IN THE ICEPACK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 299, 19 December 1933, Page 7

IN THE ICEPACK

ELLSWORTH EXPEDITION A DRAMATIC ENTRY LIFE ON THE WYATT EARP (Special to the United Press Association—Coptright—By Radio, from Lincoln Ellsworth.) THE WYATT EARP, at Sea. Dec. 15. We are about 200 miles inside the great Polar icepack, held up by wide heavy floes. Snow is driving up with a south-west wind, and thc whole pack is in motion. To be locked in there without means of propulsion would be a serious affair, but we expect wind and current soon to make rifts in the ice and leave lanes of open water, of which we may take advantage and proceed. Our entry into the pack was sudden and dramatic. Our only warning was a quick drop in the temperature to two below freezing point aud light fog. Three hours later two huge icebergs loomed in sight, one to port and one to starboard. Fitting guardians they seemed to the realm of the Ice King. Wo passed between them and two hours later and 180 miles to the north of where Byrd found it in 1930, we entered tho Polar pack, which is a world apart from the one we left, and where silence and desolation reign supreme. Lifeloss and unfriendly it may seem, yet it holds a fascination all its own. Amid such surroundings the men aro drawn closer together, and so within tho four walls of our little ship there exists a comradeship that can make us forget the dreary outside world. To work in these latitudes we must eat often, and we look forward to our mess every four hours, which brings us together from our work. No one on the exploring ship can afford to be idle. There are sledges to make, sewing to do, and films to take, and everyone takes a turn at watch on deck. Occasional ivory gulls, fulmars, and black and white Antarctic petrels are to be soon. Yesterday morning we saw our first seal, a crabeater, and last night Balchen shot one, which we had to-day for dinner. Notwithstanding our first impression, there is much colour in the Polar scenes, for the drifting ice is tinged with yellow, red, aud green. The yellow is microscopic vegetable matter known as diatoms, and upon it tiny red and green shrimp life feeds. The shrimp in turn is food for seals and whales. Interesting phenomena seen in those latitudes aro iceblinks and water sky. Iceblinks are indicatcdby white or pale greyish streaks upon the clouds while water sky is represented by a heavy streak of dull tarnished leadgrey colour.