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

miles to the westward, are equally
dismal. There has really not been a
time since we arrived here that conol-
lions were favorable to take off.
The Winter is near and each day OF
delay adds TO the uncertainty OF our
position. Surely there will be q calm.
clear day soon.
It is now $50 o'clock and have
lust brewed a pot of rich cocoa. We
shall drink, and then go out again and
shovel high snow wall about our tent.
which has already been torn badly and
which we mended with food bags in
several places. and now shows signs OF
weakening In new places.
There are no words to tell what has
happened. The wind increased and
we piled snow block and added lines to
our guys on the plane.
Once I was holding on to a guy from
one of the wing-tips when a sudden
gust blew my feet from under me and
held me suspended horizontally in mid
air for some seconds.
Meanwhile June kept his radio
schedules and informed the commander
of the situation. All the gear was UNI
loaded from the plane. but it was neces-
sary to sit in the plane to send and
receive radio. This June did with the
ship quivering under him and lifting in
sickening way.
Wind Speed Up to SO.
When it came time for the 1920
radio schedule ! refused to let him
get in the plane on account OF his
own safety. When he sat sending at
$50 the air-speed indicator gave wind
velocities up to 88 miles an hour. 1t
had grown much stronger by 1890.
Nothing more could we do. We went
into our cold, wet tent, ourselves dead
tired and wet, and crawled into our
sleeping bags, but not to sleep.
The noise was terrific. The wind
Tapping and slapping the tent Is a
deafening, disheartening and utterly
dismal Sound-Sharp cracks like rifle
shots. One must shout to make HIM
self heard By his companions not two
feet away.
A sudden gust just enough stronger
than any before-all the holding lines
parted and the plane was lifted bodily
and carried in the wind about one
half mile and crashed to the ice. i:
is a total wreck. 1t will never fly again.
again.
Bernt insisted on going over to look
at 1t in spite of the heavy wind that
still continued He had to crawl on
his hands and knees coming back.
There is no standing in the face OF
such a wind. June estimates that the
wind must have blown fully $50 miles
an hour to have carried the plane
away in the fashion that 1t did.
Our emergency radio set Is out OF
commission and all other radio gear
is in the plane. just sitting tight now
and praying that 1t will be calm enough
soon so that We can go over and see If
June can make this radio work and
get word back TO camp of our loss and
present condition.
l am sorry for the great worry that
must be In the mind of Comdr Byrd
and in the minds of all our friends at
camp, for we are safe, but not secure.
Our position is critical. I am hoping
to hear from camp and learn If the
commander will fly to us at the first
break in the weather or send dog teams
to our rescue. If we cannot estab-
lish communication we shall, In any
case wait for good weather. Couldn't
possibly travel now anyhow.
If good weather comes and there is no
plane to our rescue we shall start on
the long trek back on foot, cherries
task, but not an impossible one. And
whatever lies ahead I could search the
wide world over for two better men
with whom to face the future than the
two companions of mine-Bernt Bal
chen and Harold June.
0:30am.-What a boon is sleep.
woke this morning at o'clock to find
the sub shining and dead calm, re-
freshed> in body and mind. The last
two nights, what with soggy sleeping
bag and the awful roar of the wind and
the constant fear that the plane would
not hold, have given us little sleep.
Yesterday we had high hopes Of bet
ter weather, but the barometer just
refused to rise. Instead the wind rose
fierce as ever We couldn't stand
against it. and so we dared not attempt
to cross the ice to our broken plane.
Copyright, 1929. by the New York Times
Co. and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. All
rights for publication reserved throughout
| the world.)
| Mr.. Goulds Story Will Be Continued
T0mOrr0W.