Evening star., 1929-11-30
BESTS
PER|LOUS PEAKS
Magnificent Sights" Are
Barred in Hazardous Flight
Over High Range.
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determined to go through and did not
know what winds he might face at the
top of the glacier. So food was thrown
overheard, scattered over the ridged and
broken surface of the Livingston Gla-
cier.
"It is an awful looking place." Comdr.
Byrd said.
Vast Panorama UnfOIds.
They finally reached the hump at an
elevation of IL 500 feet, as indicated by
the barometer, although it might have
been a little more, because of the differ
ence in pressure inland.
But there was little space under the
staggering plane, buffeted by the winds
that eddied through the gigantic gorge.
Once at the top, Balchen could level
OF for time and then gain altitude.
Then there came into view slowly the
long range of mountains of the Queen
Maud Range, stretching to the south
east and the magnificent panorama of
he entire bulwark of mountains along
the edge Of the Polar Plateau.
BeheId Slopes of Myriad Mountains.
"It was the most magnificent sight I
have ever Seen," Comdr. Byrd said. II
never dreamed there were so many
mountains in the world. They Shone
under the sun, wonderfully tinted with
color. and in the southeast a bank of
clouds hung over the mountains, max
ing scene-that shall never forget"
Over the plateau the commander set
his course for the Pole. They had had
a beam wind all the way in to the
nh hal hut kIHn
fight to get over the edge of the pla-
teau had used up a lot Of gasoline and
there was some doubt as to whether
there was enough to get back.
But Comdr. Byrd determined to 20
on. II they had favorable winds COM
ing back they would be all right, but If
as much time was consumed coming in
as going out they would run out Of gaso-
line.
New Range Is Sighted.
He took the chance and won. Flying
over the plateau with long, sweeping
slopes leading up to the mountains, with
wind drifting snow down from them
along the surface, 1t was very difficult
to estimate the drift of the plane.
But by constant attention to the drift
| meter Comdr. Byrd was able to get
enough sights on the surface below to
keep the plane on its course and cor
rect the inevitable tendency in all long
distance flights to swing to one side OF
the other.
Between the mountains and the Pole
at one point he saw a new range OF
mountains, apparently between the
trails followed by Capt. Roald Amund-
sen and Capt. Robert F. Scott. But the
mountains far to the west, the continua-
ton of the range running up the west
ern side Of the barrier, were, as Comdr
Byrd described them, simply magnifi-
cent"
Every one rather hoped that noun
tains would be seen at the other side oi
the Pole from Little America, but there
was nothing In sight there. .
Battling the Way Back.
When Comdr. Byrd's calculations
showed that he had reached the vicinity
of the Pole he ran along q line at an
angle to his course and then swung In
a wide circle, as he did at the North
Pole, to make sure of coming within
striking distance Of that inflnitesimal
spot on the earthS surface.
Some time was spent in that ma
neuver, and then the plane again was
set on course for Little America.
The accuracy Of the navigation was
SAAN
flight, as it was necessary to navigate
the entire distance home. BY means OF
the sun compass the commander hit the
Axel Heiberg Glacier exactly and slid
down that to the barrier.
To understand what that means, try
to realize being over q vast plain, nearly
400 miles from the place where the
mountains were entered, with an en-
circling rim of majestic peaks all look
ing different from the south from what
they had on the way in. Capt. Amund-
sen remarked on this vastly different
aspect on his return journey.
Tossed Like a Cork" in Gorge.
But the course, as laid, brought the
plane flying high over the Polar Plateau
to the mouth of Axel Heiberg Glacier,
and Bernt Balchen kept q good eleva-
ton on the way down.
Even SO. it was a rough ride, for in
the narrow gorge of this glacier. which
Capt. Amundsen assembled on his way
to the Pole, the wind eddieS tossed the
plane around like a cork in o wash
tub" as Balchen said, the high peaks
sticking up all around them. 1t was
the hardest part Of the trip from the
flying point of view.
When the barrier was reached the
plane headed for the base laid down
on the previous flight and q landing
there was made at o'clock this morn
ing G BON, Eastern standard time).
Other Mountains Found.
June landed the plane here because
he had been in here on the previous
flight, and also took off and made q
splendid job of 1t. More gasoline was
put into the tanks and, when the plane
was in the air again. Comdr. Byrd
headed to the east toward Carmen
Land.
What he had seen there on the pre-
vious flight interested him and his in
terest was repaid. He not only traced
out more definitely. the course of the
Charles Bob Mountains, but he also
saw another range far to the east.
The camp had been out Of touch with
the plane for some time after the Pole
was reached. although the signals from
the locked radio key came in and
showed that 1t was in the air.
Camp Follows Plane.
Men had waited up all night in the
mess hall, clustering about the radio
room to get the news of the progress
0f the flight.
AS the reports indicated the slow time
the plane was make on the way in,
there was some anxiety, and mechanics
checked and rechecked figures to esti-
mate the amount of flying time the
plane had with the gasoline in the