Evening star., 1925-05-23
BY JAMES b. WHARTON.

BY JAMES B. WHARTON.
Special Correspondent of The Star and the
North American Newspaper Alliance
KINGS BAY. Spitzbergen (By ra-
dio from Steamer FARM May "a
No word has yet been received of the
six flyers of the Amundsen- Ellis
worth Polar expedition who hoped
off at Kings Bay for the North Pole
in two flying boats early Thursday
afternoon.
The report of the meteoroloEists
that a storm is arising in Siberia
and Greenland is causing anxiety.
Arctic weather changes quickly, and
a storm might wreck the planes or
force a landing under unfavorab BILE
conditions that would damage or
even demolish them.
Weather Still Clear.
The weather over the Polar basin
Is still clear. and the meteorologists
believe this condition will neutralize
any storm that might come from
Greenland or Siberia. No immediate
change is forecast for this vicinity
for the next Il hours. The expedi-
tion'S two meteorologists. Bjerknes
and Calwagen, sent up a balloon to
oUyoVo lecl II tTdN6leU u1uer the
force of a northeast wind to 1000
feet, then swerved under the infiu-
ence. of a northwest wind and con-
tinued to climb. Anything but south
erly winds are favorable for the flyers.
Easterly winds are particularly de-
sirable, as they clear away local
monsoons.
The meteorologists are eagerly
awaiting the valuable meteorological
lot Lob, r {Vn = l.
American among the flyers, hoped to
obtain. He may get a horizontal pro-
file of the atmosphere at a level Of
about $500 feet. The aerial observa-
tions will be more representative. and
hence OF greater value than the ground
findings of other polar explorers. Els
worth expected to obtain a complete
record of the temperature, humidity
and barometric readings, on the flight.
These data must be correlated by the
meteorologists with the known at
mospheric conditions of the entire
northern hemisphere. The findings
may throw light on many hitherto un-
solved Arctic weather problems. Els
worth Is the foremost scientific mem
Der Of the flying party.
Study of Flyers.
The flyers offer an interesting
psychological study. With Capt.
Roald Amundsen, discoverer of the
South Pole, the necessity of reaching
the North Pole became a personal
conviction, almost an obsession. Ellis
worth's interest is almost wholly
scientific. Pilots Hjalmar Riser
Larsen and Left Dietrichson and
Mechanic Oskar Omdahl. all Nor
wegians, are soldiers in their attitude
toward the venture. They regard it
as they would a military campaign.
The pilots are lieutenants In the Nor
wegian navy. Mechanic Carl Feucht
takes the flight with typical German
stolidity.
From the first trial of the planes
at Pisa, Italy, over the warm waters
of the Mediterranean, to the hop-off
on the SpitZbergen ice, the adventure
has been merely a matter of perfect
motors to him.
Late yesterday Capt. Hagerup went
ashore in the motor boat to observe
the north from the extremity of
Amsterdam Island. He saw only the
drift ice which marks the edge of the
ice pack 20 miles distant, but signs
Of the flyers. Toward evening the oc-
c,Ipants of the crows nest of the Farm
and the Hobby scanned the sky with
long telescopes, but without results.
Expected at IL O'Clock.
t'rOnllnO0, WHO hHo"S
airplanes than any one aboard, ex-
pected to see the explorers about IL
o'clock today.
II the weather at the pole is any
thing like what 1t is here it would un-
doubtedly cause Amundsen and Els
worth to stay there longer than the
six hours originally decided on.
Strange as 1t may seem. the sun Is
actually warm, with the air balmy. on
%la of the shin hut with
Winter still lurking on the shaded
side of the deck.
The solid blue of the sky overhead
is broken by a streak of light wind
clouds, which Bjerkns says formed in
Florida and swept up here from
Greenland. Due north is a fairly
thick cloud bank, representing local
monsoon, but the meteorologists as
sumo that 1t will be kept away by the
prevailing favorable winds. Another
wind current balloon was sent up and
showed the upper strata still moving
from the favorable easterly compass
point.
Conversation over the mess" today
revealed an interesting fact. When an
effort was made to insure the Polar
planes before the flight the only COM
pany willing to take the chance was
an English concern, who demanded
30 per cent premium. Certainly not
one of the six flyers believed he stood
only $3.50 chance of living through
the adventure. although every one
was fully aware of the risk.
The only evidence Of our suspense,
during two days that have passed
rather quietly, occurs when a sailor
shouts at another, or the wireless ap-
,paratus begins suddenly to hum. This
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