POLAR EXPLORERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21708, 25 January 1934, Page 12

POLAR EXPLORERS

BYRD IN ANTARCTIC

UNLOADING SUPPLIES DIFFICULTIES OF TASK SHIP MOVED FROM DANGER By Telcsraph—Press . Association— Copyright (Received January 24, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. Jan. 23The following wireless message was received to-day from Rear-Admiral Byrd's Antarctic: Expedition on the Jacob Ruppert: — Driven from her berth along the low shelf of bay ice by a strong southeasterly wind, our ship at noon to-day cruised slowly in the vicinity nwaiting an abatement in the weather. Meanwhile 20 men were marooned on shore, three in Little America and the remainder between the empty supplies caches and the unloading station at the edge of the bay ice, four and a-half miles away. Unloading was in progress until past midnight, when the wind forced the Jacob Ruppert to flee to prevent the smashing of her plates. Nevertheless, tho shore gang continued to work, piling up tho unloaded supplies on clog sledges and tractors for transfer to tho emergency caches. The most encouraging thing has been the discovery of a short passage to Little America. As the result of a first survey flight we thought it would be necessary to haul 450 tons of supplies a distance of 20 miles. Now, however, as the result of another survey by Roone, the new passage, which is only about six miles long, has been discovers!. Roone spent a sleepless 47 hours during his reconnoitering. He risked his neck twice through breaking through thinly-roofed crevasses. He saved hinv self by bridging the openings with his y arms.

As soon as Roone reported the passage Rear-Admiral Byrd ordered the unloaded stores to be transported to an emergency cache. Inasmuch as the immediate concern is to get the ship unloaded and started northward, the leader proposes to cache the supplies and move them to Little America later. Toward the evening the wind began to moderate and it is expected that the Jacob Ruppert will be moored again shortly. Meanwhile she is in constant wireless communication with the cache unit.

A Press Association message from Wellington last evening stated:—Appreciation of the New Zealand Government's action in arranging the quick transport of supplies for the Byrd Expedition from Auckland to Dunedin was expressed in a radiogram received by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. J. A. Young, from RearAdiniral Byrd as follows: — Please accept for 1 the people and Government of New Zealand my deep and abiding gratitude'for the generous donation of an aeroplane service at a moment most critically affecting the successful accomplishment of my expedition's mission, in which, through the New Zealand men attached to the expedition, the New Zealand people are playing a most vital part. For yourself, Major Wilkes, Ctomniander Isitt, Lieutenant Wallingford and all the others who were active, please accept my personal thanks."

SUPPLY SHIP

PROGRESS ON VOYAGE WYATT EARP PASSED (Received January 24, 7.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, Jan. 24 A wirfleßS message from the Byrd Expedition's supply ship Bear of Oakland says:— At 7 p.m. on Tuesday we were in latitude 55.40. We passed 120 miles to the westward of the Wyatt Eaip bound for Dunedin. We have been having head winds and eeas until to-day. Now the weather is moderating and the wind is northeasterly .iOur speed is nine knots. There are light rains and overcast skies.