New Britain herald., 1930-02-08
BYRD CONTRIBUTES
 . DATA ON WEATHER
Meteorological Observations Of
 Expedition Are Valuable

science Rear Admiral Richard r.. Byrd expects from his Antarctic cX- petition arc those relating 70 observations, the cY- plorcr indicates in radio message to the National Geographic society, in Washington. D. C.
 The vast continent which is the home of the blizzard long has been rega> dcd as q weather breeder for continental and island areas in tn" southern hemisphere. including southern South America. south Africa. Australia and New Zealand. But it hitherto has been the worlds "Weather blind spot from lack of any sustained observations Of its temperatures, barometric prcssures. study of it's land-level and attitude air currents, and similar data which arc the raw materials Of weather prediction.
 Weather Forecasts for Flying
 Rear Admiral BNrds message, transmitted throuSh the New York Times radio station, is addressed Go Dr. John Oliver La Gorcc, vice president of the National Geogrd- phic society. since it was for Dr. La Gorcc that Byrd named the eXpcdi- tion's meteorological station. The explorer tells how the stations ob- scrvations were used in determining the time of flights and also the methods by which he has been col lccting meteorological data for per mancnt scientific records, The mes sage, dated January x, says;
 50 great has been the contribu- ton of the La GorCe meteorological station to the success of our flights of exploration that l feel it my duty as well as my pleasure to report the facts.
 We dug our airplanes from under the snow in the spring as soon as the i temperatures would permit. Shortly thereafter. on November IS. our weather men. Haincs and Harrison. reported 10 me that they thought the weather was suitable for the i base-laying flight. They made this prediction without any reports from the trail party.
 40 Miles of Sunshine
 We left immediately and had sunshine for the 440 miles to the mountains. The visibility is general ly so bad here that without sun- shine we probably could not have ! landed successfully to lay down our ] base.
 "A few days later, November 2S, Haines reported the weather favor able for the South Pole flight and ] that 1t was possible we would not again get another day of such Suita- i ble weather. We left at once for the i flight and had sunshine for practical l ly the whole of the l,60O miles. On ! December the weather man report ed that conditions were favora ble ] for a flight to the eastward. We left at once and had good visibility all the way, which enabled us to photo- graph more than 50,000 square miles of unknown area.
 With bad visibility. flights in .N II ft u IL ttl V ldl StiN II oiltItSN'
 Ut is in my opinion remarkable that the weather predictions have nocn made so Ncry accurately with 90 few facts available. Subsequent weather has emphasized the notabil- lty Of the predictions.
 Tn order to make one Of two aG- Gitional exploration flights we have tf,1, rl- IN.F.,- fsln 1,r SN1NT our last flight, 34 days ago, but there has not been one suitable day
 Valuable Scientific Records
 50 it is clear that the contri-
 button of the meteorological section
 to the success of our flights of eX-
 ploration has been very great indeed
 Hanes and Harrison have also
 made valuable scientific records
 They have made surface observa.
 tions every hour, day and night
 over a period Of Is months. In the
 upper air they have made 400 pilot
 balloon runs to obtain the vclocit,
 and direction of wind at Tariou!
 levels. Many of these balloons have
 given wind data IS high as 30,00( 1
 and temperature have been obtain
 ed by kite or airplane on 40 days
 over a period of three months.
 T am glad to be able to repor to you the splendid work done b.
 your representatives"
 (Signed) RICHARD E. BYRI The technical men referred to il ; Rear Admiral Byrd's radio messagt : are William c. Haines, meteorolo gist, whose salary is being defrayet
 by the National Geographic society ) which also allotted a s50,000 funt 10 the Byrd expedition, and Henr T. Harrison, Jr., whose salary is be } ing paid by the Guggenheim fund.
 The National Geographic societ : contributed S25.000 toward tn l scientific work of the Byrd eXpcdi ton before it's departure and. o, | November 23 last, Dr. Gilbert Gros } venor, president of the society
 radiocd Byrd that Our trustees an research committee have voted t l double the soCiety's original grant . therefore award an additional S25, t GOO. available when desired" | The entire amount of the Nationa
 Geographic socicty's contribution [ being used in various phases of th scientific work being carried on b S tho expedition.
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