Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-29
Explorer Sees Over Great
Ice Field and Into
Hinterlands.
RADIO TELLS STORY
Crisp Messages Describe
Findings of Three
Aboard Plane.
BY RUSSELL OWEN.


LITTLE AMERICA, Antarctica, jan
uary 29.-Comdr. Byrd has done it
again. While his second ship was COM
ing in. while his men were working
desperately at both the base and at
the edge of the bay ice, he took ad-
vantage of few hours of good weather
yesterday and made his first long flight
1t was full of accomplishment, plan
ned and executed perfectly, and all of
the mountain ranges and other things
hitherto unseen have been added to
the map of this mysterious land
And, what is more, he managed to
peep over the inaccessible ice field
which hides a vast area east of the
King Edward sector and catch a
glimpse of a fascinating hinterland.
Expedition Moves Methodically.
Perhaps never did the various di-
methodically and accurately, for while
the fight was on from the radio
room of the bark City of New York
could be heard the buzzing of the
planes signals through a loud speaker.
A sound that thrilled every one aboard
until they laughed and yelled and
urged the ship harder into the ice they
were trying to break-the steamship
Eleanor Boiling hove in sight from the
north and came down to join u.s.
Now she is anchored alongside the
barrier, unloading as if at dock, her
wincheS rafting and with booms swing
ing while men rush the material taken
off up gentle slope to the firm top OF
the barrier
Byrd's fight was undertaken as
casually as flight over Long Island.
He was all ready for it, the plane was
equipped and tanks filled and he was
merely waiting for good weather which
had deserted us for a few days. Night
before asst it began to clear and yester-
day morning a soft blue sky and bright
sun shone down on the dazzling snow
fields. Only a few tiny fiecks of clouds
were to be seen, brisk wind was blow
ing from the southwest and everything
indicated that the thick weather had
gone out to sea for hundreds of miles
to the east. Cyclone" Haines, our
meteorologist, sent up a balloon at the
camp and found winds of 20 to 30
miles an hour at varying attitudes up to
a mile This satisfied him that the
weather had really moved away and he
might be undertaken in the afternoon.
So after Sunday dinner in the fore
castle, dinner of chicken and mince
pie, Comdr. Byrd said: Well, We might.
as. we'll CO. 1t looks good,' and climbed
over the side into sled driven by Jack
Dursey to make the run out to the
camp.
Ski Runner Overtakes Dogs.
-E IL s,a
structions for the plane and they were
discovered when he was about mile
away. Chris Braathen, fast ski run
ner put on his skis and chased the dog
team nearly to the camp before he
caught up with it. When the command
er arrived there, he found the motor
of the plane already being warmed up
SO anxious were Balchen and June to get
away on this first historic fight.
Balchen was pilot and June, who is
good radio operator as well as a pilot.
was to work the radio. Byrd chuckled
as he saw the motor running and saw
the enthusiasm of the crew. He walked
over to the plane, looked over his equip
ment, put his navigation instruments
and charts aboard and then had
brief conference with Larry Gould, his
chief lieutenant on the ice. Together,
they checked the chronometers and ad-
justed the sun compass and fastened
this invaluable little instrument in its
place.
Aides Wish Them Good Luck.
Balchen was in the plane warming
the motor, and when he nodded that it
was all right June got in and settled
himself at the rear of the cabin be-
tween his radio instruments, with
radio helmet strapped on his head.
Gould shook hands with the commander
and then the others crowded around
him and wished him good luck. He
smiled and stepped inside, and every
one at the camp tried to close the door.
When it was finally shut and men
backed out of the cold slipstream from
the propeller Balchen gave her the gun
and with the aid of those outside broke
the skis loose from the snow. He
TAXED far up on hill toward the
north to get good run. There was
never such flying field as this. The
camp is just on the edge of slight de-
preston which runs for 2 or miles
In one direction and at least mile and
half in the other A fairly smooth
untouched snow desert, ideal for flying
with skis. The plane was heavily
loaded. with total load of nearly 5,700
pounds, but when 3alchen opened up
and headed down the Slop toward the
houses and the little group Of anxiously
watching men the skis worked so per-
fectly that in 80 seconds the plane was
in the air and climbing rapidly toward
the south After gaining altitude he
circled and Byrd put the plane on the
course for Scott'S Nunataks. Inciden-
tally, he hit them right on the nose after
a flight of 180 miles. There was not