The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-07-31
WOODEN SHIP
WILL SAIL TO
NEW ZEALAND
Best Equipped Polar Expedi-
ton Leaves for Earth's End
on August Is
STEAM WHALER FOLLOWS
Goal Will Be Reached in Jan.
uary; Program to Take Two
Years Time
BY JOHN l.. COOLEY

(Asscciated Press Science Editor)
Copyright. 1928, Associated Press]
New York. July 3l.--(AP)-T
best equipped polar expedition that
ever set out for one of the uttermost
ends of the earth has been assembled
by Comm. Richard f. Byrd for his
scientific exploration Of the Aatarc-
tic continent.
Three years of preparation for the
first attempt TO fly airplanes on ! lus-
terry, frigid Antarctica are behind
him. and the party is all but ready
for the word TO weigh anchor. Tons
Of supplies enough to last more
than two years-have been tucked
away into the wooden. barque Sam
son. which is scheduled to sail from
Hoboken. N. j.. on August Is with
most Of the expeditions members
and equipment. Another vessel. a
steam whaler, leaves about a month
later with the rest of the party. in
GLIDING the leader.
The first leg of the journey is
5000 miles to Dunedin, New Zealand.
From that port the explorers will
proceed across $500 miles of south
ern ocean to the Bay of Whales on
the Ross Sea - barrier of Antarc-
tica, where the permanent base will
be established. 1t was from this
point, too, that Amundsen set out
on his trip to the pole.
Ice Holds Answer
With good luck. the expedition
should reach its goal late in Decem-
Der or early in January, but the time
Of arrival will depend upon the re-
ception given to the sturdy little
Samson by the south polar ice pack.
Ice movements vary so much from
year to year that it is impossible to
predict sailing conditions. and ad-
venturers into these waters can only
hope for a fairly clear passage.
At best, however, the trip through
the ice is none too easy, even at the
beginning Of the Antarctic summer,
for nowhere in the world are there
larger bergs than off Antarctica' s
coast. Some of these ice mountains,
which tumble into the sea from the
margin of the continental icecap, are
two and three miles long and several
hundred feet high. One of the larg-
est on record was an eight mile berg
that lowered 500 feet above the wa
terline. 1t was reported many years
ago.
Reaching the wall of ice that is
called the Ross Sea Barrier, the
Samson will be at journeys end. Her
passengers, equipment and suppl. IS
will be transferred to the top Of the
ice cliff and when the Antarctic
night descends she will steam back
to civilization to await the time for
her return the following season. The
ice might crush the barque if she
remained through the polar night.
Takes Two Years
No member Of the expedition ex-
poets that the ambitious program
laid out for Byrd and his men can
be accomplished in less than nearly
two years. There may be a still
further delay in leaving the CONT
nent. due to unfavorable conditions
in the pack ice which may block the
Samson on her return trip.
Once on the ice barrier. the party
will establish its base camp, taking
care to make it snug. comfortable
and homelike for the long stay. Then
the aviators, scientists. radio men
and other specialists will set about
their tasks in order that all branches
OF the scientific work - the expedi.
tion is being undertaken primarily in
the interests Of science-can start