AMUNDSEN’S TRIP.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 22 June 1925, Page 5

AMUNDSEN’S TRIP.

SCIENTIFIC RESULTS.

EXPEDITION SATISFIED.

THREE WEEKS’ WORK.

BY CABLE—PRESS A SSOCIATION COPYRIGHT LONDON. June 19. -

A. copyright meissage from the 11elm—dal at Spitzbergen, dated to-day, states; that of the six men who paitioipated in the. Polar flight. Amundsen shows the most traces of the hardships the party underwent, but the others say this is because Amu udse u worked flie hardest of all. When it. was mentioned, to Amund«en that the whole world tjiought ho was bound tor Cape Columbia, lie said: “With the conditions as they are this ' would have meant certain death.'.’ '

Ellsworth is the least changed. R.iiiseiila.rsen, Dieti ichisen, Omdal and Feuchfc have all lost many pounds ,in weight, but are. otherwise quite well. The message continues : —“We are slowly getting to know the full facts of the returned airmen’s three weeks adventure. When the whole expedition once again met last night they declared that the most thrilling moment was when the start- was made on the home want flight. It was 1 a, very anxious time as. .if the machine were damaged in starting' they, would find themselves in a most critical situation with a minimum of. equipment. It would have been practically hopeless to reach land across the ice.

“The airmen refuse to admit that they were disappointed at not reaching' the Pole as a. crown to the efforts. Still we are satisfied -with the .scientific results. .We have observed 160,000 square kilometres of a hitherto unexplored section of the Norwegian part of the Arctic, and we took complete observations at the landing place. Amundsen, states that he fully concurs with, this view.

“.While a meal wais being prepared the airmen suddenly espied the sealer Rjoeliv. As a matter of fact the Hobby had been at the same spot on.lv twenty-four hours previously. 1 - All were prepared to find the plane in bad condition ais it had suffered seriously While: locked in; the ice, but, it was quite fitted for flying. “Omdal brought, with him. on the ffj.oeliv a. biscuit tin with six hundred negatives which will .show the superhuman work carried out by the explorers in trying to clear the starting place. They used the most primitive tools—(tiny anchors, ice. anchors and knives at the end of ski staves.' 1

HOMEWA RD FLIGHT.

INSTRUMENTS LEFT BEHIND. LONDON, June 20. A copyright message from the Heimdal relate* how the .start was made homeward. The Polar airmen said the course was laid to Verlegenhook, and when the north coast of Spitsbergen came in sight- it, was evident that Riiser Larson’s piloting and Dietrich.senis navigating had both been perfect. Owing to the strong wind the course was laid towards North Cape. As the stabilisation rudders had become immovable, however, making it impossible to stabilise, the plane, Riiser Larson determined to descend into the sea about forty kilometres north of North Cape. After skimming the water for an. hour the plane was moored to an iceberg in Bugle Bay. Amundsen during the flight sat next to Omdal and Fetiche on the petrol tank with a, view of lightening the plane. Scientific instruments valued at £BOO had to be left behind. These, together with surplus equipment and stores, were placed in Plane N 24, though it is most unlikely that the plane will ever be seen again. A bundle of letters was deposited in the, petrol tank, which i>s very light, and this may be discovered some years hence.

The explorers relate that; they saw a bearded seal, a,lso auks and two geese, which .is most interesting, as it was hitherto assumed that no animal life existed north of latitude So degrees. NO I-AND DISCOVERED. OSLO, June 19. The sloop Heimdial has left King’s Ray for Lady Franklin’s Bay to bring back Captain Amundsen’s abandonded aeroplane. 'file Premier has received a telegram from Captain Amundsen saying that he surveyed 160,000 square kilometres, adding: “We did not discover an indication of land. Casting the lead at our northern,most latitude gave 3750 metres, leading to the supposition that no land exists in the Norwegian sector of the Tolar basin.” The British Minister eaWed to Captain Amundsen: “Well done old Norway.” WILL TRY AGAIN. MONEY FOR, AMUNDSEN. LONDON, June 20. Amundsen Ls determined to resume his attempt to. reach the Pole. He declared that, the experience he gained would enable liinn to attain the goal. The other members of the expedition expressed the opinion that important scientific results had been achieved. Air. Lincoln MJstvorth, the American member of the expedition, whose lather largely helped to finance the' expedition. was grieved to hear that his father had died while, the expedition was, in the Arctic. He said that his money in future would he at Amundsen’s disposal. NEW ROUTE TO JAPAN. LONDON, June 20 The Daily Telegraph says that Amundsen’s adventure suggests that the time may come when men flying over the North Pole will react Japan in a little over a couple or hours. A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT. CONGRATULATIONS TO AMUNDSEN. OSLO, June 19. King Haakon has sent the following message to Captain Amundsen: “I welcome you and your comrades, and thank you for what you achieved, add-

ing further honour to the country’s name.” The King, in a special address to Cabinet, said he regarded the achievement as one of the greatest in history. At the opening of the Storthing the President said he wished to express the sentiments of all on the occasion of the safe return of Amundsen and his brave comrades from their daring journey, on which they had staked their lives. A telegram was accordingly sent to Amundsen, welcoming him and his courageous comrades home, and thanking him for the courage and energy he had shown for the benefit of research and the honour of his country. The whole of Oslo is beflagged to celebrate the occasion. Numerous authorities, institutions and associations sent Amundsen congratulatory telegrams. VALUE OF FLIGHT. POLAR THEORIES CONFIRMED. OSLO, June 20. Otto Sverdrup, the Polar explorer, said: “Th.e chief value of the flight is the confirmation that our theories of the Polar basin are correct.” Sverdrup added : “There is no land near the Pole, and the condition of the ice makes the landing of aeroplanes impossible. Amundsen had to come down in a water lane, and those who know the caprices of the Polar ice realise how dangerous this is. Amundsen’s aviators knew, and the landing was therefore the more admirable. Certainly there is the deepest disappointment that they did not reach the Pole. From the sporting viewpoint the flight was glorious, but apart from that further wide experiences have been gained for aeroplanes in Polar regions.” Replying to further questions, Sverdrup said he believed others would now try to reach the Pole by aeroplane, but he pointed out that the North Pole was more difficult than the South Pole.

Sverdrup said: “I believe the best way to reach the North Pole is to go hv shin as far as possible, then with sledges and dogs to the Pole and back to the ship. Far more experience must he gathered if an attempt is to he made to fly to the Pole in resard to landing on the ice and snow. The best way would be to stay for a year or so at the northernmost point of Spitsbergen studving the circumstances, but that would cost lots of money _ and time, which latter is impossible in the light of a modern race for the Pole.” One of the chief scientific results of Amundsen’s observations was the record of the extensive masses of mist which existed in the Polar regions. It had hitherto been believed that these mirts were onlv local phenomena of the wide ocean which exists north of Spitsbergen. Amundsen recorded a depth of 3766 metres, which led to the conclusion that the ocean existed in a triangle between Spitsbergen. the North Pole and North Greenland.