Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-20
BYRD'S MEN PLAN
FOR SOUTHERN TRIP
Dog Teams viii Leave in 0C-
toher for Queen Maud
Mountains.
BY RUSSELL OWEN.

Wireless to The Star and New York Times.
LITTLE AMERICA, Antarctics, June
l3.-ThiS darkneSS-enshrouded and
nole-like village is busy these days with
preparations for the southern trip next
season. Long before the weather is
good enough TO fly. dog teams will start
southwark, probably about october IS,
in order to reach the mountains of the
Queen Maud Range and establish a
base under the towering peak of Mount
NanSen.
And while waiting for Comdr. Byrd
to take off for his Polar fight, Larry
Gould, the geologist, viii lead a sledging
party into the Queen Maud Mountains
and gain all the knowledge possible Of
their structure. He will also try to
climb Mount Nansen.
It is 400 miles from Little America
to the foot of the mountains, and it is
expected that the journey viii take about
a month because of Interruptions due
to billiards.. The geological party
hopes to spend at least month there,
and although the trip home will be
quicker it will probably take three
weeks.
Specialists Work on Equipment.
Sc careful preparations have to be
made to keep group of men in the
ing which they will have to depend
entirely on their own resources and
the provisions carried with them
1t is this work of preparing food
and clothing, tents and s!edges which
is occupying the earnest attention of
nearly every one in camp, for the tai
ents of every specialist can be exercised
in some part of the equipment.
The equipment has already proved
its worth and shown that the sledging
parties are as well equipped as those
of any expedition which has been in
the Antarctic and possibly in some re-
spectS Improvements have been made.
But as Comdr. Byrd and every one
concerned in the work has a desire to
add something to the art of Sledging
and give protection in these bitter lati-
tudes, every attempt is being made to
bring each article used as near as pos
Sible to perfection
To attain this end each detail to be
worked out has been made the re-
SponSibility of two or three men who,
working on the experience of others
and their own experience in the field,
devise what they believe to be the best
thing to meet the difficulties of the
trail.
Experiment With New Devices.
These recommendations and models
are then turned over to Comdr. Byrd,
who examines and approves thenl or
suggests improvements. In this way
many new things have been invented.
and adaptations have been made of
tried articles of equipment used by other
explorers.
Such procedure requires great deal
of painstaking work and experiment,
but It promises to eliminate much hard
ship due to defects.
Dressing, for instance, offers the most
difficult problem, for it has proved al
most impossible to keep dry while on
the trail or to keep sleeping bags free
of moisture and ice.
All sorts of sleeping bags have been
made in an effort to make one that
viii stay dry, and attention has been
given to the condition of clothing, the
construction of tents and many other
things. -~av----.-----s- -g7- i. \
Comdr. Byrd has experimental with
at least dozen types of foot-gear to
find the one which will keep the men
warm without causing. too much per-
spiration. For wet feet are dangerous
He has also tried out many kinds
of masks to protect the face against
frost bite, something, which has caused
great suffering to all explorers.
Wind-proof parkas and shirts and
socks are being made, and several ex-
periments are being made to produce
a perfect glove. Nearly every man has
his own ideas as to how this should be
done, and when it seems advisable
models are made and the best ones
selected.
Building SIedge for the Trail.
Sledges are being made. and the ones
used so much last year are being re-
paired. Each team of dogs will pull
two double-ended sledgeS. The first one
will be little sledge with gee pole