Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-21
BYRD CLAIMS ANTARCTIC AREA
EXPLORED BY PLANES FOR u. S.
Continued from First Page.

Continued from First Page.
fight by Byrd and the other mapping
flight by Mckinley the efficiency OF
this method of discovery was abundant
~ proved.
On the first flight Byrd made to the
Scott Nunataks he thought that he saw
high land to the east, and on his re-
turn he went in that direction and
found the Rockefeller Range.
| AT this time also he thought he saw
a mountain far to the east. On his
next flight that way he again saw this
! mountain, more clearly this time. and
! it became known as his pet mountain
because of the fascination it held for
! him. He was sure that high land lay
in that direction.
| When Mckinley flew over that way
to map the Rockefeller Range the visi-
| bility had improved so greatly that he
not only saw the commanders pet
mountain" standing up 5000 or 10000
| feet, but also long range to the east
southeast Of it which disappeared over
the horizon
More Peaks Farther East.
Two peaks had also been sighted due
east of the Rockefeller Range, which
| it must be remembered runs roughly
| northeast and southwest beginning at
point about SO miles south of the
Scott Nunataks, peaks which were ap-
parently as far or farther away than
the new range to the southwest.
And Byrd, who penetrated the long
distance to the south yesterday, saw
what he believed to be high land at
almost the exact point where Amund-
sen, on his trip to the Pole, reported
the appearance of land" This was
about half way between the Bay of
Whales and the AXel Heiberg Glacier
So it can be seen that in almost
every direction to the east, southeast
+ and south from our base, land has
been sighted, with the probability that
mountain ranges and high land extend
as far as the cruising. radius of the
planes.
The results so far offer a very hope
full prospect for next years work
Conldr. Byrd believes the season is too
late for exploration flights now ana
will cGnflne the aviation work to flights
for the recording by accompanying of
the interesting territory near the base
and as much as possible of the region
penetrated on past trips of exploration.
To Capt. Mckinley Dean Smith,
the pilot, and Lloyd v. Berkner. the
radio operator on the mapping fight
yesterday, Byrd has given the honor
of discovering the new range to the
east, although he himself first sighted
the highest peak.
Was Sure Land Lay There.
Nothing could show more perfectly
the dramatic character of the unex-
pected in Antarctic exploration than
the work of yesterday Discoveries leap
hn oil 0Hv
in the course of a few hours.
The first flight of the day was
planned as a trip to the north of King
Edward VII Land, and an attempt to
push further in the direction where
Comdr. Byrd was turned back by
snowstorm at his first flight. He was
convinced, as was Scott, that land ex-
listed as the only explanation of the
impenatrable ice field which lies to the
north of us on the eastern side OF the
Ross Sea.
He had gone to the base the night
before in the hope of getting OF, but
the weather became overcast. The in
creasing cold filled the air with particles
of ice which caused some beautiful
phenomena.
AS the sun swung down low in the
west just opposite the inlet on which
LIE DdSG 10 olJudJC1, tItE tlSAi0 AAOlAl AZ
was so diffused that it became golden
flame which filled the sky From 1t
fell a cataract of gold that splashed on
the surface of the bay like an explosion
of light.
On each side of the sun were arcs
like rainbow and in the center OF
them just below the line of the sun
were mock suns. Over the sun was the
lower arc of another rainbow.
But the conditions which caused
this enhancing effect were such that
flying was out of the question.
The next morning the weather was
perfect over the Barrier, and as soon
as the engines were warmed UP and
the heated oil poured into them, they
were started and were soon purring
rhvthnically the propellerS blowing
up clouds of powdery snow.
Two planes went on this flight
Comdr. Byrd, with Bernt Balchen and
Lloyd Berkner, went in the Virginia
which is the Fokker, and Capt. Alton
Parker flew the Stars and Stripes, the
Fairchild plane, with Harold June as
radio operator.
1t was cold, Ia below zero, during the
hours when the sun was low, and the
crews were warmly dressed in furs. The
thermometer registered 10 to 20 below
during the flight, but it was comfort
able in the cabin and cockpitS.
Both planes got off easily with heavy