ANTARCTIC RESEARCH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18263, 5 December 1933, Page 9

ANTARCTIC RESEARCH

BYRD EXPEDITION SHIP DUE THIS EVENING (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. According to radio advice this morning, the Jacob Ruppert, carrying the larger portion of the Byrd expedition, is due to arrive in tho stream at 9 o clock this evening, but a heavy northerly is blowing, anti there is a possibility that she may not arrive till early to-morrow morning. There are over 50 tons of supplies waiting to bo picked up here. Every effort is being made to get the ship away by Saturday. Regarding vacancies in the personnel, only written applications are dealt with. The Jacob Ruppert, which is carrying the aeroplanes and other equipment and the hulk of the supplies for RearAdmiral Byrd’s expedition, is coming from Boston, via the Panama Canal and Easter Island. The ship has a quantity of stores and supplies to load at Welling ton, and as the expedition is behind its schedule date she will not call at Dunedin, as was originally planned. Jn •all probability the Jacob Ruppert will sail from Wellington on Saturday for the Antarctic. . The Bear of Oakland, Rear-Admiral Byrd’s other ship, has reported by radio that she can he expected to arrive at Wellington on January 1. As she is well behind time, the Bcai of Oakland will be got away from Wellington as quickly as possible on her long journey to the Bay of Whales, in the Great Ice Barrier, which will again be the location of Rear-Admiral Byrd’s Antarctic headquarters. OFF TO THE SOUTH WYATT EARP SAILS (Ter Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. The Wyatt Earp, with the Ellsworth expedition aboard, sailed at 1.10 -p.m. for the Bay of Whales. Mrs. Ellsworth circled the ship m a plane before straightening out for Christchurch.

In some quarters there appears to bo an idea that there is a race between the Ellsworth and Byrd expeditions to set which shall oet to the South Pole first. Mr. Ellsworth states definitely that so far as lie is concerned there is no truth in the suggestion. He had made his plans many months ago, and his objective was quite clear. His aim was, with his pilot, Mr. Bernt Balchen, to fly in tho Northrop Gamma from the Ross Sea to tho Weddell Sea and back—a non-stop flight of 3000 miles. It has to be remembered that tile ice begins to break up about tile middle of December, and that consequently expeditions desire to arrive at the Antarctic, as early as possible to make a start with the objectives they have in view and to have sufficient time to carry them out while tiie season lasts.