Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-29
ONLYONE BYRD SHIP
WILL BUCK ICE PACK
Eleanor Boiling to Leave Part
of Coal for City of New York
to Use in Fight.
BY RUSSELL OWEN.
BY Radio to The star and the New 70

BY Radio to The star and the New York
Times.
LITTLE AMERICA, Antarctica, jan
uary 2s.--Admiral Bryd has just re-
ceived report from Bendik Johansen,
ice pilot for the expeditions two ships,
the bark City of New York and the
steamer Eleanor Boiling, showing how
serious barrier is the present pack ice.
Johansen formerly was q Norwegian
sealer and had much experience in the
heavy pack ice of the east coast of
Greenland and in the White Sea. He
has conferred with the whaling captains
who have been in the pack as well as
those who have been outside of 1t this
year and 1t is evident from his report
that the situation is one which has
never before faced an expedition so late
in the season.
THE ice pack is very heavy from
tends west toward the western shore
Of the Balleny Islands" Johansen stated
in his message to Admiral Byrd. Prom
60 to SO 1t Is heavy, old dangerous ice,
with hard ice foots. South of SO it is
only year-old ice to reckon with, also
heavily packed, but less dangerous"
Ship Advised to Wait for Break.
So that shows a stretch of 100 miles
Of pack ice still remaining heavily
massed at the point which long ex-
to cross 1t, Long. 178 z. to $50.
This must break up to some extent
before ship Of low horsepower such
as the City Of New York can force her
way through, and Johansen, used as he
is to going through heavy pack ice
and knowing the value of time so late
in the season, advises Admiral Byrd
that in his opinion not even the City
Of New York should start through at
present.
So she will wait for some time out
side the pack until it opens end then
attempt to work a way south.
There Is still. of course, a chance
that 1t will break up, and as we have
a blizzard here today with high wind
the first bad one since last Spring,
We are hoping it is hitting the pack.
However. the whalers agree with Ad-
miral Byrd that if the City of New
York entered the pack now she might
be stuck and not be released for months.
Eleanor Boiling to Leave Coal.
The delay causes another difiicuity
because If the ships lie there 10 DAYS
or two weeks they will use up their irel
reserves for emergencies necessary for
a round trip of 4,400 miles through
these seas.
The Eleanor Boiling, therefore, will
leave coal as a reserve for the City of
New York on one of the whalers, which
were enabled to give Admiral Byrd only
small quantity, and 60 back to New
Zealand In the hope that when she again
reaches the pack she may flnd it open.
Coal has always been q problem in
getting In and out of the Antarctic and
lying to for days outside the pack, as
well as spending some time in it, would
be too great handicap, for steam must
be maintained
81 know Capt. Brown of the Eleanor
Boiling would come through at once If
he could" Admiral Byrd said today.
HE has always shown a splendid
spirit and fine seamanship, and to go
back to New Zealand now will be great
disappointment to him and his crew.
He is hard man to stop"
Copyright, l9S0)
BY the New York Times Co. and the st.
Louis Post-Dtspatch. All rights for
publication reserved through
out the world.