Evening star., 1928-04-23
Continued from First Page

We would have given much to have
been able To sound thereahout but
our experience in getting off at Bar
row and the chance of breaking our
| light wooden ski brought me to the
decision that 1t was too hazardous to
land for just one sounding. There
| were places we might have landed In
an emergency, as We landed twice last
| year. but getting of would have been
very different matter II we should
see new land with extraordinary fea-
| lures and perfect landing surface
a landing might perhaps be worth the
risk,
Our engine functioned perfectly
The sun was clear and we'll above the
horizon. Frequent SeXtant obScrva-
tons kept uS more or less on our
course, but even without those obServa-
tionS our ordinary boat navigator'S
/ magnetic compass behaved much IN
/ the ordinary way, reading within few
! degrees of what We figured II should
read at its position.
/ We were quite comfortable In the
plane The temperature in the cabin
at the start had been - degrees
Fahrenheit. In 8 hours 1t had dropped
! to 10 degrees above. Outside il was
20 below when We started
| In latitude S4, longitude rs, we could
see slightly west OF north dark clouds
/ that We might have mistaken for. or
] which might even have been. land
clouds. But we assumed that Pearv
! would surely have seen land If ii existed
( in that vicinity. Soon after reach
Ing the position mentioned. the cloud
bank of Grant Land coast blanket cd
the ice clouds and extended for many
miles and ranged high.
Above Low Clouds.
The machine, which by this time car
, rico a normal load. climbed above the
/ lowest clouds at 5000 feet The highest
/ banks were too high TO climb over.
| We lodged some and plowed through
/ others We had hoped to check our
! course by actually sighting Grant Land
/ in the distance but heavy high storm
ahead gave us an excuse to turn more
southerly, and in half hour. Just
l3 hours from starting. We cauaht
/ fieetlng glimpSes OF the tops of Grant
/ Land Mountains peeping through the
clouds
] Our course turned sharply there The
/ real flight of exploration was over.
/ But we still had 900 miles TO GO 10
/ reach our goal Guided by the suns
| position aud our compass. We headed
straight for Spitzbergen. Through the
/ clouds we caught glimpSeS OF ice be-
| meath us. Our drift indicator showed
| strong wind in our favor On the
/ far horizon toward Greenland a heavy.
/ stormy sky forbade a Ss-fiight to
/ that ice-covered country. so We edged
| along the storm area. Our course here
1 was almost due east. The wind was at
our back
Three hours after sighting Grant Land
one lone peak OF the most northerly
/ end OF Greenland showed dimly in the
! clouds far 10 the southwark Each
hour Ben EielSon swung the ship
steadily on the plotted course, and as
the course trended southwark the wind
swung speeding us on our way
II had been 48 degrees below zero
Fahrenheit In free air since heading
out from Grant Land and flying close
to so north latitude 300 miles from
/ the North Pole. which was as close
as We planned to gop; in the cabin
the temperature had dropped down TO
zero. 1t was then that hot coffee from
thermos bottles. chocolate and biscuits
we're acceptable.
Obscured In Clouds.
The high northwest wind and low
temperature were sure to lead to trouble
were IL TO meet the warmer open water
and warm air at Svalbard Sure
enough 1t did We left the clouds be-
hind at Greenland Within 200 miles
OF SVaibard high curling cloud masses
lose to heights that even our now
lightly loaded plane could not reach
Ben climbed the machine 10 5000 feet
and selected the lanes between the
feathery masses Observations for
ground speed and drift were nov no
longer possible We had to trust the
observed suns position and our compass.
For one hour and half we few
through cloud lanes. seeing merely a
dark streak Of almost ice-free water
beneath us. We figured IL the wind
had held IN our favor we should be
nearly at the mountains on the north
end OF SVaibard. but even the highest
mountain tops would be cloud-coyered
We could not go beneath the clouds
for fear OF running into the noun
tains
Our engine had burned much gaso-
line. We knew We had gas for two.
perhaps three, hours more II only
the weather were clear. we should have
no trouble 10 locate IT, To go too far
east, even II we landed safely. would
take US far inland and probably mean
a tedious Journey on foot over noun
tainE and glaciers Too far vest might
force as down In the sea Southwark
the clouds seemed lower. 50 We turned
in that direction hoping 10 spy noun
tain peaks and locate our exact posi-"
ton.
Sharp Peaks Appear.
Suddenly two sharp peaks. almost
needle pointed. appeared beneath uE.
Down we spun through break In the
clouds for a closer view The air was
turbulent above the heavy clouds. and
between and beneath them IL was
bOisterols. Our now almost empty
plane was tossed like a cork on
stormy ocean Loose things III the
cabin tumbled and ratified With Moth
ing 10 hold on To, could not keep
my seat Eieisons valuable training
and skill then proved It's worth Win
the plane nosed down and engine fun
on. he held her as she bucked ike
broncho.
Close to the ice ~streWn water the
wind was furious Salt spray whipped
from the sea filled the air. Over the
land the snow drifted high and thick.
To Judge distance was impossible.
smooth patch Of gnow covered land
flashed by for a moment, then dead
ahead a mountain doomed. With
quick SWefye u was aVolued ny mar
row margin We swung broad8ide 10
the wind and grabbed low over the
water. Soon IL appeared that what We
had missed was an island. The
glimpse WAS 100 neeting TO identify H.
A. We we're running short of gas,
the safest procedure WAS 10 find the
smooth spot we had noticed and Try
10 land ! asked Eiei8on 10 DO this.
Practically blinded by the snow and
oil on his windshield, he landed with
the same Akill and perception with
which be- brought down our plane In
/ Lhe dark on the ice near Point Barrow