Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-22


Antarctic. The envelope is one Of thos
the use of members Of the party.
a ski buried in the snow and we lay on
the~lines while he did 1t. So it went all
day. digging snow blocks, fighting the
/ wind. lying on the lines in gusts and
budding together there for warmth.
hungry. wet and exhausted, We went
into the tent to eat.
Winds Roars to Climax.
Gould did not like for me to get into
the plane to send any messages. and We
couldn't keep our radio schedules with
the base. for at dinner the wind sounded
twice as loud as it had before. 1t
reached a deep note that sounded bad
and the snow was pounding against the
tent and the snow wall. We wondered
why 1t didn't rip the cloth to pieces.
I'VE crawled into our bags for while
to try to get warm, and the Ice under
us was Earring.
1T was probably from the plane. She
was lifting up and down. The skis did
not lift--they were stuck fast--but she
moved up and down on the landing gear
and on the shock absorbers. The wing
tips, held by the ropes, curved down
every time she did it.
1--WE could see her dirnly from the
tent opening, Swaying and tearing at
her fastenings. We didn't see how she
could stand it, but there was nothing
more We could do. We had done our ut
most Sometimes driving sheet OF
snow would blow her out and we would
think she had gone.
About IL 80 the sound Of the wind
suddenly changed from roar and the
sound became thin and higher. There
was q little shake, and we looked out
and saw that the plane had left. She
went straight up and sailed away.
Balchen Blown" to the Plane.
"Out of sight went the plane. into the
darkness and the snow. We felt pretty
badly. but there was nothing to do, so
we turned in.
That was the worst of the storm,
but it had done all 1t could do to US.
You should have seen our faces. We
were miserable looking bunch before,
but we were worse than we looked---so
miserable that we laughed. So we
crawled inside again.
1.-The next morning the wind had gone
down some, and when we went out
there was the plane lying about hail
q mile away looking apparently UNI
injured. We couldn't believe our eyes.
because we had thought she must have
gone to the South Pole.
THE snow blocks around where she
had been anchored were untouched, and
we could see that she had been lifted
straight up and had glided of flying.
The blocks of snow which had been
piled on her skis were strewn along 1or
q quarter OF a mile.
''We wanted to 60 over to her. but
it was too dangerous then on that Icy
surface. A little later Balchen per-
suaded Gould to let him try It, and
wish you could have seen him 90. He
went like a shot. Three steps and ne
was there, sliding. falling and Slowing
all over the place.
..Did YOU tack. Bernt?' he was asked.
AT did everything else, SO I guess
I tackled. too replied Bernt, with flash
Of his white teeth.
Craft Flew to Her Destruction.
"But he had a hard time coming
back" June continued. I'VE could see
him edRing his way back on his stom-
ach, crawling along with his knife and
a ski stick to hold him from being
blown away.
"He was long time returning.
When he got back he said: Well, she's
a wreck
I'VE knew 1t. but had hoped against
hope. In the afternoon We were all
able to 60 over. for the wind was only
blowing 40 miles an hour, nothing at
all after what We had had, and there
was no more loose snow to drift. The
plane lay about so feet from where she
had first hit. Ill.
THE ice was all splintered there. ]
forgot to tell you that the whole basin
was ice under thin coating of snow.
because in the Summer water runs on
the mountain sides and makes regu-
lar pool in the valley In which we were
camped.
"The plane had bounced after that
first smash and then skidded to rest
ing place.
she landed at q gliding angle and a
little on the left wing. The controls
were dashed and she just few backward,
but was not going very fast when she
hit.
Radio Outfit Strewn Half Mile.
eve went inside and everything that
was loose was lying all over the cabin
The radio transmitter. which had been
hung on springs, was lying on the floor
and the springs were Strengthened out.
THE antenna, which had been fast
ened to skis outside, had been taken
along with the plane, skis and all, and
when she. hit the wire had broken on
at the fuselage.
I'VE found the antenna wrapped
around the skis as neatly as IL We had
done it ourselves about a half mile
| from the plane. They must have hit
rolling.
"The ship itself was a sad sight. The
! lonerOnS and struts were bent and
| twisted. The skis were not hurt, but
one of the pedestals had been torn In
| two.
! 1.-The propeller had evidently been
turning fast, for the ends of all three
blades were curled up the way they are
| in q full-throttle crash. The steel struts
of the landing gear were split and
| curled back like the skin on banana.
THE most remarkable thing was that
1.-THE wing was practically unchanged,
| except that the bow on the left wing
! tin was broken for about three feet. It
| could be repaired in few hours.
THE tail from the radio installation
| back was in perfect condition and the
| tail surfaces were not even touched.
Radiation Hook-up Made.
I'VE had some peanut tubes and
decided to try to solder them TO the
wires OF the transmitter in place OF
regular tubes with screwdriver for a
soldering iron and the little solder that