Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-27
BYRD D|SCL0SES
ANTARCTIC PLANS
Hopes to Spend Winter of
1928 on Great Ice
Barrier Exploring.

Further plans for his projecte t
flight over the South Pole to view Q
| continent twice az large az the Unitet
States were revealed by Comdr. Rich
ard f. Byrd. hero Of the epochal North
Pole flight. at a dinner rendered him
at the Metropolitan Club last night ~
Col. f. Lester Jones, director OF IT,
Coast and Geodetic Survey. Although
Condr. Byrd said several days ago he
hoped to make the proposed Antarctic
flight, his plans were amplified last
night before distinguished group OF
| members OF Congress and chiefs OF
more than a dozen Government bu
| reaus In Washington.
Bennett F'loyd Bennett. his com
pa Mon on the North Pole fight and
have not yet announced we're goinR
| there" Comdr. Byrd said. I'VE wa nj
to 60. and we are planning to, but we
are not yet certain of it, IL We ever
get under way, we will leave Wash
ington In September, leave New Yea
land about November and arrive q,
the great ice barrier in December. We
will then spend the Winter on the ice
400 miles long and 200 feet thick, be
ginning a thousand miles from the
South Pole
Plans Base Series.
Comdr. Byrd said he does not plan
| to make one long serial dash to thu
South Pole as he did at the northern
| extremity of the earth. Instead, hs
said he plans to put down bases every
200 miles, supplied with gasoline and
| oil. land at these ba ses In flight IL nee
essary, and use them az bases for any
land exploration that may be made.
We hope TO be able to fy over thu
Antarctic continent and over the pole
| 10000 feet above sea level. To do this
We must cross ranges 10000 fee,
high" Comdr. Byrd said the party to
go into the Antartic will consist oil
about 100 men, including many scien
| tific men, who will investigate the
| fora and fauna peculiar only to tbs
Antarctic continent and ice barrier
| surrounding It.
The trip to the ice barrier will be
| made by ship, the vessel to be sent
back to the States as soon as a perma
| nent base 10 set up, because she might
be caught in the ice and broken up II
| kept in the Antarctic during the six
months Winter.
Our object will not be simply to
| fly over the Pole" Comdr. Byrd said
1T will also be to shed light on the
| physical phenomena In the Antarctic
information from this UNEMPLOYED area
twice the size OF the United States"
Use Three Planes.
He explained that three planes
would be used in the Antarctic dash
from which tremendous Territory
never before viewed by man. could
be seen and mapped.
I'VE expect to find no life at the
Pole" he added.
Comdr Byrd paid tribute to the
ticulariy to Scott, who reached the
Pole to find the Norwegian flag placed
there by Amundsen. Scott took a
picture of the flag and the area sur
rounding the Pole to make certain
proof that Amundsen had been there
before him." ne said.
Col. Jones predicted that two years
from last night the same company
that attended the dinner would gather
to pay tribute to Comdr. Byrd as the
man who had flown over both ends
Of the earth.
Comdr. Byrd was pictured a. the
iHdH WHO mas Ine greatest OPPORTUNITY
Of any young American by Comdr
Fitzhugh Green, famous writer OF
Arctic stories. 'He is the only ex.
plorer who has remained human
through all his glory" he said.
Grass Lands Byrd.
Senator Glass or Virginia made a
short address of tribute to Comdr
Byrd. declaring that he has been
characterized by a dauntless spirit
and should be content to let well
enough alone
His restless spirit and audacity
will lead him to take on added enter
prise" he said.
Guests at the dinner were:
DR.. Pierce Penhallow. Dr. Char ies
Henry Butler. Mr.. Compton, Miller
Kenyon, Comdr. Green, j. H. Van
Wagenen. Comdr. Adams. W. NJ.
Steuart. Henry OMalley, F. v. Co.
vile, II. n. Graves, Lieut.. Col. U. S.
Grant, Sd, George o. Vass, Thomas
Byrd. Cmdr. Byrd, Senator Glass,
Representatives Montague, Moore,
Temple, White, Harrison, and Drewry,
DR.. J. c. Merriam. DIR. Julius Klein,
DIR. G. K. Burgess. Scott Turner,
Thomas K. Robertson, George Otis
Smith, d. B. Carson. Capt r. l..
Faris, III. NJ. Albright. Gilbert H.
Grosvenor and DR.. Gregg Birdsall.