Evening star., 1929-11-30
HOP To NORTH POLE
REQUIRED Is HOURS
Flight of Comdr. Byrd and
Floyd Bennett Made From
Kings Bay in 1926.

Comdr. Byrd, accompanied by Floyd
Bennett, few to the North Pole and
back from Kings Bay, SpitSbergen, on
May Q, 1925, covering the 1000 miles
in is hours and 81 minutes.
Flying at an elevation of 1000 feet he
could see the surface of the Arctic
Ocean for IS miles in every direction.
Consequently he had under observation
an area OF $500 square miles of the
polar area, while on his entire trip he
explored approximately 10000 square
miles. Part Of that area had been seen
by Amundsen and part of it had been
explored by Peary.
AS against the brief interval Of less
than 16 hours in which Byrd was out
OF touch with civilization, Peary, in
planting the Stars and Stripes at the
North Pole on April 6, 1909, was out of
touch with the world for 429 DAYS.
However, on his dash to the North Pole
from cape Columbia. distance of 423
miles. Peary made the trip in 81 days.
Favored by continuous sunlight with
out the slightest trace Of fog, without a
bump In the air, with no currents up
or down. and with the temperature at
times at above zero, Byrd and Ben
nett new on bee-line for the North
Pole, alternating at the controls of the
trl-motQred Fokker Josephine Ford.
OIL Tank Started Leaking.
Within go miles of the pole the oil
system OF the right motor began leak
ing badly, and for q while Byrd and
Bennett considered whether they should
proceed on two motors or attempt A
landing TO make repairs They decided
70 continue, even on two motors II
necessary, but to their surprise the right
moOor continued to function smoothly,
despite the ruptured oil tank,
They arrived at the pole, according
70 Byrd's calculations, at just about the
nour they had expected to get there.
Bennett and I shook hands SIM
| ply" said Byrd in his wirelessed story
to the Times from Kings Bay, "and
went back into the cabin, stood at
attention and saluted for Admiral Peary.
Inc Inc Navy had reached the pole again,
the blessed old Navy"
| 1 did not drop an American nag,
Peary had done that. = We fieW
several miles further, circled and then
took some still and motion pictures"
Byrd new at an average altitude Of
1000 feet on the trip to the Pole and
5000 feet on the return trip. He re-
ported that the atmosphere was re-
markably clear, and that several times
he had seen mountains 150 miles away.
He found the ice and snow at the Pole
as described by Peary.
Received Joyous Welcome.
On their return to Kings Bay, Byrd
and Bennett were welcomed ioyously
by the members of not only their n own
expedition but the Amundsen- Ellsworth
expedition, which crossed the North
Pole from Spitzbergen to Alaska in the
dirigible Norge
"Rivalries are forgotten in the gen.
eral rejoicing in the safe ending of the
dangerous flight of Comdr. Byrd" ran
the story Of the flight wirelessed by
Russell Owen from Kings Bay
Among the first to congratulate him
was Capt. Amundsen, who, rushing
from his dinner, ran up the long Hill
and pantingly threw his arms about the
tired commander
That Is magnificent, wonderful
| I'm so happyl said Capt. Amundsen,
hugging the smaller Byrd and kissing
him as he placed his arm around his
shoulders, holding him to him. Mr..
| Ellsworth was less demonstrative, but
forgot his Shyness as he pushed forward
and held out his hand.
congratulate you, commander.
! Splendidly donep"
Was BOyhOOd Ambition.
In flying over the North Pole Byrd
realized an ambition he had cherished
from boyhood. when he had read the
lives OF Arctic explorers. He was aided
by the experience he and Bennett had
gained in more than 5000 hours Of
Arctic flying. His navigation instru-
ments were largely of his own inven-
ton.
In 1925 Byrd went to Greenland with
the Macmillan expedition. AS flight
commander he supervised 5000 miles OF
Arctic flight and himself fiew about
| 5000 miles
Bennett. his companion on the North
| Pole flight. died in q hospital in Quebec
on April rs. 1923, from pneumonia de-
veloped when he started to ny to
Greenely Island to the aid of the Ger
man-Irish Transatlantic flyers, Baron
Won Huenefeld. Capt. Koehl and Col.
FitSmaurice, who landed on the island.