Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-25

able there for landing. It still showed
here. but the wind was calming down
a little. radio schedule was arranged
for 8 pm.
We intended to fly back tonight If
the weather. had cleared. We are all
anxious to get away from here before
blow comes on.
Now as I write at 1890 it is finally
dead calm. A little snow continues
to fall. the barometer is fairly high
and steady and the temperature has
fallen 1t should give us good con-
ditions to fly back in the morning
Little America will look good to US al.
The Tapping of the tent wakened me
at $50. It sounded ominous, so / got
dressed and unloaded the foodstuffs
from the plane. The barometer had
dropped a bit, so 1t looked bad.
The sun appeared for a few minutes
around $3.50 and I was able to check
the compass variation with a sun COM
pass-92 degrees easterly. It looked SO
good that thought would wait up
until and wake Juno and Balchen
and begin to get ready to take on.
which we hoped to be able to do about
7:30 or 8.
Visibility Is Bad.
The wind had lulled a bit, but the
sun was soon hidden and the visibility
became bad and it began to snow bit.
I went back to bed at 4:30 and at
5:45 wakened Harold so he could get
ready for a radio schedule with the
base at pm.
We all got I'D while Harold was try
ing without success. to raise the camp.
I got breakfast of cocoa, bacon and rye
&c and the n4-
roYneter continues to fall little. The
wind is increasing from the north. We
can but sit tight and hope that things
will change. soon.
At $3.50 pm. the barometer has fall-
en- to 28.7 and still tends downward. It
is about a. dead calm with great flakes
of fluffy snow squall falling. The breeze
comes from the north, now the west
and again the south, just mild puf1S OF
wind, and doesn't even disturb the light
snow.
NV hope now is that We are in the
center of a low and may be spared
x,ch terrific winds as We have had
before under similar circumstances.
At 9 pm. the barometer Is still fall-
ing-now 286. But still there Is deao
calm except for gentle breeze from
the south. No snow falling now / am
more strong now in my hopes and opln-
ion that this low pressure means tnat
we are in or near the center OF low
and may be spared another onslaught
of wind.
March Thirteenth.
Broad calm this morning with over
cast sky. No hope of flying, so we de-
cieied to risk the weather and cIlmp the
mountains.
It was a great day. We perfected our
triafgulation. locating all the peaks and
| their elevations. also new LANDS 10 the
south in Marine Byrd Land.
A grand and successful day. Been
cain, ALI day and the barometer has
changed but little, rising just BIT: ;.
The sky is clearing now ana IL
growing much colder. both good omehS
of better weather tomorrow. nope
we shall be able to take OH IN the
| morning. .4 .o ro
/ am really ready and content 10 &c
| back now, for we have TO-DAY competed
| all the work hoped to DO mere. thahks
particularly 90 the help Of Bert Balchen,
whose sketches are OF great assistance
| in exneditine the work of triangulatlon
A great day this 1t is good to be down.
right tired on such a day-and l am
| that.
March Fourteenth.
When 7 awakened at 5, the sun was
shining; there were few clouds. II
| looked like our day to fly home had
come.
called Harold and Bernt and we
started getting the plane ready, shovel
ing away the snow from under the skis
and from the fuselage, Had the torch
under the motor warming 1t and the oil
warming over another gasoline torch.
| But it was no USE Soon it began tc
cloud up, little puffs of wind from the
north bringing moderately large clouds
of the fluffy white that has fallen
within the last two or three days.
Outlook Dismal as Wind Rises.
The wind increased and We began
resecuring the PLANE, continued at Il
all the morning The wind now aver
ages IS miles an hour, with gusts up tt
co. and the barometer continues to dror
slowly. A dismal outlook.
Reports from the base camp, Is!