BYRD EXPEDITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22136, 14 December 1933, Page 9

BYRD EXPEDITION

AN EARLY SURPRISE THREE STOWAWAYS FOUND (Special to the United Press Association from the Byrd Expedition at 4 o’clock Tuesday afternoon.) The Jacob Ruppert is about eight hours from Wellington, cruising at 10 knots 40 miles south of Cape Palliser, 175.30 east, 42.35 south. During boat drill three stowaways were found hidden in the boat, to the consternation of the officers as the ship was already heavily manned. Turning back' to Wellington was out of the question, so Admiral Byrd was forced to put them to work as deck hands. They identified themselves as Robert Christian, Geoffrey Wrey and Michael Pilchet, Auckland youths. The eldest is 23. One explained that they tried to enlist as expedition members, but when this was refused they hid on the boat the night before sailing as “ We would like to have a trip to the South Pole.” ■ As the vessel approaches the “ Roaring Forties ” preparations are being made for a stormy passage. Decks have been cleared for action, extra cylindrical water tanks mounted on the forecastle head had been moved to the well deck and secured to the bulwarks, and the forward well deck has been swept clear of miscellaneous cargo.

SEEKING ADVENTURE RELATIVES SURPRISED. (Peb United Pbess Association.) AUCKLAND, December 13. With reference to the stowaways aboard the Byrd Expedition ship, Geoffrey Wray, who will be 22 years of age next month, is a son of Mr and Mrs VV. G. Wray, of Remuera, and a brother of J. W. Wray, an engineering student who has built a yacht in the garden of his home. The yacht will be launched next week. Pilcher is 27 years of age and a son of Mr William Pilcher, of Otahuhu. It is understood that Christian has relatives at Karori, Wellington, although of recent months he has been gold prospecting at Coromandel in company with the other two. It was known that the three men were seeking adventure, and they had expressed their intention of going to Wellington to see if they could join the crew of a boat that would take them overseas. The news that they had joined the Byrd Expedition, however, came as a drastic surprise to their relatives.

“ Geoffrey was always looking for adventure,” said Mr Wray to-night, “but we had not the faintest idea he would try to go to the South Pole. After leaving Auckland Grammar School Geoffrey Wray was employed on the Auckland staff of Wright, ■ Stephenson, and Co., Ltd., and was then transferred to the firm’s Hamilton branch. He was at Hamilton for about nine months and then six .or seven months ago went to Coromandel gold prospecting with Christian and Pilcher. He was formerly a member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve at Auckland and was a keen yachtsman. At one time he was part owner of the yacht Oringi. He had endeavoured to join the crews of the various sailing ships which have visited Auckland, but the terms offered were not sufficiently attractive.