Evening star., 1926-05-20
POLAR ICE FIELD
IS WITHOUT LIFE
Norge Saw Nothing Animate
From Early in Trip to
Point Barrow.
BY FREDRIK RANIM.

BY FREDRlk RAMM.
WITH THE NORGE AT TELLER.
Alaska, Via Nome, May 1S.-An i'll
teresting observation made on the
transpolar flight of the Norge was the
non-existence of birds and animals on
The polar ice. Having behind us the
islands of SpitZenbergen and the north
coast of Europe with millions of Arctic
birds. the last living creatures oh
served were white fish swimming in
little lead some miles from the pack
of ice. White bears tracks on the ice
Indicated however, the possibility OF
reals living up TO latitude SO. From
over the Pole and down to the Alas
kan coast no tracks, no animals and
no birds were observed i'll the white
desert.
The first bird seen after Point Bar
row was in sight was a ssull. lmmedi-
Ately afterNard fox tracks. 100. We're
observed on the ice. The first men
observed We're Eskimos on the coast
between Point Barrow and Vain
wright. Reused by the heavy sound
of the airShips engines. they hurried
out OF their skin huts to look after the
ship going southwark in the snow
>qualI.
Prefers Airship 20 Plane.
When the Amundsan- Ellsworth ex-
pediton in 1925 opened the new era
of polar exploring by Lsnz; tiyin@
boats several experts declared that
he airship was better than planes.
The .Amundsen- EllsWo Mobile eX-
Nedition makes it possible to compare
the experience Of both expeditions.
The technical expert and second in
command of bo,h expeditions was
Lieut.. Riser Larsen, who declares
that in his opinion the a.rShip is by
far the most fitted for the longer
flights in the Arctic regions. For
exploring small regions he thinks air
planes may be better. on condition
they have a mother ship or other
good base.
The airship." he declared. sis best
for flights as long as that recently
made for the reasons pointed out be
fore the expedition started the air
ship having a longer flying range.
great lifting capacity and Icing less
dependent on landing places than
planes During the last expedition. as
noted on 1925 flight no good landing
places for planes were found on polar
ice. the ice being broken up every
where and there being only few small
leads in the ice.
Few Leads Near Pole.
Generally speaking. the ice surface
is equal all over the polar basin. II
lnaN be the leads are fewer in the
region between the geographical pole
and the ice pole than on the pole
and the European side. In any case
the difference is not great.
our experience shows that new
airships for polar exploring should
lie so constructed that it is possible
10 rise more quickly to go over fog
and clouds and to avoid the risk of
being loaded down by a crust OF ice
one Of the most serious dangers for
an airship in the polar regions. All
metallic construction. outside the
ship and engines, should be covered
completely. No ropeS-wireS should
be placed outside-all instruments
being mounted in the cabins TO AVOID
fee forming on them.
The success OF the expedition
should result in investigating the pos
sibiitieS Of regular alrShip routes
over the Arctic regions. Several other
important results of our experiences
may be published later on when sclen-
tifically worked out.
Copyright. 1920. by the New York Times
and ST. Louis Globe Democrat
The Landing of the Norge.
The missing section Of Mr.. Rdmr1's
dispatch of Sunday last. describing
hou, the dirShip 1rdS brought to earth
at Teller and held there under great
difficulties, GrriUcd yesterday. Here
Il is.
BY FREDERIK RAMM.
WITH THE NORGE AT TELLER,
Alaska. via Nome, Sunday, May 16
--{Di6patch Continued).-The flights
most exciting moments came at the
~ k0.A HN-Ssf
time an airship was landed without
assistance from the ground, and the
difficulties and excitement for the
crew were much increased by the fact
that the landing took place on an
unknown coast in bad weather after
three days of hard work.
After the landing place was chosen
On an ice-covered lagoon near Teller,
n bag 20 yards long and Is inches
In diameter filled with different
things, making a total weight Of 500
pounds, was lowered, to which was
fixed by steel wire two ice anchors.
The airship made some rounds over
the lagoon going lower and lower.
About 200 yards over the ground the
bag was dropped on the ice with the
anchors. Happily, the wind slackened.
The ice anchors, however, did not
get hold on the ice and the airship
went at great speed toward the viii
iage. The engines were stopped while
the gas was blown out of the bal
looms About 100 yards from the
beach, the airship being about 25
yards from the ground, landing ropes
were taken by Teller inhabitants.
More gas was blown out and the air
ship bumped on the ice. Some of the
crew jumped out and also caught the
landing ropes, and the airship at
last lay quiet on the ice only 100
yards from the nearest cottage. with
out the least damage, it seemed to
the crew, as they jumped down on the
ice from the little height.
The ship was quiet, and more gas
was blown out. Then came rather
hard winds, throwing the ship on her
side and some of the airShip'S metallic
construction was injured. The dam
age proved later on to be easily re-
paired.
After the landing the last of the
gas was blown out, the airShipS s
anchor fixed in the ice and the crew
commenced to take ashore the most
valuable OF the scientific and naviga-
tion instruments and their personal
effects to save these if stronger winds
should carry the airship away during
the night.
This, however, did not happen, so
fhe crew caught their first sleep since
leaving Spitzbergen.
tCopyright' 1926, by the New York Times
and St. Louis Globe-Democrat.)
urv cxx-Onnrr VEAx-ES NOME