Evening star., 1922-01-22
photo by internationally

balloons. They Will be released at
frequent intervals and Of course soon
will be lost to sight. But, lost, they
still will serve a very useful purpose.
for as they drift to the unknown, they
will be observed through carefully
adjusted scientific instruments which
will give us much valuable knowledge
about the air currents which will at
feet their fight.
THAT which We shall learn from
them will be OF great scientific value.
and others. larger, will serve other
purposes. probably carrying instru-
ments But such work will be done
principally by box-kites. These will
lift elaborate. self-registering ap-
paratus high into the air continually
and from the records sar"~-" thus 1t
will be possible to compile much val
liable meteorological data.
I'VE shall be very busy in our
meteorological work. Observations will
be taken every second hour of night
and day.
During the day these observations
will measure along with the speed OF
wind. the temperature and the humid
ity of the arctic air. the strength Of
the electric currents which every
where abound and which are thought
TO be rather stronger near the poles
than elsewhere.
I'VE shall carefully measure all the
many snowfalls and get other data with
regard to them; when there is rainfall
We shall gauge and analyze it.
you think that by the time we get
back home all this information will
be stale: You fcvget what I have
said about our wireless equipment
Probably We shall report the arctic
weather and all other meteorological
facts twice a day by wireless to
groups of scientists far, far to south
ward, where men abound and ice and
snow are briefly seasonal or entirely
unknown.
What value will these curiously
detailed reports Of air, water and
other conditions away up by the north
pole have down where men are civil
lied and comfortable? This: It is
said that the weather Of North Amer
lea is made at Medicine Hat. in north
west Canada. The Indians once
thought SO. and with certain reasons
which showed them to be very
shrewd.
But, really. weather even as far
south as New York, Buffalo. st. Louis,
Atlanta, or even New Orleans. in De-
troit and Kansas City. in Cedar Rap
IDS, Iowa and Rochester, N. Y
everywhere throughout America and
England, France, Germany and all the
list is tremendously affected by the
arctic air conditions, as ocean condi-
tions further south are greatly infiu-
enced by currents In the Arctic.
"T>HEsE are not my specialties. I
am no scientist. I am q sailor
and cook. But 1t Is for the sake Of
giving scientists a chance to study all
these things that shall navigate and
prepare meals upon this voyage we
are planning"
This matter Of being chief cook Of
the expedition is one which Capt
Amundsen referred to moro than once.
Later he spoke Of 1t at some length.
THE wireless installation will be q
splendid comfort to us. We shall be
busy and have many things to tele-
graph about. For example, the small
laboratory on the ship will be quite
the most perfect Of its size ever de-
vised. In 1t these sea-water samples
which have said that we shall take
will be analyzed each day. You know,
knowledge Of the polar sea L. az i'm
portant to students Of the world ws
live on in the latitudes Of the United
States as is knowledge of tho polar
air and that which is occurring to it
to students Of the weather in Wash
ington, or in the capital Of my own
country.
''The effect of the continual flow Of
water from the north polar regions
upon the fisheries far to the south is
especially important. am not cer-
tain, but I think, that II the fiow Of
water from the polar sea should sud.
denly be stopped. life in the seas to
southwark soon would cease. That
would be world disaster Of the
greatest moment. Shut OF the fisher.
les and you would shut or many mil.
lion human lives. sss5zs
'The polar seas are the great puri-
hers Of the waters Of both Atlantic
and Pacific. Water from the SOUTH
ward, flowing north, is cleansed. be-
fore 1t reaches warmer 1atitudes
again. Of all its animal impurities.
And 1t becomes revftalized. It is the
continual exchange Of arctic and ant
arctic water for the exhausted water
Of the warmer seas which keeps the
latter vital and able to support dsiI.
life. It 10 the same with water -
with air. Il the lower strata wers
not constantly being exchauged for