Evening star., 1928-04-24
FLOYD BENNETT.

pairs fur mittens one pair sealskin
mittens, silk snow shirts and snow
covers for our fur clothing.
Three hundred and seventy gallons OF
gasoline and IL gallons OF oil were load
ed in the plane Navigation problems,
covering many probable days, hours OF
starting and wind conditions. were
worked out and plotted on separate
charts. Our short-wave wireless was
tested and then husbanded for the
fight. II ran for many hours on the
actual fight, but finally gave out.
All these things were done before
April 5. the day set for starting. The
weather promised fair for that date, but
unsettled conditions commenced. un-
I'll then we had worked regular hours.
but from then until the 18th. when we
actually started. our rest was fltful.
The time was anxious and the work Ia
borious. On Saturday, the 7th. we
made the first attempt to get of, but
could not leave the runway. The plane
swerved. hit q snowbank and broke one
metal ski We replaced the metal ski
with wooden ones, carried to Point Bar
row in the plane
Next Wednesday, we tried again. We
ran over the runway and over hui
In the distance. but failed to lift. No
damage was done.
Fail on Friday, 18th.
On Friday the 18th we tried the third
time. The weather was ideal and fore
casts were good. but the unlucky day.
or conditions. were against us. We
failed again.
Then came back breaking work for 43
hours shoveling snow. On Sunday, the
local wind and weather were in our
favor. but a storm in the Point Barrow
vicinity was indicated We hoped To
leave it behind Predictions as far as
Grant Land were favorable. In a tenn
perature of 20 below zero We started,
rose from the ice and climbed at once
into the air.
The machine was absolutely perfect
and our estimate OF the weather proved
correct A clear horizon greeted us.
The wind, from the east. was light.
Near Point Barrow we crossed high
pressure ridge and then for SO miles
we saw pack ice, broken and scattered.
There was no salvation there II the
engine failed. The leads were boomer
ang shaped, hooked aroun6 Point Bar
row.
In the next so miles We crossed rough
pack ice from low-latiiude dredging.
IT seemed TO be the result Of naavy
pack coming from the northwest and
moving east. grinding against the shore
and pressed by lighter ones moving west.
The direction of the Ice falls indicated
u7e direction OF greatest movement and
pressure The solid snow drifts trended
east and west. which seemed very odd.
On the ice. In which there were no
leads, the snow drifts weEe piled high
k<e.ffN fNaR
Wind Is Very Light.
For about 200 miles we crossed this
old type Of foe. The wind by this time
had swung to the northeast and was
very light. interfering but little. II
appeared to be about the general wind
direction throughout the Winter.
Nearing latitude T3. narrow leads ran
east and west on our course. but 10 the
westward they swung to the northwest.
showing that there lay some obstruction
TO prevent drift To the eastward
We came TO that obstruction In the
form Of a neighborhood where old.
probably fast, Ice had been re-
ported We saw conditions that might
indicate this was so. Rounded hum
mocks OF clear ice giistened In the sun.
II looked at It's center as solid as a
glacier, but the rounded hummocks
were unquestionably sea Ice. The snow
drifts were blanked clouds. probably the
result of conflicting winds IN that
locality. The wind above the clouds
was from the northwest. The clouds
seemed stationary. The general wind
direction, we judged from the few miles
Of old pack Ice before going above
clouds, was from the northwest,
Meeting clouds in that interesting
point was exasperating Land in that
vicinity would best suit our meterologi"
cal plans. What lay beneath that
l20-mile belt OF cloud is still secret.