FLYING SOUTH.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17614, 19 January 1929, Page 7

FLYING SOUTH.

BYRD IN ANTARCTIC. FASCINATING JOURNEY. COMPASSES BEHAVE BADLY. NEW POINTS NAMED. [By Mr. Russell Owen, Copyrighted 192 8 by the New York Times Company and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. f for publication reserved throughout the world. Wireless to the New York Times.] (By Telegraph—Press < (Australian Press Association.) (Received Jan. 19, 9.5 a.m.) BAY OP WHALES, Jan. 16. “ It has been difficult to get here—the farthest point south that a ship can go, but to-day we felt repaid for our long sea voyage as we flew over the threshold of an unexplored area. Setting our course south-westward, in flve minutes we were looking into areas never before seen by men. “ It did not take long to ascertain that our nearness to the south magnetic pole made all three of our magnetic compasses entirely useless, so we had to use the sun compass. The magnetic compass started swinging immediately after our skis left the ice and kept swinging until our return.

Chamberlain Harbour. “ First we flew over an uncharted harbour, three miles deep lying on the west side of the Bay of Whales, near Floyd Bennett Harbour. With our own compasses swinging I thought of the trouble Clarence Chamberlain had with his compasses in starting on the TransAtlantic flight, so I decided to name it Chamberlain Harbour. “ The ice we flew over was probably several hundred feet thick. How much above water or land that some may rest upon, it is impossible to tell. “ Some miles to the left we could see a ridge formed from the great pressure in the Barrier, and this appeared to extend well over 15 miles. “ The business of looking out of the windows with glasses searching for something new to put on maps is very fascinating.

Resisted Temptation. “ Although we had sleeping-bags, a sled, and other equipment in that plane to give us a chance to rclurn in case of a forced landing, we were determined not to give inLo the great temptation of going on and on. This was the first day a plane had ever flown so far south, and since the compasses were acting badly we would be unable to steer a straight course If we were caught in a gale or snowstorm.

Something for the Chart. “ After covering 25 miles we saw an inlet ahead running north and south. This did not show on the maps we had, so here was something we could add to the charts of Antartica. We flew over it and found it a beautiful formation in the Barrier. At its mouth ice cliffs to eastward and westward rose vertically nearly 100 feet from the water. A mile back from the entrance to the inlet bay ice began. It was as smooth as a billiard table, and extended for several miles. Then it narrowed and curved somewhat to tho south-west. “ There we saw hundreds of seals lying on the Ice alongside the pressure ridge. They turned on their backs and craned their necks to sec what manner of bird was making such a terrific noise. There was some excited movement among them for a moment, but they soon fell back to their lazy sleep. •‘The inlet curved again to the southward, and ended in a point a few miles away, being there Ailed with great blocks of ice. “ Far to the south the Barrier appeared to rise to an altitude of 400 feet or 500 feet. “ To the westward we saw a cloud formation which at first looked like high land. It was exactly like a cloud we had seen on the trans-Atlantic flight, which we would have been certain was land had we not known that we were in the middle of the Atlantic.

Lindbergh Inlet. “We could hardly think of our flights of 1927 without remembering the fellow who so thoroughly showed us how to do it, so we decided to name the newly-discovered inlet after Lindbergh. " With our compasses acting as they did it seemed unwise to go further, and with a feeling that before going on longer flights we should get more wise to the eerie conditions and visibility down here, we headed the plane for the ship. ”lt was impossible for us to tell how high we were above the ice and snow. We might bo 100 feet or might be 1000 feet. “ When a little more than half-way back to the ship the motor slopped dead. Smith decided, with iiis usual quick way of thinking, that one of the gas tanks had gone dry, and instantly turned the proper valve. This stopped our downward course, and started the engine again. “ In our /light we examined carefully 1200 square miles ol' hitherto unknown areas that it would have taken a foot traveller weeks to explore. Again we marvel at the airplane. We do not agree with some English authors that aviation can do nothing down here.”