The Alaska daily empire., 1921-01-01

Ol HIS lIudS ludliOH HoNSl SoiSSi' Ou of an adventure in the realm of fic- tion more thrilling than that under taken by this expedition which, heade,' by Commander Cope. and comprising five ships and their crews, started in September 1920 on a five veal quest to solve the riddle of the great unknown South Polar sea.
 Cope's reputation for daring and bravery was established when as sur geon and biologist of the Sir Ernest Shackleton expedition he and eight of his comrades in misfortune al hope of rescue abandoned. lived fol two years in a little hut establishes by the intrepid Scott, amid the ic. wastes of Ross Island They worC marooned when the Aurora the Mawson expedition ship of 1916, wa' driven away from them during z blizzard. Their final rescue con stituted one of the most interestin; chapters in polar explorations.
 Dash To South Pole
 The expedition, backed by $750,0ot has for its purpose the circumnavi gation of the Antarctic continent, { dash to the South Pole, the eXpiora ton of 1.200 miles of territory neve before trod by civilized man, th' discovery of new whaling fishins grounds, the study of weather condi tions and South Polar mineral de posits, especially of manganese, coal granite, marble and rubies. Com mander Cope declared before sailin; that for six months of the year th' climate of the northern area of th' Antarctic is no more rigorous thar that of Alaska or Siberia.
 Cope's ship. the Thor l., left EE9 land on September 2S, 1920. an, from Norfolk, Va, where the com mander stepped aboard her, on thj following October 26. The Thor on the way to her base, stopped a Monteyideo and then went to Decep ton Island in the Falklands. wher many motion pictures were mad' of whales disporting themselves q sea and being harpooned for thei ambergris and bone and oil Lat in October 1920. a second ship lei Cardiff, Wales, for the Folklan' Islands. Three whalers of 1000 ton each and one whale catcher of POI tons also accompanied the explorer from their base.
 Personnel of Party
 The personnel of the expedition also included N. G. Lester, nav gator; Thomas w. Basshowe, geolC gist; Capt. George N. Wilkins, chic of the scientific staff, who accon panied the Stefansson expedition | the same capacity, and 120 men. AT airplane called the Kangaroo an SO constructed that it can land o ice by means of skids was to be em ployed in the dash to the South Polt The goal was expected to be reacE ed in q flight of from 20 to 8 hour instead os tortuous journey of man weeks on sledges The flight Wa to be undertaken in summer and Wa not to be a nonstop journey.
 The "Kangeroo" carried beside five men, fuel, a sledge, camera and food for one month and tn weight was expected to handicap tn l fliers in crossing a mountain rang with peaks 11,000 feet high whic rise IS natural obstacles to the Pol ] The start was to be made from tf great ice barrier at the Bay Whales. The total weight Of tf plane, occupants and equipment WE 12.600 pounds and it was to be drive at an average speed of 93 miles hour. The party was to includ besides commander Cope. M. Leste as navigator George H. Wilkins, J photographer and surveyor; Thom' w. Bagshowe, geologist and one oth
 man. The airplane was also
 carry 30 dogs, Canadian "huskies Several other planes and an exte sive wireless system by means
 which it was hoped to keep in tou with civilization at all times, we
 to be held in reserve.
 , Completing the Circle
 Commander Cope. before startl s South, said that while the Thor W , circumnavigating the lower part l the continent, her sister ship, sa . ing from St. Ann, would go arou I the bay of Whales, and the upT . Dart of the continent. completing circle. The other planes meanwhi
 were to be utilized on shore. Th
 have a cruising radius of 1000
 the first year were 10 be sen' n only 250 miles from the establi U ment of new patrol bases and
 following year sent out an addition
 25O miles The Thor l was sch II uled. according to Commander Cop plans. to return to New Zealand e 1926 at about the same time that i sister ship returned to South 4 ' erica
 e Previous Antarctic expedite
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