BEWILDERING WHITENESS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17008, 15 April 1926, Page 7

BEWILDERING WHITENESS

HEIGHTS BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIFYING THE ARCTIC IN AN AEROPLANE. WILKINS AT FAIRBANKS. TELLS GRAPHIC STORY. (Elec. Tel. Copyright- United Press Asmi.j (Sydney Sun Cables.) (Received April 15, 11 a.m.) VANCOUVER. April 14. Capt. 0. Wilkins, at, Fairbanks, describing his flight said ; "Driving steadily into a bewildering whiteness, where there is no earth, no sky, and no horizon, brings the semi-consciousness • that one must continually fight off. "There are heights that are beautiful and terrifying in that- 100-mile flight across tlie Endieott range, .lagged peaks rival the Alps, the Rockies, the Andes and even a portion of the Himalayas. • ‘‘Last trip but we were heavilyladen when we encountered fog and tried to rise, but could not attain the elevation that meant assured safety. “At times we were atop of a billowing, misty mass, with wheels and landing gear in the clouds, while the fuselage was out in clear air. It was like sailing through breast-high mist. Once ; rift.in. a.fog. disclosed a high.wall directly ahead. The pilot banked sharply, and we skimmed along, the face of the mountains until we followed a pass into safety. We never, saw a bird or any Other living, wild creature while- crossing the mountains or crossing the tundra, except sonic caribou. For -a 100 miles, coining and going, there was nothing in the sky or e-jrth, except the ’plane and its shadow on the snow waste.” THE NORGE AT OSLO. (Received April 15. noon.) OSLO, April 14. Tlie airship Norge lias arrived. THE NORGE DEPARTS. PLANS FOR JOURNEY. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association., LONDON, April 14. Searchlights were showing and the crowd-cheering when the Norge departed from Pulliam in excellent weather. One hundred and fifty volunteers, who acted as a landing crew on the airship s arrival, were summoned late last evening and gave the ship a good send-off at 11.0, after a thorough examination, no precaution being neglected. Nearly all the crew carried golliwogs and other mascots. Colonel Nobile, in his final words, thanked the-Air Ministry, and especially the Government-pilot, Major Scott, for his assistance. Lieut-.. R-iiser Larsen said; “We are leaving tlie English coast near Yarmouth, and steering straight towards Cliristiansand, whence we intend to follow the Norwegian coast until we reach Oslo, which we iiope will be about 10 o’clock in the morning. Thence we go to Leningrad, crossing Sweden, and possibly passing over Stockholm.” Thousands of persons watched tlie Norge’s departure. The most joyous member of the crew was Colonel Nobile’s fox terrier, whose bark was heard as the airship rose and disappeared. -It is reported .. that, if the weather continues favorable, the Norge may go directly to Leningrad, not stopping at Oslo. AMUNDSEN'S INTE.NTIONS. DROPPING NATIONAL FLAGS. [Australian ond N.Z. Cable Assoc-ation. OSLO, April 13. Amundsen and Ellsworth have started for Spitzbergen. Tho newspaper Aftenpost, publishes a statement that Amundsen has been charged by the Premier to annex the land discovered during the polar flight. Amundsen, in the course of an interview, said : “The flight we are now undertaking is far less risky than that in the flying boats in 1925. After the start from Spitzbcrgen we may he unable' to report until October or November. When wo reach tlie Pole wo will drop overboard a heavy iron pick, whereto the Norwegian, American and Italian flags will he attached. If tho conditions permit,, we will make a landing, hut no undue riskswill be taken. WELCOME TO BELGIAN AVIATOR. I BRUSSELS, April 12. The Belgian aviator Medatets has arrived home, and was welcomed, by ThenMajesties the King and Queen in an enthusiastic assemblage. LURE OF THE ARCTIC. SIX EXPEDITIONS ANSWER CALL THIS YEAR. UNKNOWN LAND IS CHIEF OBJECTIVE. NEW YORK, March I.—The ancient ur<>© that sent Hendrick Hudson battling through Polar seas in 1607 in search of the North-west Passage to the spice island, of the East, to-day still stirs the blood of modern explorers who seek to so've the mysterv of northern sens. Lured by desire for adventure, hope of eemmercial discoveries, the insatiable curiosity of science and even questions of military strategy, at least six Arctic expedition's hope this summer to reach the North Pole, or to find new lands hidden away in the fields of unknown ice Four other purely scientific expeditions will penetrate far into the North. CONTEST IS INTERNATIONAL. It has become almost an international race to find this no man’s land. By land sea and air expeditions representin'l - interests in North America, France, Norway. Italy and Russia will penetrate the Polar regions. , Even now, it is a trade route to the East that may bo found, a landing place for airplanes near the North Pole, or a vast hidden continent that may be discovered. But the ancient, squarerigged ship of romance has been replaced by science. Airplanes, dirgibles and motor sledges now play a vital part. BYRD TO START ,THIS MONTH. To-day the expedition led by Lieut.Commando;' Richard E. Bvrd planned to sail from New York late this month i-n its effort to blaze an air route to the i Bole, . Last Saturady the dirigible Norge, the Norwegian and Italian members of the expedition beaded by Roald Amundsen aboard, made a successful flight at Rome. ' Of the three United States expeditions, the first that will take the air under present plans, is that headed by Capt. Geo. W. Wilkins. Australian explorer. This expedition is backed by the American Geographical Society, the Detroit Aviation Society and the North American Newspaper Alliance. UNKNOWN LAND GOAL OF EXPLORERS. The chief puruose of the expedition is to seek an unknown land believed to be north of Alaska and Siberia. If land is found a base will be established and a flight across the North Pole to Spitsbergen will be attempted. . Another United States expedition, beaded ky Lieut. Wade, round-the-world flier, also seeks this mystery land, but in addition seeks to make a round-trip flight of the Pole. The expedition is supported by alumni of United States universities. Lieut. H. H. Ogden, nn-

other round-the-world flier, will assist Lieut. Wade. BOLSHEVIKS ARE POSSIBLE RIVALS.

Lieut. Wade, believes that Soviet Russia is planning a secret flight to the unexplored territory in hope of claiming any land that may bo found. Such land, lid says, would be within twenty-four hours’ flying distance of virtually every important city in the northern hemisphere. The Byrd expedition, backed in part by J. D. Rockefeller, jnr., and Edsel Ford, also seeks this unknown land. A mysterious motor sled will play an important part in the expedition under the auspices of the French Navy Department. The sleds are the design of Captain Otto Sverdrup, Norwegian seaman, who piloted Nansen in the Fram on his famous drift past the North Pole, locked in Polar ice. Hydroplanes will he used to start.

AMUNDSEN TO TRY DIRIGIBLE. Roald Amundsen and Lincoln Ellsworth, who made their Polar attempt in airplanes last summer, only to he rorced down and then miraculously saved, will try a dirigible this summer. Greater geographical knowledge is the aim of this expedition which is supported chiefly by the aero clubs of Norway and the Italian Government. Amundsen and Ellsworth believe the aimlane has not vet been developed sufficiently, for Polar work. Another Norwegian, Lieut. Eliassen, hopes to reach the Pole iri a flying boat, starting from Nova Zembln. An expedition, headed by Harrison Williams, backed by the American Museum of Natural History and George P. Putnam, publisher will cruise the seas about Greenland to obtain scientific data.

A party from the University of Michigan, led by Professor William H. Hobbs, will explore Greenland itself. A Russian expedition to the west shore of Nova Zembla, led by Professor Mnteousevitch. has been announced.

The possibility of a Polar expedition in Zeppelins.also has been suggested by Dr. Hugo Eckener, well-known German designer, who flew the dirigible Los Angeles to this country more than a year ago. Commander Donald B. MacMillan heads his next expedition into the North in June, when he will search for Norse relics in Labrador, Greenland and Iceland. His new vessel will be constructed similarly to the schooner Bowdoin, which has'weathered several trips into Arctic waters.