j.c,, and who is to he second in co.r.-fcanu . or tue Terra Nova (790 is to convey the Cope e»p*£fcion to the icy regions of trie S 2 U j/u ' o' r ‘ J°7 ce ’ w ho was a memoer of the Scott expedition of 1901-4 and the bnaekleton expeditions of 1007-9 and 1914-17, said that he had fur over two years been raine-mana-niig in Australia. °

The objects of the British Imperial Antarctic (Cope) Expedition were as follow: -

1. To ascertain the position and extent of the mineral and other deposits of econmic value already known to exist in Antarctica, and obtain data for the practical development as a further source of Imperial wealth. 2. To obtain further evidence of the localities and migrations cf whales of economic value, and to create British industries in this trade.

3. To investigate the meteorological and magnetic- conditions in the R-oss Sea area and at Cape Ann (Enderby Land) in connection with their influence on similar conditions in Australasia and South Africa respectively. That- such results are of great economic value had been proved by the station established by the Argentine Government for similar purposes in the South Orknevs.

4. To circumnavigate the Antarctic Continent.

5. To generally extend our knowledge. of Antarctica, especially with the view to obtaining further scientific data of economic importance. It is proposed that the Terra Nova would leave England at the end of June for Wellington, proceed to Macquarie I-sland in October for the purposes of a geological survey, and then proceed on to Scott Islan'd. and there establish a wireless and meteorological station. The vessel will then steam southward for the R-oss Sea, and seek a suitable harbor in the "Western Mountains somewhere in the foot-hills between Granite and New Harbours. It is expected that New Harbour will be the most suitable point at which headquarters can be established .That- position having been found, parties would be landed, and a large tent would be erected from which the work of erecting, the hubs, landing provisions, scientific equipment, dogs. etc. may be conducted. The main base having been established. the ship would proceed to Cape Crozier (Ross Island), where a. small hut with provisions and equipment would be landed, and from there a party would set out on the Barrier. The party at Cape Crozier would he manned and equipped to study the Emperor penguin and the Antarctic winter at this point, a research^ commenced by the late Captain Scott, but never completed. The party proceeding across the Barrier surface would reach a point as far direct south as practicable, and having carried materials for erecting a specially-de-signed hut, would establish a camp in order to record the Antarctic winter on the Barrier surface. That party would return to the Cape Crozier base in the following summer, where they would, with the Cape Crozier party, be picked up by the ship on her return, and landed at New Harbour.

Having landed the Cape Crozier and Barrier parties at Cape Crozier, the ship would return to Wellington and take on coal and provisions for a four-years’ commission. Then she would return, and pick up the Cape Crozier and Barrier parties, and return with them to headquarters- In the meantime, parties would have set out from headquarters on the geological exploration of the Western Mountains or mineral deposits. Those at headquarters would continue their scientific work, special attention being given to the study of meteorological conditions relating to the higher atmosphere. The ship would prepare as soon as possible to leave headquarters on a circumnavigatory trip of the Antarctic continent. Both the ship and the base at New Harbour would have wireless installations. During this voyage—one that has never yet been attempted— complete and regular meteorological, geographical, geological, oceanographical, and photographic records would be kept. The Terra Nova, it was intended, would leave New Harbour, and proceed along the coastline as at present known as far as Cape Ann, where she would winter. That position was practically speaking, unexplored territory, and besides carrying out- geographical and mixierological work, special attention would be given to meteorological conditions, in the hope that they may he correlated with South Africa, in precisely the «same way as the meteorological conditions in the South Shetlauds have been economic value to the Argentine Government. From thence, in the following summer, the ship woud proceed to the Weddell Sea, off Coat s Land, but she would not attempt to push her wav across the Weddell Sea to the east coast of Graham Land unless exceptionally favorable conditions prevail. She would winter at the Sonth Shetlauds. A supply of coal and provisions would be arranged for by the expedition t-o be at one of these islands (probably Deception Island). There the full course of scientific work would be continued, and special attention would be given to minerology and the whaling industry. The | latter economic factor is to receive • great attention throughout the voy- , age. The following summer the Terra j Nova wpuld continue its circumnayigatory voyage and endeavour to discover the exact tectonic limits of Charcot Land and of King Edwayd VII. Land, finally making round this course to New Harbour. Thence the expedition would return to "Wellington after picking up the men at Scott Island. An aeroplane would _fonn a part of the expedition’s equipment, and a flight to the South role waa contemplated.