Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-15
BY L.tEt'T. COMDR. r. f.. BYRD.

Leader OF the Byrd Polar Expedition.
KINGS BAY. May l5.-Our sun
compass WAS on trapdOOr in the
top of the navigating compartment
Of the plane, and to get to the
compass | had To stand on a
box and stick my head and shoulders
ont into the windStream A. The rear
edge of the great wing of The plane.
I The sun was toward the north and
he Wing Ind the sun from view.
was compelled to use another com
pass through one of The cabin win
/ doNs of the pilot $ cockpit. Bat dur
ing the short time that | had my
face i'm the WindStream. looking Ton
the sun ana checking Bennett on the
line from Amst erd&m Island ana the
| Hoe Peninsula. my nose and part OF
my face We're frozen My face had
no feeling whatsoever. Luckily !
discovered this in time ana rubbed
| and heat the frozen paris until teet-
ing came back into them.
Finds Hama Frozen.
I had noted. coming mp the coast
that we had the wind from the right
and feared il WAS swinging rs oui OF
course Hence. opened the trapdoor
N the bottom Of the plane I" Get the
amount and direction Of our drift from
onr drift indication by chfinG wit h
il on the SNOW ! had my gloves off
manipula ting the instrument. and soon
found my hand frozen. From that time
! watched my hands and face care
fully in taking observations. Neither
Bennett nor myself We're uncomfOr,-
ably cold as We had the Warn>NSi
clothes thai can he worn--reindeer
skin parkaS and boots lined with
sheepskin and silk. ! wore polar bear
pants and Bennett reindeer skin pants.
We had both seaIsl>in and deerskin
gloves.
The ira ,"ioor in the bottom Of the
rlane gave fine method for taking
the wind drift and found IS had
expected. hat | could tell To within
degree the angle that the wind
was taking MS off or course.
We had heen able to do that on
the FIRST tranSatlan flight and
knew we could do il even better by
sighting on tho ice. When the angle
OF drift is obtained II means that
he ex4ct direction in which the plane
is going over the ground is known.
The fog is the great enemy Of the
air ma vicator. for il is impossible
while fiyirG over fog. 10 tell in what
direction the plane is going or the
~
drift indicator also gives quite &C
curately the speed the plane makes
over the ground. which. on account
of the wind. may differ from the
speed Of the plane through the air.
Checked Course often.
found myself extremely busy on
the average 7 calculated the drift and
speed once every three or four min
utes. and when 7 found any change
in the drift made the corrections for
the course on the sun compass and
then checked Bennett on the new
course. | wrote 2 note TO Bennett
skiing him To do his utmost to keen
on the course prescribed. for | knew
that should the sun stay with us. we
could steer on almost an exact line
to the Pole Without the sun orr
course would he very doubtful. 10,
when nea ring the Pole from All bur
one direction tho compass does not
point north and no on" knows exactly
in what direction il dnos point.
II is not so steady as il * in other
par of The world had on tho pla ne
a ma ghetto compass as large as that
used nv some or The big seacoing ships
and 1t was far more reliable than 2
smaller one would have been. tf the
weather was rough We would be able
10 steer with II. though not perfectly
straight course as can he done when
the weather is calm. With the sun
compass | could tell when Bennett
wa off his course.
! was astonished at The accuracy NJ
his steering. Luck was with us.
There was not a bump in the air. no
inward and downward currents that
tilt the plane and throw the compass
10 spinning. The sun was bright and
we had wonderful view Of the
formidable ice pack. It was covered
everywhere with snow and criss-
crossed with pressure ridges like a
craZv quilt The constant movement
Of the polar ice pack causes ridges
and opens leads Of water. but we. n "
very few such leads that had moi re-
Gently been frozen over with the fresh
snowless ice looking greeniSh against
the white snow around them.
Appearance is DpcPiving.