The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-28
TO USE AIRPLANES
IN THE ANTARCTIC
British Polar Expedition Also
Carries Wireless and Will
Employ Three Ships.
IWHALERs INTERESTED
Commercial and Scientific
Data VIII Be Gathered by
10 Men in Party.

John l.. Cope, late commander In the
British navy, left New York asst night
for Norfolk, Va, whence he will sail to-
morrow on the most ambitious polar
expedition ever undertaken. Utilizing
three oil burning ships. flock OF air.
pianes capable of crossing the Ice on
sledges If need be, dogs from the Hudson
Bay country and wireless on the planes
and at land stations to DE established, he
and his English companions purpose to
t.irc,lrnnayiga and explore the Antarc-
tic continent.
Their object is not attainment OF the
South Pole. although they may reach
It, 1t is purely commercial and scientlnc
They expect to find new seas for whal-
ing. to open new sources or mineral
wealth and to promote the establishment
within the Antarctic Circle or meteoro-
logical stations whose reports VIII nave
a bec.ring on crop conditions throughout
the world.
The enterprise Is called the British
Imnerial Antarctic Expedition. Cope its
cead was surgeon and biologist with the
Shaclxleton expedition of 1914-1917. He
end his comrades were ularooned TOT
| wo wears when the Aurora, the rescue
| .hip sent for the Shackleton party, was
blown away by blizzard, leaving them
| on the great ice barrier surrounding the
Antarctic continent The present ex-
uedit,on is sent out by the Polar he
search Laboratories OF the University OF
| Cambridge and, said Commander Cope'
IS privately financed, part or the money
coming from Norwegian wnalers' par
from the research laboratories anu LILY
rest from other sources.
To Use Three big Whnlers.
The members Of the first or prelimi-
navy expedition, which Is now starting.
expect to return in 1922 and then go
back to the Antarctic in another snip
and be gone until 1925. There VIII De
10 men in the second party.
Lars Christensen & Co., Norwegian
wbaiers. and others interested in the
exploration have placed at the disposal
of the expedition three 1000 ton oil burn
ing steamships built for whaling and
200 ron Catcher" The first of the big
ships. the Thor T., is now at Nortoik.
Another IL on its way from Cardiff TO
the Falkland Islands. The members OF
the first party, in addition to Com
mander Cope. are Capt. George wilkins,
second in command, who spent three
wears in the Antarctic with Stefansson
and who IS a photographer ana sur
veyor; n. c. Lester Il. NJ, navigator
and Thomas w. Bagshawe, geologist'
A fifth member will join at Monte
video. where wilkins and thirty dogs
Canadian huskies-will be waiting when
the Thor l., with Cope and his friends,
get there.
Commander Cope told of his plans at
the Biltmore yesterday. He said that
the party would go from MonteVideo
to the Falkland Islands. and after sci
entific work there proceed to Deception
Island, Just outside the Antarctic Circle.
There the whole process of whaling viii
be filmed for motion pictures.
1900 Miles on sIcdges.
Leaving the Thor l. at Deception
Island to continue its whaling opera
tons. the explorers will so In the
catcher" TO Hope Bay, in Graham's
Land. There the dogs will be har-
messed and the party will sledge along
the west coast of Waddell Sea as far
as It can get. hoping TO reach Coats
Land on the eastern side. If IL makes
this objective and returns to Hope Bay,
as planned, 1t will have sledged 1900
miles. 1900 OF them over unknown
ground The expedition intends to
reach Hope Bay by the first week in
June. 1921. and TO return there in Feb
ruary or March. 1922.
Unlike previous expeditions II will
erect no huts, but will depend upon
snow houses and tents for shelter. An
other innovation will be the continuous
southern end of the world have rested
at some base during the four months
OF antarctic night. The Cope party ex-
pect TO keep in motion throughout this
period of darkness.
The Thor J.. having finished Its whal-