Evening star., 1925-05-22
EXPLORERS STUDY
AMUNDSEN'S DASH.
Conclusion of Men Who
"Have Been There" Is That
It's a Huge Gamble.
By Consolidated Press.

By Consolidated Press
NEW YORK. May 22.-It's Derby
day" at the Explorers Club here. With
Roald Amundsen In the air, on his
daredevil leap to the top of the world,
the iceberg addicts were out early.
poring over maps and reviving old
memories as they projected them
selves In fancy, over the bleak, white
wilderness, where mans most dra-
matte race against the elements is
being run.
Out of the bedlam of controversy,
which warmed up as the day wore on,
Eained-as to Amundsen's chances,
you "can make your own ticket" It's
a gamble II there ever was one
Desperate Venture Seen.
Capt. Bob" Bartlett, who has a
springy gait from years of walking
on tundra, is hopeful-and dubious
Capt. Bartlett was with Peary on his
discovery of the North Pole. He
knows the arctic thoroughly, and he
knows every caprice of the savage
elements which guard the North.
II was surprised when ! heard that
Amundsen had hoped Off" he said.
II had concluded that he would not
try 1t until about the middle of June.
He may make it, and I certainly hope
he will, but unless you have been in
the North 1t is hard to realize that
Amundsen is on really desperate
adventure. In a snug iron-sheeted
ice-bucking ship, you have to keep
your wits about you up there this
time of the year. Gales pounce on
you out of nowhere. Amundsen will
have to traverse open water between
Kings Bay and the pole and it is a
season of great instability of the
elements. lie may find ice to land
on and he may not; the Ice Is apt to
be rough, rotten or drifting and
while / am not experienced in polar
aviation, l should certainly hate to
think of having to land on most of
the terrain 1 have seen up there. On
the other hand, the weather Is so
variable that 1t is possible that
Amundsen has struck a clear day or
two which will enable him TO swoop
over the pole and back
Aviator More Doubtful
Fairfax Naulty, who for the last 10
wears has devoted himself to the
scientific study of polar aviation, is
even more doubtful than Capt. Bart
lett Naulty has made repeated trips
to the Far North and has assembled
a vast amount of data on meteorolg-
ical conditions. He himself previously
planned and financed a proposed flight
over the pole from Point Barrow.
Alaska. but abandoned it after an
extended study of conditions.
my most formidable enemy. said
Naulty, appeared to be the black fog,
which hangs low and which, became
convinced, would freeze instantly on
an aeroplane. 1t is incredibly thick.
and while, of course, II Is possible to
rise above it, 1t makes an element of
danger and uncertainty which i'm
measurably increases the hazards of
polar flight. The world ought to
realize that in this attempt Amundsen
is embarking on unbelievable hazards.
He Is an absolutely dauntless man.
and the credit due him, whether he
wins or loses, cannot be too great"
Fiala More Hopeful.
Anthony Fiala, commander of the
Ziegler expedition to Franz Joseph
Land, 800 miles east of Amundsen's
hopeful than the others, although he
expressed grave concern as to Amund-
sens success.
THE weather is so variable and
meteorological data is so inadequate
that conjecture as to his probable sue
cess is difficult" he said. THE fog
freezes instantly on anything il
touches. and when our ship was lying
at anchor some of our dogs were kill
ed by ice dropping from the rigging.
Our records show uncertain weather
at this time of the year, but we often
strike period of three or four clear
days-between long stretches of sullen
and dangerous weather. 1t is possible
that Amundsen leaped into one of
these openings, like halfback finding
an opening N the line. If I am not
mistaken, he will have to traverse a
long stretch Of open water, as the ice
breaks up considerably. but the sea is
full Of drift ice and landing might be
hazardous. l surely hope he wins
Amundsen will abridge in 8 few
hours the long, tortuous months of
Parry's expedition of 1927, when he
reached a point 900 miles north of
SpitZbergen.
Copyright. 1929