Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-05-29


ciety. Washington. d. CO
EQUIPPED with two genii of mod
- ern invention, the airplane and
the radio, the Macmillan Arctic
expedition under the auspices of
the National Geographic society, with
the active cooperation of the navy,
will attempt to explore the earth's
largest remaining blind spot" an I'M
known million square miles between
the Alaskan peninsula and the North
pole Amphibian airplanes, capable or
landing on water, ice or land Will be
taken by ship TO Etah, northern
Greenland, within 700 miles of the
North pole, andsfrom there and sup
Elemental bases will fly over tremend-
Gus areas either wholly unexplored or
practically unknown.
The major objective, the region be-
tween Alaska and the pole, one-third
the area of the United States, has
never been seen by human eye. 1t
Is considered possible that 1t holds a
hitherto unknown continent and 1t is
probable that some sort of land ex-
lists there.
The existence of this land is pos
tulated on reports of explorers who
have skirted the edges of the unknown
area, and of observations of tides and
Ice conditions along this fringe, which
conditions indicate the existence of
land.
Should such land exist it will be of
great future economic Importance in
view of the commercial flying that, in
years to come, will be done across the
Arctic region
The combination Of aircraft and
radio in Arctic exploration is a new
feature of exploration. which not only
adds romance and adventure to the
undertaking, but which enhances the
scientific value of the expedition.
In Summer and Daylight.
Hitherto our information about the
Far North has been from explorers
who had to penetrate 1t in winter,
when the ice was continuous; summer
flying makes possible observations Of
entirely different conditions, with "A
hours Of daylight to aid the flyers.
This same daylight, however, as
radio fans will realize, is handicap
to broadcasting, because night time Is
radio time. The use of the new short
wave length apparatus, under these
conditions. is sn experiment which
will be of value to the new science of
wireless communication.
Upper air temperatures in the Far
North are almost as little known as
the million square miles which may
shroud a long-hidden continent. Sum-
mer records of these conditions not
only will have value to future flying
but may have a direct bearing on
weather forecasting.
Forecasting weather consists largely
in detecting new disturbances as they
show up on the western and north
western borders of the United States,
learning their characteristics, and fig-
uring out the paths they probably will
follow because of prevailing baro-
metric pressures and temperatures
ahead of them.
The great majority of what the
weather forecasters call the lows
that Is the areas of subnormal
barometric pressure-s seem to originate
over the warm sea south of the Aleu-
tian islands In the winter, and over
the interior of Alaska during the sum
hler. But some of the conditions
which cause these slows" to be built
up" in those places and create highs"
to the east have their birth farther
north in the Polar regions, and bet
| ter knowledge of temperatures, pres
sure and wind changes there undoubt-
| edly would facilitate weather forecast
ing
In the search for the beginnings of
| Its weather the United States Is not
| concerned with the entire Polar re-
| gions. IT is most concerned, 1t hap
| pens, with the unexplored territory
which lies north of Alaska.
Temperatures, pressures and wind
conditions--the vital weather factors
ARE not known in the regions north
| from Alaska to the pole. Explora-
ton of this area is preliminary to
| making detailed observations of these
conditions which directly affect farms
and orchards Of the United States.
plans for the Expedition.
Etah. the main base of the expedi-
| tion-the northernmost settlement In
| the world-lies near the northwestern
corner of Greenland at the head OF
Baffin bay where narrow Smith sound
/ 1919. Dsraofiu oornsS Smith cnllnd