The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-22
BYRD TO SPEND
TWO YEARS IN
SOUTH REGION
Purpose of Trip Is to Fill in
Blank Spaces on Map. Com
mander Says
FOUR SHIPS TO SAIL.
Secrets of South Pole Expected
10 Be Brought Back Is
Months Hence
FOUR SHIPS TO SAIL.

Months Hence
Los Angeles, Oct. 22.-The last Of
the worlds great secrets.
What arc they?
That is what Commander Richard
r. Byrd is bound for the South Pole
to iearn-learn and inform the
world. To do that Byrd and his
crew Of 70 men will spend from u
months to three years in the most
desolate region on this earth, q re-
zion of snow and ice devoid OF any
signs of life.
Has Four Ships
-Four ships are now carrying
Byrd's party to New Zealand, their
last stopping place before hopping
off for the unknown. The City OF
New York, a wooden ice ship
equipped for both sail and steam;
the eleanor Boiling, q steel steamer;
the Ross, carrying 100 sledge dogs;
and the C. A. Larsen, q Norwegian
whaler. all are somewhere on the
pacific. Byrd, his four airplanes
and aviation crew are aboard the
G. A. Larsen, which recently sailed
from Los Angeles.
drilling in the blank spaces on
the map-that is our purpose" says
Rvrd. ITO do that will require
many months. If I had wanted to
make a dash there and back, could
have prepared in a month or 50 ana
probably have been home again by
now. Instead we have been prepar-
ing for three years.
"When we get there we arc gong
to STAY and work. There IS q great
deal to be accomplished and ! don't
intend to return until it is. l have
experts in meteorology, topography,
geology and magnetic fields among
NV shipmates. Each will nave MS
own work to do when we get locKeo
in the ice. When we come out we
will bring the secrets Of the South
Polar regions with US.
TO Study Air Strata
"Meteorologv will form an I'M
nortant mart of the work. STUDY
If the air strata, Of air movements
and climatic conditions will give US
a new knowledge of the world ;
weather that is coming, perhaps sew
eral wears in the future.
"Doubtless we will reach the
South Pole at least we hope to.
Rut that isn't the important thing.
IT is the information regarding the
entire region that counts, not mere
" reaching the pole. We can easily
stav down there for year and q
half and could spend two years with
out much difficulty. Perhaps we
shall remain even longer snoulo
like to if necessary to complete our
work. We might have to live on
seals and penguins, but that won't
do US any HARM"
Byrd and the part Of his crew
that is with him O., the Z. A. Lar
son will 90 aboard the smaller YES
sells at New Zealand. taking with
them the four airplanes, a Ford tri-
motored monoplane, single mo-
tored Fokker, Fairchild ana q
smaller cabin plane. Each OF these
ships is equipped for aerial photog-
ranhv and it is with them that the
thousands Of miles of wasteland Will
be studied and mapped. :.
"From New Zealand we will sail
south to the edge Of the ice barrier,
continued Byrd. 1--WE will push the
ships as far south as possible, even
II we have to stand off for a few
weeks waiting for the ice to break.
When the ships have done their
best, we will land and set up our
permanent base"
Base Is Real Village
This base, which will be the Gen.
ter of all the work, will consist OF
five portable bouses-an admins
tration building, mess hall, two bunk
houses and a machine shop where
the airplanes will he kept in condi-
ton.
Here, cut off entirely from CIV
ilization - except for radio COM
munication - the party OF ~ men
and Byrd's dog, Igloo. will make
their home for q year and a half or
longer. Each airplane is equipped
with a radio outfit and there will
be a central radio station, one OF
the best in the world, at the base.
It is with this larger radio station
that Byrd hopes to keep in daily
communication with the United
States. -. =.
tDon't give me all the credit"
says Byrd. my men deserve every
bit as much as / do. They vii! sui
fer the same hardships and do as
much work as / will. Without them
] could do nothing"
The region toward which the ex-
plorers are headed is without life as
Tar as known. It is in the ice Pc
Rod. Along the edge Of the ice bar.
rier are found few specimens Of
sea life, including seals, killer
whales and peguins. But farther
-.