THE FROZEN SOUTH

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 7 March 1928, Page 5

THE FROZEN SOUTH

BYRD’S EXPEDITION. FLIGHT TO THE POLE. EXPLORER DISCUSSES PLANS. -i UOI.I PHLsa AdSUCiAiiON—CUPYHiuin Received 9.40 a.m. to-day. WASHINGTON, March 6. Commander Bienard Byrd, in an interview, pictured the time that he would be camped on a stationary ice r Derg 2300 miles from the nearesthuman dwelling on his projected exploration trip to the Antarctic. He said: “The expedition will sail for the south in September next, and 1 expect to return in June, 1930, though there is a possibility that we might be delayed. New: Zealand will be the first stop. We will then voyage across the Ross ice barrier., The main base of the expedition will be the Bay of Whales, where Amundsen had his headquarters. This is 2300 miles from the nearest human dwelling, the farthest people had ever lived from civilisation. There we shall establish a small village. After making camp we shall establish several sub-bases, 100 miles apart, on the way to the South Pole. These are necessary in the event of a forced landing. “The final flight will be most hazardous. Besides radio, we shall use a kite to keep in touch with the last base. Landing will be difficult, as the South. Pole is on a vast plateau 1000 feet high. The air at 2000 feet in height has lost so much of its denseness that it requires a great deal of power to take a plane off the ground. We shall land with a large quantity of gasoline and 1000 pounds of emergency equipment. For the flight a big monoplane, which has three engines and a wing spread of 76 feet, will probably be used. In addition the expedition will carry two single engine monoplanes, the type used by Chamberlain on his transAtlantic flight. An ice ship, with a bowel hull and two projecting timbers to push aside the floes, is being constructed.”

Fifty-four people will make the trip. Floyd!' Bennett, a companion of Conimander Byrd on his North Pole trip, will he second in command. Maps will be made, photographs taken, and scientific data, will be brought back to civilisation. The frozen area to. he explored l is larger than the United States and Mexico combined. The trip is primarily for scientific purposes. Commander Byrd added.: “I regard whatever hazards are encountered as being justified by the increase in man’s knowledge which the expedition will make possible.”—“Sydney Sun” Cable.