GOOD NEWS

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 19 June 1925, Page 5

GOOD NEWS

AMUNDSEN SAFE PARTY RETURNS TO SPITZBERGEN BACK FROM POLAR FLIGHT

HY CABMS—PB.KBS ASSOCIATION --COPYRIGHT (Received June 19, 9.30 a.m.) VANCOUVER, June 18. Amundsen has returned to Spitzbergen. Reuter. NEW YORK, June 18. The North American Newspapers’ Alliance announces that word has been received from King’s Bay, Spitzbergen, stating that Amundsen and his party returned safely. Mr Bernon Prentice, Lieut. Ellsworth s brother-in-law, states that he has received word that all six members of the expedition have returned to Spitzbergen. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

To-day the good news is announced of the safe return to Spitsbergen of' Captain Roald Amundsen and his five companions from their great adventure, a- flying trip to the North Role: The party left Suitzbergen on the afternoon of Thursday, May 21, in two aeroDlanes It was generallv anticipated that they would return within a few days, but as the period of their absence lengthened anxiety increased', -and all sorts of conjectures were made as.to their fate. Search parties were being hurriedly fitted out, and, as'our cable yesterday afternoon informed us, one ship with two- aeroplanes had already arrived in -northern waters to take part in the search. While many experts were anxious as to the fortunes of the expedition, others were confident that everything would he al 1 , right, and even if Amundsen did not return for months, they were sure he woukl t.e safe, and would eventually return. Their confidence has been justified, and followers of the fortunes of the expedition will await with interest the story the intrepid explorers will have to tell.

EXPLORER’S ATMS

NEW ROUTE. < ROUND THE WORLD. ] The object- of the Amundsen expedi- 1 tion is not merely (to reach, the- North ; i'ole by air, but also to explore the - unknown tract, estimated a.t UOOO.GJO '] square miles, around the Role lor any i area of land on which an aerodrome could be established. With the •s-iicee.ssful estabhisihment ol air bases in the Arctic, regions, Alaska would be within a 35 hours an journey 1 rout London, uud wiitniri ) nours of .1 apai i. . . Cap tain Amundsen also believes the short route from; England to Japan or California, and from mlany other parts of Europe to Asia, is over the “top of the earth. With the development 'of dirigibles and aeroplanes, the North route, be says, will be used, and it land is there, it will lie of the greatest importance. in case of future wars air bases in. -the Arctic will, undoubtedly be of the greatest- value-. Officials of the United -States Coast and Geodetic Survey, as a resul.tr of tidal observations, put forward the belief that a continent existed in the unexplored region. The observations showed the title flows rapid It northward between Greenland and North America, through a- series of channels, until it approaches the ice harriers of the unexplored region, when it turns west- and runs through channels north ol North . America. Similarly the tide which runs into the Arctic through the Bering Strait, slows up as it approaches the northern ice barrier, and then, relatively speaking. hugs the north- coaist-'.of Siberia, flowing around from North Asia to North Europe. Amundsen, had been engaged for two or three years planning his flight, but failed to make .a; start- owing to financial difficulties. In. 1922 he sent aeroplanes! to Point Barrow, the northernmost point of Alaska, to make a 1200-mile flight to- the Pole, and then a 600-mile flight to Spitsbergen. Tests made in Alaska were not satisfactory, and Amundsen turned back. J.n 1923. and during last- year, he planned to fly 600 miles from Spitsbergen to the Pole, and thence across unexplored million miles —a rough oval about 1100 miles by 900 miles—to Alaska. Lack of funds, however,' Pampered Amundsen until he was able to revive bis plans through the efforts of Mr. Lincoln, Ellsworth, an American civil engineer and explorer, who some time ago carried out. an. extensive geological survey in the Andes. Mr. Ellsworth, his family, and friends provided £20,000 for the project, and Amundsen again, set to work planning the expedition. Summing up the prospects of success, he •said : —•

“I have all that can be desired in material, men and money. My faith in success is the deepest. The journey may hold terrors in rarefied atmosphere of which the scientist and explorer, are unaware. These may he insurmountable, bait it 1 fa.il. something will he added to the human knowledge. If 1 succeed, a new vision may bo opened to the world. A. great new trade and passenger route may he laid round the earth THE PILOTS. The pilots of the two seaplanes are two first-lieutenants of the Norwegian Navy , named Jtiieer-Larsen and Dietrichsen. Both of them are well known to British airmen, having been attached to the Royal Air Force during the war.. Their experience in rising and landing in ice and snow is regarded as Amundsen will be navigator in one of the machines, and Mr Ellsworth, who was an army pilot during the war, in the other. It was realised that the steering problem would he a difficult one, for

near the polo a compass spins. A special sun compass was worked out for the expedition by Goerz, the famous maker of lenses. The compass is a combination of mirrors so adjusted to show the image of the sun on a mirror in front of the flyer while travelling- on his course to the- pole. The sun compass has a clockwork mechanism, which was so worked that it follows the movements of the sun, and alwavs presents the image of the sun to the pilot while he remains on his true, course. If the image was hot where it; should be, the fiver would know that he was not steering the correct course.

Of the two ’phinos. Flying-boat N 25 was piloted by Lieutenant Hjalman Riiser Larsen, second in command of the’expedition, and navigated by Captain Aipundsen. Their mechanic was Carl Fouclit. from Dornier-Wal. Flyingboat. N 2-1 was piloted liy Lieutenant Leif Dietrichson and navigated by Mr Loneoln Ellsworth, with Flight-Lieut-enant Oskar Oindal as the mechanic. The mother-ship, the Fram, is commanded by Captain H age rap, who is incommand of tlie exepdition in Captain Amundsen’s absence. The second vessel, the Hohb'’ is commanded by Lieutenant, Horgen. ’ * AMUNDSEN’S CAREER.

Captain Roald Amundsen was born at Borge, Norway, in 1872. He was educated for the naval service of Sweden-Norway, and became a second lieutenant. In 1901 he made observations on the East Greenland current which were considered valuable, and joined the Belgica expedition to the Antarctic in 1897-1899. He was first officer of the ship throughout the expedition, which explored the region west of Graham’s Land. In 1903 he sailed in the ship. Gjoa for the purpose of relocating the position of the North Magnetic Bole, and making magnetic survey of the region. Amundsen made his headquarters on the south-east side of King William Land, and was able to prove that the North Magnetic Pole has no immovable and stationary position, but in all probability is in continual, movement. Amundsen next proposed to embark on a five-years’ drift on Nansen’s ship, the Fram, across the North Pole area, but not possessing the necessary equipment turned his attention to the Antarctic. A base was established in the Bay of Whales, 115 miles west of .King Edward VII. Land, where he arrived on January 14, 1911. Supplies for nine men for two years were taken to the top of the ice. The camp was 863 miles from the pole, and when they reached the end of the ice harrier and | began to ascend the slope of the Anti arc-tie continent they were still 335 I miles from the pole. Mounting to the j plateau, the highest altitude being 111,125 feet above sea level, the party. I consisting of Amundsen and four conil rades, reached the South Pole on December 16, 1911. Apart from the discovery of the pole, the large area, of new land discovered and scientific contributions to several departments of knowledge placed this expedition among the most successful of polar enterprises.