Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-01
Commander Dumped Food as
BaIchen Declared Weight
Must Go to Help "Wish"
Plane Over Peaks.
STONE WALLS CLOSED
IN ON FIGHTING CREW
Tiny Hole in Clouds Revealed Top
of Glacier as Craft Dodged IN
der Pilots Hand, Seeking Up
Current to Help Pull Away From
Perilous Surface Just Below.
BY RUSSELL OWEN.
BY Radio to The star and the
York Times.


York Times,
LITTLE AMERICA, Antarctica
November 30.-The South Pole
flight was one of the most dra-
matte as well as efficient long dis
lance flights ever made. AS Incl
dents of the flight are recalled by
the four men who were on 1t, it
seems ever more miraculous that
everything went so well.
The perfect landfalls made by
Comdr. Richard E. Byrd's naviga-
ton, the selection of weather
which turned into a storm within
a few hours after landing, the way
in which the plane with it's heavy
load was wished" over the hump
at the top of the plateau, the
smooth running of the motors
under the most severe conditions
all these things make 1t seem
more remarkable as the story is
told.
Strained Activity of Crew.
There never was a buster plane
crew. One gets the impression of
continuous and strained activity
from their stories-Byrd moving
about taking sights and observa-
tons from all parts of the plane.
comforting with the others on gas
consumption and routes through
the mountains, making notes;
June and Mckinley Juggling gas
cans and cameras, crawling over
the mass of supplies in the middle
of the fuselage.
Balchen sat for long hours IN the
cockpit at the controls and was relieved
occasionally so he could stretch and
handle the gas cans and tanks as a
break in the monotony. Both Mac and
June still were stiff and sore today after
a. good nights sleep.
Il feel as though had been run over
by steam roller" laughed June this
morning as he got up.
Flight to Peaks Is EventIess.
The flight out to the mountains was
without incident and after passing the
geological party, where the mail and food
for them was dropped, the plane start
ed climbing 1t had about 5000 feet
altitude as the mountains were reached.
There came the first important decision
what route to take. Axel HeiberR
was Amundsen's route, but Byrd thought
LivS Glacier, named after Nansen's
daughter, seemed a better path. Even
that was a gamble, for although it could
be seen that there was some sort of
opening at the top, it was impossible
ayho
the plateau. To get into a narrow
gorge where the mountains would close
In and the plane could not turn, with a
glacier in front too high for the heavy
plane to climb over would have been
disastrous. 1t would have been neces-
sary TO dump gas and the attempt TO
reach the pole would have ended right
there. AS June said:
One could only climb and pray"
Food Before Gas.
At an elevation Of 10000 feet IL was
seen that the plane could not get over
the hump with its load. "Balchen told
me we had to get rid of something"
SAID the commander, 80 decided to
dump food. Gas was too precious"
Two hundred and eighty pounds Of It
was thrown through the hatch in the
bottom OF the fuSelage, the brown boRs
whirling over and over until they struck
the glacier about 500 feet below. The
plane had passed a steep precipice In
the glacier and ahead loomed another
steep rampant of ice.
Balchen had been lodging from one
side to the other to get favortng up
ward currents and when the food was
dumped June began to empty gasoline
from tins into the fuselage tank and
throw the tins overheard to get rid
OF their weight The plane was wind
ing from one side of the gorge to the
other. stretching the 10-mile approach
ahead as much as possible to help in
the stiff climb Upward.
Takes Movies Of Gorge.
When he was not handling the cans.
June was making moving pictures, the
plane tossing In the violet gusts and
up and down currents the walls of the
canyon spinning past and occasional
views OF mighty peaks on either side
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