BYRD'S SUPPLY SHIP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21716, 3 February 1934, Page 11

BYRD'S SUPPLY SHIP

ANTARCTIC BEACHED QUICK RUN FROM DUNEDIN SAFE BERTHAGE PROBLEM ICE STILL TROUBLESOME By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received Februmy 2, 8.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 1 A wireless message from the Byrd Antarctic expedition states: The supply ship Bear of Oakland arrived in the Bay of Whales on Wednesday night, after a record 12 days' run from Dunedin. She is now berthed alongside the Jacob lluppert. Both crews are busy trying to get the supplies to Little America before further dangerous breaks in tho ice occur. After cruising within the Bay of Whales for 61 hours vainly seeking a safe berth the Jacob Ruppert camo alongside the ice on Tuesday afternoon. The weary crew then resumed unloading: supplies. Five hours later, however, drifting masses of ice forced the vessel to seek a fresh berth half a mile to the west. Throughout the night dog teams and tractors sped the cargo to the pressure camp. The autogiro was unloaded and flown to Little America, and the radio transmitter, which will be used for the first direct-voice broadcast from Little America on Saturday, was taken to the winter camp on a dog sledge. After midnight the wind shifted, bringing a mass of ice around the Jacob Ruppert. At 4 a.m. on Wednesday RearAdmiral Byrd and Captain Gjertsen decided that it would be dangerous to remain longer and ordered the vessel to be backed out through a narrow opening in the ice-pack. In the afternoon the ship was still cruising in sejirch of another safe berth.