Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-22
MAWSON PARTY
CAUSES WORRY
IN ANTIPODES
UndecipherabIe Wireless Mes
SaqeS Have Been Received
from Antarctic Ex-
petition
fRy Latest MALL

Il = igANTA AUST ofteA- - ~ut-'s'esHt
who with six other members of the
Australian Antarctic expedition is
spending an enforced winter in Adj
ellie Land, has been trying to COM
municate by wireless with Australia
for several days past. Owing to
some at present unknown cause the
messages, however, cannot be de-
ciphered.
Professor David. who has been anx.
iously awaiting a message, said when
seen last night by a Herald" repre-
sentative that possibly somc slight
accident had befallen DIR. Mawson's
wireless mast during blizzard, and
if so the damage could not possibly
be repaired until the blizzard had
blown itself out No man. said the
professor, could venture aloft to re-
pair wireless mast during an Ant
arctic blizzard. The wireless opera
tor at Hobart, who has been closely
listening for DIR. Mawson's messages.
reports that the conditions OF the at
mosphere have been greatly against
the transmission of wireless messages
for several nights past, though it was
expected that DR.. Mawson's powerful
wireless plant would enable his mes
sages to be heard.
In one of DIR. Mawson's last mes
sages he reported that the billiards
were so fierce in Adele Land when
the message was sent on that he and
his comrades feared the hut would
be blown down. Asked last night
| how the explorers would fare II their
shelter were blown away, Professor
David said: Il do not think 1t likely
that the hut will be blown away. Il
is splendidly built, and specially de- :
signed to resist the billiards. The
| greatest danger OF hut being blown
down in Antaret,ca is during the bliz-
| yards at the end of the summer
months, and just when winter is set
ting in. That is before the snow has
time to pile UP against the hut and
protect it.
when the heavy falls of snow
have set in, the winds pile it up
/ against the sides of the hut, and a
huge screen is thus made on the
windward side of the hut. This screen
i Of snow is levelled by the billiards
| to the same height as the top of the
hut, leaving the hut protected. When
the snow has thus been piled up and
leVelled of, the billiards sweep and
\ roar over the hut, which Is protected
by the snow shield.
i by this time, | think, Dr. Nav
i sons winter quarters will be SINH
larly protected, and the danger will
/ be over. OF course, at the end of the
summer it gives one an uneasy feel
| ing when the billiards begin to roar
| and the hut begins to shake and trem-
| BILE. When the SHOWS have set in
| they should be comfortable and safe
| in the hut. Their food supply Is
ample"
Professor David. believes that DIR.
Mawson and his comrades will be
safe during the rest of the Antarctic
winter, but the work of refitting the
| Aurora is being pushed on as speedi-
| ly as possible, and the vessel will
leave as early as it is thought practi-
| cable or her to get through the ice
to DR.. Mawson's quarters.
Advices from Christchurch state
that E. N. Webb, who was a magnet
ician with DR.. Mawson's expedition.
in the course of an interview, stated
that he formed one of the party in
charge of Lieutenant Bage, which
was detailed to penetrate Adele Land
III NAO AAAONbAOh VI bAC oOuNh LAue5hCbAS
polar area.
The party, Mr.. Webb said, travelled
about 300 miles from the expeditions
base at that point, which was some
80 or so miles from the Magnetic
Pole. They found by a series of
fundamentally rigid observations
that the magnetic dip was S9deg. 43.3
min, or 167min. from the vertical.
Thaxy oh n hafr1 Of oEcorvafinna
which was almost unique in respect
to the south magnetic polar region,
and reached their extreme southerly
14S.14deg. east.
They left, he added, on the return
journey on December 81, 1912. They
met with overcast weather, and spent
several days in a fruitless endeavor
to locate the depot, 60 miles from the
base-for the coast was eventually
decided upon, and the journey was
undertaken on one-third rations. Ill
timately they reached the depot five
miles from the base and their base
hut
II was the nearest thing to an out
and-out disaster, similar; to SCOTS,
and it was largely by pure luck that
the party reached safety.
The scientific results of the expedi-
ton were exclusively magnetic, and
the observations were being contin-
ued by Lieutenant Bage, who. with
nine others. remained at the base to
search for DIR. Mawson. who, however,
arrived shortly after the Aurora left
the base.
The magnetic field results obtained
by Mr.. Webb will be sent to the Car
negie institute, which has undertaken
TO work them up. The observatory
results are waiting to be taken over,
to be worked up probably by Doctor
Chree Of Kew observatory.
EARTH SHOCKS REGISTERED