Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-10
DUNEDIN ACCLAIMS
BYRD ON RETURN OF
EXPLORERS PARTY

EXPLORERS PARTY
Continued From First Page.)
clewed up and furled the sails while
the ship chugged along under her
egine they looked at trees hungarily
and longed to get ashore. Not even
rain squalls could dampen their enthu-
siaSm or that of those who wanted to
welcome Byrd and his men.
Rear Admiral Byrd soon was over
whelmed by a group of officials who
boarded the New York from the big
tug Dunedin. Among them were the
Minister of Internal Affairs Padella
Perelle, who represented the govern
ment; Mayor and Mrs. r. S. Black, w.
Cow, chairman of the Otage Harbor
Board, and Comdr. Hottam of H. M. S.
La Burnun1. They congratulated him
upon his success.
TOO Good to BE True"
While they were talking with Admiral
Byrd, other members Of the expedition
stood around the decks looking rather
dazed. 1t seemed too good to be true.
| AS Capt. Mckinley said the other day
when we landed from the whaler, I'm
afraid will wake up and find 1t is a
dream, and that must wash dishes
again."
Wild, uneasy looks came into the eyes
| OF the returning voyagers. The pros
! pect of walking ashore clad as they
were before the eyes of civilized people
was almost too much.
Men began to rush about the City
| OF New York, looking with distaste at
the dirt Of the ship and with great
curiosity at the girls in gay-colored
clothes.
The Eleanor Boiling came I'D the
stream Just after the New York and
tied UP astern of her. On board were
Larry Gould, Bernt Balchen and several
other members Of the party.
Trees and Hills Bring Joy.
This morning, when the City Of New
York and the Eleanor Boiling stopped
under Tairoa Head, at the entrance to
Otage Harbor scarcely a quarter of a
| mile from houses, men and women and
green trees, it was the first land that
most of us had seen since we passed
Scott Island on the trip south.
A few men had seen great masses OF
bare rock rising up majectically from
a monotonouS expRnse Of white. But
for most Of us 1t had been white, level
barrier and white pressure ridges and a
dingy home on a floating field of ice
All illusion is gone now. We are
back in civilization shaking hands with
old friends or standing silently about
the decks looking at the houses and
small boats and people along the shore.
They are the scenes We have talked
and dreamed about many times.
AS we enter this strange life just
ahead, we pause. The realities Of q
month ago seem very distant now. Lit
tie America, with no one to keep the
snow shoveled from the windows and
doors, Is covered. The path between
the houses, which was once beat down
as fast as the snow could fall, has dis
appeared. Huts and boxes and piles
Of provisions are slowly drifting over,
yielding to Natures effort to wipe out
all traces Of mans invasion.
(Copyright, 1880, by the New York Times
Sishts s." Tor publication tom reserved throushout
the world)
Resume Of Byrd's Trip.
Rear Admiral Byrd and his party
he was then Comdr. Byrd.-Left Los
Angeles on the whaler G. A. Larsen
October 10, 1923. On December 2 they
sailed from Dunedin, New Zealand, for
the Antarctic, not to set their feet upon
land again for is months and days.
On December IS the expedition ar
rived at the Ice Barrier and on January
Gin the middle of the South Polar
Sunmer-a permanent base was estab-
lished on the Bay Of Whales at Little
America.
It was nearly IL months before
Comdr. Byrd and three companions
started for the South Pole on Novem-
Der 20, lodging mountain ranges as they
fought their way above the huge Ant
arctic Plateau. At S:65 am. November
40 Comdr. Byrd wireleSSed that he was
directly over the Pole.
accompanying him on the fight were
his pilots, Bernt Balchen, Harold June
and Capt Ashley @. Mckinley, aerial
photographer The four men got back
to Little America at $40 pm. on No
vemher 20, the same day they saw the
Pole.
Many Other Flights Made.
Besides the polar flight they made
numerous other flights to the east, west
and south of their base, and surveyed
in all, it was estimated, $4,000 square
miles which the United States may es-
tablish q claim to in time.
They were taken OF the ice at Little
America and started back for New Zea-
land and home February 10.
There are Al men in the Byrd party,
aside from the crews Of the City OF
New York and the Eleanor Boiling. It
was estimated the expedition cost in the
neiRhborhood of $760,000, most of which
was betrayed by contributions from
firms, individuals and interested asso-
The expedition was carried out with
out single casualty.