HOPES FOR POLAR AIRMEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19032, 1 June 1925, Page 9

HOPES FOR POLAR AIRMEN

MESSAGES FROM FARM. PROSPECTS CJF A SURPRISE. EXPERTS NOT DISMAYED. MTTNDSEN'S BUSY DAYS. TAKING HIS OBSERVATIONS. Bv Tc-loEraph —l'rcaa Association— Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m.) 'A. and N.Z. LONDON. May 31. A wireless messago from tho mothership of tho Amundsen-Ellsworth North Polar expedition despatched from Spitzbergen on Saturday said:— "Ten days have now passed sinco Captain Amundsen and his comrades left hero on their flight to the Pole. Wo are beginning to doubt whether wo shall see tin: airmen return in tho two aeroplanes. "Last night tho Farm left Wellman's Bay for King's Hay for bunkering. . 'l'ho only members of the expedition now remaining at the former place are Captain Horgen, commander of the Hobby during her patrol of the ice-edge, Messrs. Berge, "Wharton, Zappfe and Bum in. Tho other members of tho party will probably leave King's Bay on Sunday night. "Tho meteorological service has also now ended as Captain Amundsen said the meteorologists could return home at tho first opportunity. "We shall return to Wellman's Bay on Sunday when, in spito of our doubts, we hopo to have an agreeable surprise." A wireless message sent out from the Farm on Friday night said the sky was clear and that the latest reports suggested that it was improbable that clouds would cover the whole of the Polar Basin for tho next two days. Tho Hobby returned to Spitzbergen on Friday and reported that she had seen no signs of the airmen as far as Point Welcome. Tho Oslo correspondent of the Observer says everything indicates that the airmen have enjoyed fino weather during their stay at the Pole. The days so spent would have enabled Captain Amundsen to mako exact observations, which Peary omitted to do. Captain Amundsen had probably not been unaware of the coming of a change in th 6 weather, but as lie had 30 days' food and air-tight tents, he would naturally settle down at the Pole until the weather was favourable "for the return flight. This would bo in conformity with Captain Amundsen's character, which left nothing, to chance. Tho Oslo representative (if the Central News says experts still maintain with confidence that Captain Amundsen is in the vicinity of the Pole making his observations and that lie will return when the weather permits him to do so. Tho Soviet Government has instructed all Russian wireless stations to look out for tho airmen and to report if any signs of the expedition are seen along the Siberian coast. Dr. Nansen, the famous Arctic explorer, who arrived at Berlin to-day, is most optimistic regarding Captain Amundsen. He says it is too early to be anxious about him. Many people seem to lie still under the impression that, tint mother-ship of the Amundsen expedition is tho Fram, and not the Farm, as the name has been consistently spelled in tho Herald. In order to correct this erroneous impression the following footnote which appeared in the "Hjjkald on April 16 is republished: — " The vessel in which Amundsen is voyaging to the Arctic is the Norwegian naval transport Farm, and should not be confused, owing to the similarity in the names, with Narisen's famous ship Fram. The latter, an auxiliary schooner, was the vessel in -which Nansen accomplished his celebrated drift toward the North Pole in 1893. On that occasion ho got nearer to tho Polo than anyone had ever done before. The Fram was specially built with pointed bows and stern and sloping sides, to resist the Arctic ice, arid throughout the entire drift she went through tho icefields without being crushed, her special design resulting in tho vessel being lifted to the surface of tlie ice. It was in the Fram that Amundsen carried out his expedition to the Antarctic in 1910. For the purposes of the present adventure the Norwegian Government placed at the explorer's disposal the transport Farm." FRENCH ASSISTANCE. VESSEL FOR A SEARCH, j MARINE MINISTRY'S OFFER. (Received 12,35 a.m.) Keuter. PARIS, May 31. The Ministry of Marino has authorised tho polar ship, the Pourquoi-Pas, which is at present .being fitted out at Cherbourg for an annual expedition under Dr. J. B. Charcot, to modify its programme. It will take part in any search for Captain Amundsen which may be organised, in the event of Norway accepting the French Navy's assistance.