Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-19

failure to meet them as adequately as
possible
On his short exploration flight the
other day it was found that not COM
pass on the plane worked because Of
the proximity of the magnetic pole. It
is believed that this difficulty may be
overcome.
Compass Use Difficult.
He must also in all flights. except the
one to the Pole, cut across meridiaEs
and lines of compass variation and this
makes the use of sun compass and mag
netic compaSseS, even the earth inductor
compass, much more difficult.
What it would mean to be without
sight because of an overcast sky and
unreliable compaSses when flying over
this country at a speed of 80 miles an
hour may be imagined. In very short
time one might penetrate to distance
where rescue might be impossible. where
1t would be too far to walk back.
These navigational problems have
been uppermost in Comdr. Byrds mind
for many months, even with all the
other details of the expedition crowding
his mind, and upon his solution of them
depends to a large degree his success.
One dwells on this subject Of prep
aration because it is not possible until
one has been here to realize what ex
plorers mean when they talk about It,
Home and all the things which a man
may call to his aids in civilized COM
munities are long way off.
Listens in Loneliness.
This country grows on one despite its
loneliness, or perhaps because of it..
After an airplane fight to the base it
was q tremendous contrast to go out to
the base with dog team over winding
trail. past pressure ridges and small
cracks through which the seals make
inuuisitive noises. The bay ice then
seems a great plain. varied only In its
contours. silent. rigid and beautiful.
Sverre Strom. who loves the ice and has
seen all the myriad colors of the polar
ice, who has experienced this terrible
silence and menace, took me with him.
and when we were coming back, riding
behind the softly padding dogs. he
turned around and said: Sometimes
1 stop here all alone and you can hear
your heart"
Not the sound Of your heart. Strom
meant. but your heart itself speaking
strange things, uplifted, perhaps, all
by the limitless white
There is nothing more purely white
than the light here reflected from the
snow. All the changes In color, the
softly glowing shadow of the barrier
cliffs. the shadows with just hint of
rose in them. are caused by the back
ing up OF this pure white light.
Prism Colors Glisten.
And as one rides along the trail or
trots behind the dog team, the surface
CLEANS with gems, points of fire re-
fiected from the perfect crystals Of the
snow. They look like opals glowing
with changing and marvellous color.
No larger and no longer snow crystals
have ever been seen than down here,
made of almost pure water vapor, and
the color comes from the cumulative
effect of the prisms in these many
large crystals. The effect is almost
startling when first seen, for it is some
thing unknown except in polar regions
where the air is pure.
The dogs trot along with their load
at even dog trot. the runners sweeping
over the dry surface, and not another
sound except the calls OF. the driver to
his leader or the snap Of the whip over
their sides.
Our legs get tired after time, and
as the load is only little more than
har a ton, we Jump ABOARD 10 rlue
short distance. Far ahead Is another
dog team, for the ice Is secure enough
so that teams may become separated
with safety.
Barrier Bounds Plain.
On either side the plain Of white
stretches to the cliffs of the barrier,
those cliffs which seemed so low from
the airplane, but which become more
imposing as they are approached more
| closely. But we never go within more
than a hundred yards of them.
The first obstruction is a long pres
sure ridge about halfway out, which
lies directly across the path. There is
a gentle slope up through a narrow
passage and short drop down on the
other side. Beyond the trail begins to