Evening star., 1929-11-23
byrd MEN DEVELOP
ANTARCTIC FILMS
Work Results in 220 Aerial
Pictures After Delicate
and Difficult Task.
BY RUSSELL OWEN.

| tain trip and fortunate lanolng OH
rough, hard snow, trying to find the
cause of the unusual gas consumption
and remedy it, another group has been
busy in the Photographic laboratory de-
veloping the aerial film on which PIC
lures of the remarkable mountains OF
the Queen Maud Range were registered
Three men splashing about IN the
dark for 18 hours, filling and emptying
| the 50-gallon tanks which hoid tne Dig
! rolls of film, spilling water because OF
their cramped quarters, tired but over
loved because their work showed good
results-it was an inconceivably deli
cate and difficult task under these
primitive conditions.
But how their work was repaid
dozens of clear-cut and beautiful pic
lures of magnificent peaks, rising step
by step from the Barrier Plain, stark,
bleak and majestic! They are now be-
ing assembled so they can be studied
in detail and some day will be the first
accurate record Of this part OF the
Antarctic.
Melting Three Tons Of Snow.
Preparations to develop the films were
made while the plane was in night.
About 800 gallons of water were needed.
That may not mean much TO people at
home, but down here there "ain't no
water" 1t has to be made. Some ex-
peditions have found 1t difficult to get
enough water for necessary cooking and
washing purposes. Coal Is necessary,
and coal down here is as valuable as
diamonds.
A pailful of hard packed snow makes
about third Of bucket OF water. so
to get 300 gallons Of water more than
three tons of snow had to be hauled
and melted. But how to melt 1t quickly
and keep a continuous flow?
Joe Rucker, who, in addition to being
camera man, seems to be able 10 turn
his hand to anything, and Jim Feury.
who has long legs and an aptitude for
mechanics, put their heads together and
evolved a snow melter that would melt.
With the help of lot of the other
men they dug a deep trench in the
snow outside the Photographic labo-
ratory, which is now buried so deep
that they could construct small snow
house under the surface which would
still be above the level Of the photo
graphic laboratory.
How the Cookers" Worked.
Then they cut square holes in the
sides of two empty steel gasoline drums
and placed them on their sides on a
framework constructed of boxes and an
odd pair of steel skis which had be-
longed to the famous snowmobile.
Under this they put pressure kero-
sene torch, which gave roaring flame,
giving of terrific heat. Then they con-
nected the two drums, ran hose from
the connection down to the laboratory
and were all ready for operation.
Each one of these drums held 100
gallons of water, a tank in the labora-
tory held rs, another spare tank in the
mess hall held rs and four developing
tanks held so gallons each. That made
$50 gallons which could be made ready
before the work began, and the melter
would supply the remainder as it was
needed.
They turned on the torch and, with
half the camp hauling snow, quickly
filled the drums outside, which were
drained into the tanks in the labora-
tory, where Blackie, as G. Hamilton
Black Is known, filled them.
Ice Water UnderfOot.
After Capt. Ashley Mckinley, the
aerial photographer, had had a few
hours sleep on his return from the
flight, he started in about noon on
Wednesday. Joe Rucker helped him
with the developing and Blackie helped
with the water, while Jim Feury ran
the torch.
AS they worked on, emptying and re-
filing developing tanks in the dark,
for aerial film has to be developed in
absolute darkness, they could not help
splashing water on the floor and oc-
casionally the hose from the outside
tanks got away from them. They soon
had an inch or two Of icy water on the
| floor Of the laboratory and worked in
1t for hours.
Mac was intensely anxious to see
what the first roll would show Aerial
film Is representative and, under IA
vorable conditions, is not kept more
than few weeks. This film had been
packed for a year and a half and car
ried through the tropics, which is death
to improperly packed film.
When Mac had an opportunity to
peek at his first negative and found
| distinct images, he could have danced
for joy in the water. It was a great
It had been protected. Being buried in
', the snow since coming of the ship
probably helped to keep 1t.
Forced to Reel Film by Hand.
AS soon as one batch of the film,
| roll rs feet long and inches wide
and containing ITO exposures, was fin
ished, the next one was started and the
first film wound on the drying reel.
This reel takes up most of the outer
room of the laboratory and water from
one large tank which was used in de-
veloping and washing the last roll had
to be carried under the reel
A man can just get under 1t with
| nothing in his hands by bending and
pushing and, with a pail of water, 1t
was a task to make any one vociferous.
Then to make matters more compli-
Gated, the motor which turns the dry
ing wheel got wet and burned out and
the reel had to be turned by hand
place, because, II the reel stops, the
film Streaks.
But it was finally done and there
were 220 photographs, showing the
| Barrier all the way to the mountains
and back to the forced landing, also
pictures of the mountains taken from
the air and while the plane was on the
ground at the mountain base.
It had taken 10 hours of hard work
on the developing alone and many
hours more In preparing for it. After a
nights rest, Mac began to print from
the negatives, and every one In camp
has been running In to look at the noun
tains Of which all had heard so much
AS soon as they can be assembled, a
better idea of what they show can be
gained.
Heater COntrived for Plane Oil.
There is another ingenious heating
device used by the aviation unit fol
heating oil for the airplane motors. Tht
big Ford uses a lot of oil-too much tc
be heated over small torches In small
cans.
A part of the hole in which the Forc
had been lying all Winter was blocked
off and q fairly large snoM-hnnSe witt