THE FROZEN SOUTH

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12534, 22 April 1935, Page 5

THE FROZEN SOUTH

ANTARCTICA NOT DIVIDED. BYRD EXPEDITION RESULTS. INTERESTING REVIEW (U.P.A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright.) (Received April 20, 0.0 p.m.) NEW YORK, April 20. Harold June, upon arrival, was prepared to review the Admiral Byrd expedition’s work. His map shows that, despite difficulties, much more was accomplished this time than on Admiral Byrd’s former trips south. The possibility of hind was eliminated from the ice-covered sea north of Marie Byrd Land and the coast- line delineated for about 800 miles to the oast of the Edsol Ford range. The Queen Maud mountains were found to extend far to the eastward. They blended into a plateau and this plateau was traced at a height of 4000 feet from the coast to the Queen Maud range. This final accomplishment makes it certain that there is no channel between the Ross and Weddell Seas and that the Antarctic continent is a single land mass and, when the area is explored at son, it is added to that on ice or land.

The results of the expedition are more far-reaoliing as far as geographical work is concerned th.it, those of any expedition since that of Ross about one hundred years ago. The soundings proved the accuracy of Amundsen’s deduction that the land south of the Bay of Whales and on the eastern side preserves for a long period the same relative slmpc as the Bay Island that Amundsen suspected was just south of the Bay of Whales. It was found to rise more than feet above sea level, the remaining 700 feet consisting'of a shelf of ice anchored On its even outlines. This island was traversed and Amundsen’s uncanny judgment was shown by the fact tliat ho pitched camp directly ribrth of it, so that he'was protected frbm advancing ice from the south Land also rises above.the sea level and anchors the barrier of ice between Airiundsch’s camp and Little America, and the cape that runs north of Little America out into the bay and serves as a protection is also resting on land.

The eastern side of the Bay is very much the same as when the expedition was there before, although the pressure on the bay has piled ui such a- mass of ice that it is impossible to get into Little America by tho old route. The western side of the Bay, however, was moving nortl at the rate of about five feet a day Ih suiriirief time, it is probably slower than in winter, bht this steady movement; ahd the land under the barrier, which forms the eastern side of the bay; iriay explain many of the great upheavals and ice crinytilis to the south, which jriizzled the expedition so much before. There is ho doiibt either that the base in which Little America lies is between two anchored parts Of the barrier and is supjiortcd only by water. The accumulated weight of snow and our stores made it break loose at the end o.f oiir first summer, so that up arid down movements were definitely seen, hiit the cape to the north prevented it moving out to sea -rind, when winter came, it quickly froze fast, again t'o the si'des of tlie bslrrier, which surrounded it from observation flights and sledge expeditions. There is no"longer any possibility that Antarctica. is divided by a frozen strait. Both the Queen Maud rind the Edsol Ford ranges apparently blend into a plateau and the Queen Maud range far to the east seemed completely 'covered with ice flowing down from a polar plateau. “I think myself,” said Mr. June; “that the Queen Maud range comes out again in Graham Lririd and the western shore of Waddell Sea and is a, continuation of the Andean chain. The Edsol Ford range, the Rockefeller mountains and the Scott Nunatnks are all part of the same mountain chains that Outline tho northern coast line of the Antarctic. This section of the const line runs just west Of th'e Rockefeller mountains, turns south and runs in a gentle curve to tho Queen Maud range. There is one break in it to the south-east, where there are apparently a number of islands above sea level. which cause the break in the ice that- continued far westward in a tremendous chdin Of crevasses. We have all our positions well marked and have taken hundreds of celestial observations. I think, our maps show nearly all the mountain ranges and other landmarks within a mile of theii true position. We are well satisfied with the results of the expedition arid would be happy about the whole trip if it were not for Admiral Byrd’s illness. He is not well at all, though, naturally, lie is gratified with the results of his plan.”