BYRD EXPEDITION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21911, 21 September 1934, Page 11

BYRD EXPEDITION

RELEASING THE BIPLANE BITTER COLD ENDURED (Received September 20, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. Sept. 19 A wireless message from the Byrd Antarctic expedition at Little America states: —In spite of bitter cold and threats of high winds the removal of the giant Condor biplane from its ice hangar is progressing rapidlyi The job, which it was thought would require 10 days, may be finished in four or five. With all hands using shovels 126 tons of snow and ice have been removed since Saturday. The temperature ranged from 45 to 60 degrees below zero. The autogiro made two test flights. It was found at a height of 2000 feet that the temperature was about 25 degrees warmer than the 45 degrees below zero registered at the camp. THE BEAR OF OAKLAND

STEPPING OF NEW MAST PREPARING FOR NEXT VOYAGE [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] DUNEDIN. Thursday For the first time in many years a mast of a sailjng ship has been shaped and stepped in Dunedin. This morning the Byrd Antarctic Expedition's ship Bear of Oakland was shifted to Victoria Wharf and her new foremast was stepped, two of the Otago Harbour Board's electric cranes being utilised for the purpose. The vessel's lower foremast was found to be in a poor condition when she returned from the Antarctic toward the end of last summer, and a new spar was sent out from the United States to replace it. A tall Douglas fir was shipped to Auckland and was thero squared off to the approximate size as no mill in the South was capable of handling so largo a piece of timber. It was then brought to Dunedin by a coastal vessel and the final shaping was undertaken here. The mast was first lifted into position on the wharf to-day, parallel with the ship, then both cranes were made fast to it, and it was lifted in a perpendicular position over the vessel s deck. It was then lowered a few inches at a time until the foot rested on the keelson. The mast was then turned until the step fitted into the slot prepared for it and the cranes were cast off. The old mast, which has been removed, will be cut down to make a new main topmast, which will be sent aloft before the vessel sails.