WEDDELL SEA “ISLANDS”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26617, 13 November 1947, Page 7

WEDDELL SEA “ISLANDS”

MYSTERY IN ANTARCTIC SOLVED BY EXPLORATORY FLIGHT Rec. 9 p.m. NEW YORK, Nov. 10. The mystery of the “ Weddell Sea islands,” which has puzzled Antarctic geographers for 20 years, is reported to have been solved by an exploratory flight Commander Finn Rrane and another member of his expedition made on November 7 from their advanced base, Cape Keeler, Palmerland. Commander Ronne, in a message received by the North American News Agency to-day, says they simply, do not exist. , , . The islands were first reported m 1928, when the Australian explorer, Sir Hubert Wilkins, flew south from Deception Island along the Weddell coast. He announced the appearance of land off the coast east of Cape Keeler, but increasingly bad weather, lowering visibility, prevented verincation of the islands. Commander Ronne. in a similar flight over the area in 1940, reported the semblance of land to the east, far off the coast, and during the last two months Ronne expedition pilots flying to and from Cape Keeler have from time to time reported what they also believed to be low-lying islands. Commander Ronne's message to the North American Newspaper Agency, however, declared that to-day’s flights solved the matter once and for all. even if negatively. The explanation of prior reports is now thought to be either low-lying cloud or a mirage.