Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-31

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and eager for seal meat instead of t
feeding, the men just as anxious to get
All five drivers, Norman Vaughan,
Edward Goodale, Frederick Crockett,
John O'Brien and George Thorne,
were in good condition, although their
faces were burned and peeling from
all the way back.
When they left, they had bitterly
cold winds in their faces for two days,
sometimes blowing Is miles an hour,
and although it was not far below zero,
the temperature rapidly dropped to 20
and 40 below on the interior of the
Barrier.
They became soaked with perspiration
travelling in the hot sun during the day
and when they stopped at night, their
outside clothing froze before they could
get it off. The sun was so warm that
at 20 below it melted a bag of penn
mican In one of the depots which had
been improperly covered with snow and
even melted the snow on canvas tanks.
Retarded by Sharp Snow Ridges.
About rs miles out they came to a
remarkable series of sastrugi, snow
sharp ridges by the wind, fiat on top
and with overhanging knifelike edges on
the windward sides. They were two or
three feet high and hard as flint, while
between them the hollowS were filled
with soft
Travelling over these was very difficult
and it explains the slow progress made
by the supporting party over this part
Of the trail. It was in the midst of
these Sastrugi that the geological party
left part of their loads in order to re-
lieve the dogs.
After reaching the 100-mile depot
four days ago and finding that the sup
porting party had gone on, they left
their loads and. with one light Sledge
each, started back for camp. They
travelled fast, coming the whole dis
lance in three days.
The dazzling sun burned their faces
and hurt their eyes, for they were fac
ing it all the way, as it is still too cold
hours of night when the sun is low in
the south. The skin was peeling from
their cheeks and their lips were cracked
and broken.
SnOwmObiIe Roaring Over Barrier.
Day before yesterday they topped one
of the long hills on the Barrier n saw
before them to the north a tiny black
speck. 1t began to move and came
down the slope toward them, throwing
snow behind it and muttering to itself
as it climbed again. 1t was the snow
mobile, full of fuel and scornful words
for dogs.
The Snowmobile started four days ago
after many viciSsitudes. Jim Feury, the
long-legged Irishman from Paterson,
N. j., who drove it last year, dug it out
of the snow about 10 days ago n went
to work on its internal arrangements.
LIe took the clutch out and cleaned
it, fixed the treads, and n day, with
the aid of half the camp, ran 1t out OF
the deep hole where it had been buried
all Winter.
It became at once the center of ar
gument. Would it go on to Barrier or
would it not? Many were skeptical.
But it seemed worth a trial If it could
haul onward for so or so miles the
loads left by the geological party at the
lOO-mile depot and save the dogs that
much work. It is doubtful If they can
go much further because of the smile
stretch of deep and wide crevasses north
of the halfway depot.
Supply Chief Strong for Motors.
Jim's strongest supporter was Blackie
C. Hamilton Black, the supply off,
Ger. Blackie has been busy all Winter
getting out supplies for the dog teams,
food and ropes and canvas and gadgetS
galore.
Capt. Ashley Mckinley had charge
of the snowmobile arrangements and
he became as enthusiastic as the other
two.
Two sleds we're fastened behind and
loaded with cans Of gasoline, enough
for 700 miles. They expected to use up
a lot in soft places and some cans might
leak. The whole load weighed about
1,400 pounds of useful material.
Comdr. Byrd insisted that they try