Imperial Valley press., 1928-10-09
BYRD PREPARED
TO DEPART UPON
ANTARCTIC TRIP
Famous Explorer Hopes
to Leave Los Angeles
Wednesday Morning.
Dy United Press Leased Wire

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9.-The
Whaler c. A. Larsen arrived at Los
Angeles harbor today and by noon
tomorrow it will be under way for
the South Pole with the expedition
of Commander Richard Byrd.
Byrd was reported completely re-
covered from his recent illness and
the entire Antarctic caravan in con
dition to proceed as soon as supplies
were loaded on the Larsen.
These supplies include a Ford all
metal trimotored cabin ship,
single motored Fokkcr, a Fairchild
plane and a smaller cabin plane,
each equipped for aerial mapping.
Three other vessels-the Eleanor
Eolling (named after Byrd IS mother)
the City of New York and the Ross
will converge at New Zealand to
escort the Larsen and offer what as
sistanee possible, to aid in the at
tempt to conquer the Antarctic.
The City of New York, a wood
en- ice ship, designed for sail and
steam, is reported in the vicinity
of Galapagos Island. The Eleanor
Boiling and the Ross, the latter
carrying 100 slcdgc dogs on a spec
ial deck, are in the Panama Canal
district.
The vessels will serve as "mother
ships assisting the expedition in
breaking through the ice floes when
they reach the frozen Bay of
Whales.
Thousands of miles of hitherto un-
known territory will be explored.
Seek Information
Air currents, ground formations,
climatic conditions and every bit of
available information will be wrest-
ed from the frigid region, inhabited
only by seals and penquins.
Byrd said the voyage is not a
''mad dash - to the south pole but
is the result of three years of care
full preparation, undertaken in the
interests of scientific knowledge.
For three years we have pre-
pared for this expedition Byrd
said eff we wanted to make
dash of it we could have been
prepared long ago.
When we reach our goal we may
stay a year, and, if necessary, three
years to obtain the information we
desire.
From New Zealand we will sail
south to the edge of the ice barrier,
heading for the Bay of Whales. We
will proceed as far south with the
ships as we can, even if we have
to stand on and off for weeks wait
ing for the ice to break away. And
when the ships have done their
best, we will land and set up
basc.'
A village of five portable houses,
with an administration building
connected by tunnel with the mess
hall, two bunk houses and n machine
shop, will comprise the base and
serve as the home of the 20 members
of the expedition.
Experts Aboard
From this headquarters the work
of penetrating the unchartered re-
gion around the south pole will be
undertaken.
The planes will fly back and forth
for thousands of miles, photographs
ing as they soar overhead
Meteorologists, topographcrs, ge-
ologists, magnetic experts and men
thoroughly vcrsed in electrical var
iations and radiology, will be kept
busy, each at his own task reveal
ing the secrets of the uninhabited
area.
Among those accompanying Byrd
will be Willard Nanderveer, pho
tographer, who took the pictures in
Byrd s epochal north polar flight;
Charles Lofgren, U. s. Ne, Lieut..
Ralph Shropshire, U. s. A. naviga-
tion officer and scientist; Russell
Owen, New York Times correspond
cnt; Sergeant Roth Richard G.
Brophy, Byrd IS business manager,
and Bcrnt Balchen.
Igloo, the fox TERROR that Com
mandcr Byrd took along ON the
north pole flight will accompany
his illustrous master to the other
end of the world.
Byrd s wife who accompanied him
to, Los Angeles will see him off at
the dock. After Byrd s departure
she will return to New York with
her two children.