THE WILKINS EXPEDITION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 304, 10 December 1929, Page 5

THE WILKINS EXPEDITION

MAKING FOR THE ROM BEA. PRELIMINARY PREPARATIONS COMPLETE. (Copywright by Wilkins). (Received 10, 8.55 a.m.) London, Doc. 9. Sir Hubert Wilkins wirelessed aa follows from Deception Island on Friday: “Delighted to hear of Byrd's success. Our preliminary preparations are almost complete and the time when good weather may be expected is approaching. We must soon seek a more southerly base, consequently we have been carefully checking everything. “To-day's test flight showed everything practically ready. We have arranged to accommodate one machine fitted with the Army type of landing gear aboard the bcoresby, and will start loading supplies immediately. About next week-end, weather permitting, Cramer, (Cheeseman, Parker and myself will sail with the 'plane and the Austin Seven motor car, also the Cletrac, which io most helpful in transporting supplies. We shall probably go outside the Antarctic archipelago trying to reach as far south as possible and locate a good icefield for a take-off over the Ross Sea. “Our plans depend on the conditions but if our position reduces the total distance to 2000 miles we might attempt a non-stop flight or await the second 'plane before setting out.”

SUBMARINE PROJECT ABSURD. (United Prest Asseciation—By Cable-* Copyright.) (Received 10, 9.45 a.m.) Berlin, Dec. 9. Writing in the “Berliner Tagsblatt” Professor Oswald Flamm warns Sir Hubert Wilkins of the folly of attempting Polar exploration in a submarine. He describes the whole project as absurd and asks how he i* going to rise to the surface and recharge his accumulators. He pointe out that the indicator with which Wilkins hopes to keep in touch with the air would be destroyed by the blasting of the ice cover. The other idea of fitting the bow with a buffer would be nonsensical because a buffer would have a weight of 450 tons and would upset all calculations 6f speed and trim.