Evening star., 1925-07-19
MACM|LLAN'S SHIP
IS READY TO GO ON
Bowdoin, Spare Propeller
Fitted, Will Leave Hope
dale Today.

A radio message received last night
by the National Geographic Society
said the Macmillan Arctic ship Bow
doin is again ready for the sea and
that she probably would leave Hope
dale. Labrador, this morning The
message filed yesterday and picked
up at Manchester, Conn, was signed
by the explorer. 1t read:
The Bowdoin is again ready for
the sea and II the thick fog clears
we will leave Hopedale at dawn to-
morrow Sunday morning.
This morning Engineer sJaynes
and Second Officer Robinson fitted the
spare propeller. The decks cargo,
including three Liberty, engines and
gasoline, has been moved back from
the foredeck, where 1t served to lower
the bow and so lift the stern.
Water has been taken aboard and
we are ready to sail. All are we'll and
happy at the thought of resuming our
voyage. ItSis still earlier In the sea-
son than have hitherto sailed north
from here"
Planes Leave Next Month
- The naval planes of the expedition
probably will not take off for their
flight over the polar sea in search
of unknown land until after the mid
die of August, but should complete
their work by about September /, &C
cording to advices to the Navy De-
partment from Lieut.. Comdr. Byrd
head of the Navy section of the ex-
pedition.
The department, in an announce
ment embodying advices from Comdr
Byrd. said that while the main base
would be at Etah, Greenland, it was
uncertain whether the advance flying
base would be at Cape Columbia, in
Grant Land. or at Cape Thomas Hub
bard on Axel Heiburg Island. An in
termediate base also will be establish
ed midway between Etah and the base
on the polar sea where supplies will be
kept for emergency use.
Plans Of Expedition.
After Etah is reached it was esti-
mated that more than two weeks
would be required to assemble the
planes, give them test flights and form
the advanced base. Plans of the ex-
pedition and the scientific prepara-
tions that have been made were out
lined by Comdr. Byrd as follows:
THE base on the polar sea will be
either at Cape Columbia. Grant Land.
or Cape Thomas Hubbard, Axel Hell
burg, depending upon which seems to
afford the best landing places en- route
1t is known that there are landing
facilities at the two above e-mentioned
capes.
To load an airplane to the limit is
hard on It's engine, as too many revo-
lutions per minute are required to get
the proper speed of the plane, causing
lagSnnnd n Of
ance.
Therefore an intermediate base
will be formed between the main base
at Etah Tor near Etah). and the base
on the polar sea. This case should be
midway between the two bases or
about $50 miles from Etah. Ammuni-
ton, firearms, engine fuel and food
will be put at both bases, and in addi-
ton the base on the polar sea will
have small tent, some food and
spare parts, radio operator and radio
set, smoke bombs, field glasses, primus
stove, kerosene, planes stakes and
lashing for bad weather. and one
Eskimo and dog. The Eskimo and
dog are taken along as an emergency
measure. in case 1t becomes necessary
to live on the country. At least two
months supply of food will be taken
to the base on the polar sea.
Will Keep Radio Busy.
''If the polar sea base is put at
Cape Thomas Hubbard the first long
fight over The polar sea probably will
be 319 degrees true course This
rhumb line is a spiral but it does not
get very ominous until very near
the pole. 1t passes over problematical
Crocker Land-the land which Pear
thought he saw from Cape Thomas
Hubbard, but which has been called
a mirage. The second course will
probably be 294 degrees true. From
Cape Columbia the first course will
probably be 2S1 degrees true, and the
second 305h degrees true. 1t is not
practicable to attempt to predict any
course other than those due to the
impossibility of foreknowledge of con-
ditions to be encountered.
Great attention will be given to-
ward informing the department by
radio of the character and course of
every flight prior to it's start.
I'm order to steer the rhumb line
given above, variations as high as $50
degrees will be encountered and
changes of variations of about 5 de-
grees will have to be made every 20
miles of travel. The ground speed
therefore will have to be carefully
calculated with the course and dis
tance indicator disc after having OBJ
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