BYRD EXPEDITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22476, 22 January 1935, Page 7

BYRD EXPEDITION

RESULTS SUMMED UP MANY SUBJECTS STUDIED 'United-- Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) MQNTREAL, January 20. A specially written article for the Australian Press Association by Admiral Byrd sums up the results of his secojd expedition virtually on the eve of his departure, from Little America. He points out that geographical discoveries were only one of 22 points in the programme of the expedition. Among the subjects . studied' had been astronomy, meteorology, physical oceanography, biology of oceanography, vertebrate and invertebrate zoology,, mammalogy, physiology, glaciology, stratigraphy, petrography, paleontology, tectonic and economic geology, geophysics, physical geography, cartography, physical and terrestrial magnetism, bacteriology and botany. He declares that the first expedition was a preparation for the second and outlines the preparations for the second. He describes' his first flight over the ice pack, and the voyage of exploration of the Bear of Oakland, reaching 73.05 S., 149.30 W. The significance of the result of these operations, together, with the subsequent exploration of, the eastern sector was the identification of a vast unknown area as the Pacific Ocean. It extinguished the hypothesis of an archipelago reaching into it. Admiral Byrd describes the difficulties of re-establish-ing the old. base camp and the necessity of building a retreat camp on the high barrier! when the recession of the ies from the: Bay. of Whales made it seem possible that even-. Little America might break out. He declares that the autumnal operations.-,.-. were uneventful otherwise, except the' crash'and destruction of the Fokker aeroplane,,the operation of appendectomy on Dr Poulter,. and the fire threatening the surgical caches, He details some of his experience in his 4§ months' solitude at the advance baae. He points out that the aerial enterprises beginning in November .'were the investigation of such problems as the mooted transcontinental -strait and the extent and character of Marie Byrd Land. He adds: "Like, every effort directed towards the solution' of unknown matters the flight did not so much settle familiar problems as raise new. ones, though it proved conclusively that the "strait was non-existent;" that the plateau; of Marie Byrd "Land rolls unbrokenly from the South Pacific Ocean to Queen Maude Range; that the.eastern margin of the •Ross;shelf ice is defined by the coast of that plateau, and that the structural integrity of Antarctica is verified.'' '•' Admiral Byrd then indicates, the work of the trail parties, including Blackburn, Sipple, and others, and concludes: "We can say that; the results of the expedition are nearly all we could • rightfully hope for. We now have a better conception of the: area which.in 1930 wo lifted above, the horizon. This newest of American discoveries is a magnificent sweep of territory, running from the Pacific "Ocean to the South Pole, encompassing over 200,000 square miles of territory. , Superb mountains lift their gleaming peaks through the glacial seas covering it, 7 and the grand plateau miiaches over all" but the tallest mountain tops." ' \ Admiral Byrd finally outlines the scientific .work -of, every member of the expedition. V ".Dr Thomas G. -Poulter, the. physic'st of '.the' : expedition,- ■■ commenting on Ad- : .niirai Byrd's" review, points out that Byrd omitted the part he himself play«d, and in order tbat thfe leader's experiences [may not be entirely lost he supple* inents the. article, as follows:—"When we reached the Byrd advance base we were shocked by his appearance—he was "emaciated, hollow-cheeked, weak and gard." Dr Poulter intimates that Byrd faced the grayest danger possible, the loss x of his mental balance; but he met the hazard with equanimity. His escape from death; through the poison fumes of the oil stove "was .miraculous. "Ill,' alone, and helpless in the middle of the winter night, with three, .months' dark-; ness arid the killing cold facing him, survival seemed impossible, so he calmty wrote his instructions for his leaders, ending .with, the statement: 'Don't worry. Carry on normally-r-go as far as you can, carrying out our scientific programme, but put the lives of my meu first. Do what .you can "for Ellsworth.'" Dr Poulter stresses; Byrd's unwillingness to call, for- help, ari'd ;his inapteriance of t;he meticriloHS records of a trained obs'eryer through his illness. "When we xeached the advance base he had fought it but alone, il know nothing.finer than 'that in life or literature",. -