BYRD’S PLANS DISCUSSED

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1929, Page 5

BYRD’S PLANS DISCUSSED

DETAILS OF NEXT FLIGHT

HUGE COST OF EXPEDITION.

PROBLEM OE STORE TRANSPORT.

(Bv Wire —Special to News.)

Auckland, Jan. 26. Commander Byrd will make his next flight in the Antarctic over King Edward Land, states a private cable received in Auckland this morning by Richard G. Brophy, second in command of the Byrd expedition, who arrived from Wellington by the Limited express. Mr. Brophy has come north to complete arrangements for the shipment of the team of 15 dogs which arrives by the Niagara to-morrow from Vancouver. These dogs, under the charge of Innes Taylor, who is an aviation pilot and dog driver, will be sent south by the fast goods train on Monday evening and will be transported from Wellington to Lyttelton on Wednesday night. Arrangements have been made to place them in quarantine at Dunedin 'until they arc shipped on tho Eleanor Bolling next month. A quantity of, scientific gear which is being brought from America will also bo loaded on the Eleanor’ Bolling at Dunedin. An aeroplane, two tractors, 8000 gallons of aviation petrol, 4000 gallons of kerosene for heating the houses at “Little America,” Byrd’s home in the Antarctic, and 200 gallons of ordinary petrol for tractors and automobiles makes up the bulky portion of the shipment now in store at Dunedin. Also there are four portable houses specially insulated and built to withstand a blizzard of 150 miles an hour, and foodstuffs to augment supplies sufficiently to meet the requirements of 40 men for 18 months.

“The City of .New York,” said Mr. Brophy, “will have to be out of- the Antarctic before March 15 and consideration is being given to the possibility of a cruise of the South Pacific during the winter to carry out charting investigation with tho aid of a sonic depth finder installed on board. “Personally I do not expect to visit tho Antarctic until next year," continued Mr. Brophy. “I shall go by the City of New York on her first trip after the winter.”

During the interval Air. Brophy may have to revisit America to arrange tor the raising of the balance of the funds necessary for the expedition. ‘‘We have received numerous contributions in cash and merchandise from friends and supporters of the expedition in New Zealand and for these we are very grateful,” Air. Brophy remarked. He added that the expedition was steadily being built up to its full strength. Its total financial value when completed would be 1,50'0,000 dollars, including the two ships now in use, four aeroplanes, two largo crawler tractors, two automobiles, extensive scientific equipment, and 1500 dollars worth of fur clothing and boots and shoes, some of 'which cost ,50 dollars a pair. So large, are some of the boots that there will be no difficulty in accommodating foin - or five pairs of thick socks. Regarding the problem of transport Air. Brophy said the use of tractors to relieve the dog teams should be' a great success.’ The caterpillar type had been well tested in snow conditions in North America and such tractors were in constant use in lumbering and mining districts in temperatures as.much as 40deg.. below’ freezing. This was made possible by using kerosene for the cooling system. The expedition also had an automobile equipped W’ith skis on the front and caterpillar tread on the rear wheels. Air. Brophy had also arranged to take his personal car to the Antarctic where lie expected to find it adaptable to snow travel.