NEWS FROM BYRD.

Grey River Argus, 15 January 1929, Page 5

NEWS FROM BYRD.

A STORM FOR DAYS. Danger Averted. (Received Jan. 14 at 7.5 p.m.) (By Bussell Owen —Copyrighted 1928 by the New'York Tinies Company and St Louis Fast Dispatch. All rights for publication reserved throughout the world. Wirell as to Mew York Times.) BAY Ob’ WHALES. Jan 12. The storm that was reported in the last despatch kept up tor two days. AH hands at the ship and Little Amt - tica were pleased they were abl?i to weather it in good shape. TH I ship had five ice anchors out in the ice fields to which we are. d .cured, and the wind blew strong enough to put a

terrible strain on th' anchor lines. Wehad to ke> :p a constant watch on them. I It looked manv times as though we ’ would be blown away from our berth. The gale spent its fowl when the wind got round to the sc|uth-east. and had it been from the north, we could not have stay d where we arc, us the wiavoot would have thrown the City of New York against the ice and injured her. Also then i would have been tho danger of an iceberg drifting down with the wind and catching the ship b'tween it and the icefield. ” “Great ice fields and bergs from tho east are constantly drifting by us. and we have to, be vigilant all tb»> time. The walls of our house at LiStle America withstood the storm, r.i'il to-day the roof will U.i put »■ place. We 'feel sure now that if we have any wind during the sixmouths ’ night up to one hundfl.'d and fifty nhles an hour or gusts up to two hundred miles an ho,ur, as recorded by Sir Douglas Mawson, that the houSfis will bi. able to withstand them. Th' ire art three more housa" to erect, but this od ■ is a good size, and will berth and mess at least 39 men

GOOD RADIO WORK. INTERESTING ITEMS. . t Received January 14 at 11.25 pm.) J I BAY OF WHALES, January 13. The ice is going out of the Bay rapidly, as it did with Amundsen, the only explorer who made his base here, but we have a much longer distance to carry our supplies than he did. Our difficulties are greatly increased by the large amount of scientific paraphernalia we are taking ashore. Since the primary object of the expedition is scientific, we arc getting this material to Little America at all costs. It is slow work, as we cannot rush the elements.. We must be patient, but the spirit-Y,f the men is so loyal and enthusiastic that we feel confident that we ean beat the unloading and transportatioi difficulties ahead of us. At any rate \;e are 'not behind the schedule, as we have allowed for tho enpriees%f the Antarctic. The departure of the Bolling (sup ply ship) from New Zealand has been delayed a day or two on account of a broken hoisting boom, but she will •probably leave within forty-eight hours. She is loaded with additional scientific equipment and planes. Floyd Bennett and Virginia Richard Brophy, the Expedition’s business manager, 'with the Bolling at Dunedin, has been o» the job there day and night for a |krahk at the radio key talking to us about supplies. We all have reasons to b? glad of his capacity for detail. Alt* ''igh we are 2,70 C miles from New k 'and, our radio communication is aiffiost like telephone conversation. Mqlcolm Hansom, of the Navy, radio engigi B; Lloyd Berkner, of the De parti* fifeof Commerce; Edward Manson, | wOPeterson, and Lloyd Grenlief frop| ,ffl life, are all radio operators. andJji done extraordinary good wor J We have found so much use foy ’ - *dio between the ships, Little America, New Zealand and the United States, that the operators have had Kt.tk sleep. It has reached the point where we must let up somewhat on the radio and give them a rest. I am vety proud of the work these fellows have done. In addition to their daily usefulness to th,e expedition, they have gathered scientific data, anc Mansen is losing sleep during busy times assembling some of his scientific radio instruments. TOspite the constant daylight down here, we have little difficulty in comTitMpieating directly with the United Stales. Yet up at Little America, ten away, we often cannot be picked l *mr >ut are heard distancing in the UMled States. In other words, our WMtts jump over the areas close to ut, but are effective at long distance. Tfati j week Bergen (Norway) notified I us B»n Francisco was calling us. The d«£ team drivers are getting well broken in. It is remarkable than some of the greenhorns have learned to drive the dogs. We are not going to go off half cocked on our flying. We will not make any flights until we are all set. We have over a year down here, and there is no cause for dashing off before we are prepared. The Fairchild plane is being uncrated today-