THE ANTARCTIC.

Otago Witness, Issue 3898, 27 November 1928, Page 25

THE ANTARCTIC.

COMMANDER BYRD’S EXPEDITION. ELEANOR BOLLING’S BUSY PARTY PROVISIONS AND GEAR LANDED. The arrival of the Eleanor Bolling has aroused public interest, and the enthusiasm is comparable only with the departure of Captain Scott’s South Polar expedition from Port Chalmers on November 29, 1910. Crowds found their way to the wharves to inspect the vessel, but no visitors were allowed on board, and so the .enthusiasts contented themselves with watching the activities of the ship s personnel and the men engaged in transhipping her valuable freight and in focusing their ej'es over the sleighs and skis and other material. All these articles were a novelty to the majority of the scores of interested wharf visitors. The material landed from the Elinor Bolling and stowed in the Victoria wharf shed, includes scores of packages consisting of material for the portable huts to be erected on the ice. The huts are in sections, and can be quickly assembled. Heavy freight and light basket sledges comprise one stack, with numerous skis and ski sticks lying close by. Wrapped securely in matting are scores of light poles. These will be used for marking the trail on the ice-barrier when the provision depots are established. The present intention is to erect a pole every -a or perhaps every 30 or even 50 miles. Each pole is fitted with a socket, so that when several poles are joined together, the pole will rise nearly 30 feet above the ice floor. Cashs of gasoline were also landed and stowed safely away. Snow shoes, made of very light material, and hand and dog runners are catalogued with the sledge equipment. » Perhaps the only man of the Eleanor Bolling s company who has been in New Zealand before is Mr F. M’Pherson. who is in charge of the engine room department. His previous visit to Otago Harbour was in 1919 as an engineer on the American vessel Western Bell. The wireless plant installed on the Eleanor Bolling has sufficient power to enable the ship to keep in constant communication with the American land stations. During the voyage from New York the monotony was broken by the receipt of special musical programmes broadcast by station K.D.K.A., at Brooklands. A few minutes after mid-day on Wednesday the Byrd Antarctic expedition steamer Eleanor Boling left Dunedin for Wellington. The remainder of the provisions were discharged and coaling operations ■were completed at 11 a.m., and the ship’s personnel had a busy hour afterwards making everything ship-shape for the trip north. As there is a great amount of work to be attended to, chiefly in sorting and taking a complete inventory of the stores, several members of the ship’s company remained behind. The party remaining here includes Professor L. M. Gould (geologist), Mr W. G. Haines (meteorologist), Captain A. C. M'Kinlay (aerial photographer), Mr C. D. Alexander (supply officer), and G. W. Tennant (chef). The business manager (Mr Richard G. Brophy) is also remaining in Dunedin for a day or two to supervise the work.

After a portion of the stores and other material had been discharged from the Eleanor Boling, it was found that some of the scientific instruments had suffered damage by water. The cases containing the instruments were stowed in the hold aft, and an investigation showed that one of the fresh water tanks had developed a leak, the water, unfortunately, percolating into the instrument cases. These were opened up after being removed to the wharf shed and the parts separated and dried. While the instruments were damaged to some extent, they are not ruined, and the delicate parts which have been affected by the water will be replaced. Several scientists from the Otago University’ and Mr G. S. Marshall came to the assistance of the visitors when they were informed of the mishap, and the combined staffs are now engaged in rectifying the damage. Professor Gould and Mr Brophy greatly appreciates the services of the University scientists and Mr Marshall. The water also found its way into several cases containing photographic films, and the damage here is of a somewhat serious nature. Fresh supplies of film will be purchased in Dunedin. WELCOME BY HARBOUR BOARD. Mr H. E. Moller, (chairman of the Otago Harbour Board) and Mr W. J. Bardsley (secretary) visited’the Eleanor Bolling and welcomed Captain Gustav Brown, Mr R. G. Brophy (the business manager of the Byrd expedition), and the personnel to Dunedin. Messrs Moller and Bardsley were afterwards entertained at luncheon. To mark the. occasion the Stars and Stripes were flown at the Harbour Board offices. THE FROZEN REGIONS. PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FROSTBITE. WELLINGTON. November 20. The chief- guests of the Rotary Club at the luncheon to-day were Commander R. E. Byrd and Messrs Lofgren, Shropshire, and Van der Veer, of his party. Mr D. J. M’Gowan presided. Commander Byrd said -that he was a Rotarian. He had carried the Rotarian flag to the North Pole, and he would take oris with him to the Far South. He brought them greetings from the Rotary clubs of the United States. He had already generally outlined the plans for his expedition. He had that morning met Sir Douglas Mawson, whose book, “ The Home of the Blizzard,” was the “ Bible ” as far as the expedition was concerned, and was particularly valuable in regard to the weather they would meet. The weather at their camp, the Bay of Whales, would not be so extreme as that encountered by Sir Douglas, whose worst experiences were in a differ-

ent part of the Antarctic. One of the most difficult things down there would be to keep the feet in good condition. They were taking reindeer skin boots, the bottom of which would be made of the skin of the seal, and the boots would be made exceptionally roomy, as anything like a tight fit where there was moisture led to frostbite. Any binding of the feet accelerated freezing,' which, unless care was taken, was likely to occur in a few hours. Numbers of men had lost their lives through frozen feet in the Arctic. It was easy not to realise that the feet were becoming frozen as at the first touch of frost-bite there was a warm feeling, and the tendency was to keep going on without realising that frost-bite had started. Woollen socks would b'e worn inside, but it was impossible to avoid moisture. Its effects were obviated, however, by wearing a special grass padding beneath the socks which absorbed the moisture and could be removed and renewed or dried out. They were also going to be very careful about their hands, wearing reindeer mittens lined with wool. In order to give them a chance of getting back safely such things had to be brought down to a fine point. Commander Byrd detailed the plans for carrying a hand sled in the plane, which, if a forced landing were made within a reasonable distance of a base, would give them a chance of getting 'back to the base. The greatest difficulty would be to avoid scurvy, and for this purpose a party would be set, immediately on landing, to kill seals in sufficient quantity to provide fresh meat, which was a sure preventive of scurvy. He bad known Eskimos to live entirely on meat and yet keep perfectly healthy.