Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-02
ANTARCTIC HIDES
FATE OF 2 FLYERS
IN WHALING PLANE

NV WHAItNO TEHNE
Continued From First Page)
on the other side of the date line from
| us SO that our Christmas was December
| IS for them.
Took on with Two-Day Rations.
He started out about o'clock in the
evening, the Summer sun high in
clear sky, and with fuel for from five
| to six hours. His orders were to inspect
the ice pack edge to the west of the
Kosmos
The three big whalers north Of the
pack were strung out west OF Scott
Island. The C. A. Larsen, which helped
Admiral Byrd so much last year, and
the Southern Princess were near Scott
Island and the Kosmos was more to
the west.
The plane carried emergency rations
for two days because the possibility Of
| forced landing was always present
but did not seem dangerous In view
| of Lier's method of flying within sight
of the ships. Capt. Andersen had taken
every possible safety precaution.
After six hours had passed and Ler
had not returned, anxiety began to be
felt. The chaserS of the Kosmos were
ordered to look for the plane and as
time went on the chaserS from the
other two whalers also joined in the
search, so that there were Is of these
fast little vessels, tearing along at IA
knots hunting along the edge Of the
pack.
AS the two whalers to the east came
up to aid their chaSerS hunted the en-
| tire territory between Scott Island and
| the KoSmos and then the small fleet
struck off to the westward
In the flve days that have elapsed
they have searched 22O miles to the
westward Of the KoSmos as far as the
Balleny Islands and some of them have
penetrated the pack at intervals for as
far as 160 miles from the edge. When
| they returned. they came back In paral-
lei lines far apart and sweeping the en-
| tire sea area for Q long distance from
the edge Of the pack.
Believed TO Have Gone Into Spin.
It Is not believed that Lier made
mistake In his course, as the sun was
visible all night and he could have
| followed the edge of the pack. The
pilots here are more inclined to be-
| lieve that due to engine failure In q
climb he fell on on wing and spun
into the pack or the water.
The sea was fairly smooth ut flrst,
but after the second day the sea rose
| and 1t became foggy. The weather
cleared again in q short time.
After the first hunt there was q con-
ference Of the captains on the KosmoS
and there seemed very little hope from
the way the search had been carried
| out that the plane could be found. The
koSmos chasers are still searching,
however, penetrating the pack, which
| now seems to be breaking I'D, wher-
ever possible.
, Admiral Byrd was much concerned
when he heard of the mishap to the
flyers and sent word to Capt. Andersen
that he wished 1t were in his power to
DO something to help. He did give them
an idea Of the fast drift of a seaplane,
but from the extent of the search al
ready made it is certain that the plane
could not have drifted beyond the dis
lance reached by the whalers.
He also offered to send down the bark
City Of New York to search il she would
be OF assistance. It would have been
impossible to fly from here to aid In the
search, Tor there are no pontoons for
our planes and the distance to the
| northern edge of the ice pack is more
than 500 miles, further than to the
Pole itself
Even If one Of our planes could get
SAANS A~l, Az WOulO NC Impossible LOT III 70
land and refuel and 1t would have To
turn around Immediately and fly back,
The possibility Of such help was i'm
mediately dismissed by the whalers rs
too hazardous and Capt Andersen in
. radio message to Admiral Byrd TODAY
said:
| 'The risk Of even the plane flying uu
here from your base would be a great
one in view of the uncertain weather
experienced outside the pack, there be-
ing many days of fog at this time OF
year. I thank you for your generous Of.
fer Of help in our time of trouble and
know that you are with u.s."
Byrd Pilots Aware Of Peril.
( The search has been followed anx.
lously here ever since the first new,
that the plane was missing, for nobody
knows more than the pilots here thu
dangers which follow even q safe land.
ing on the Antarctic Sea or ice pacl
away from the ship.
Whenever the wha1ers could b,
reached there were quick inquiries fol
news and, when 1t was learned tina
Lier and DR.. Schreiner had not beer
found, every one felt greatly depressed
This, the FIRST year that airplane
have been used extensively in the Ant
arctic, has seen an invasion by then
from all sides, and this Is the FIRST Sc.
rious mishap. although all flights ex
cept Admiral Byrd's have been shor
flights.
In addition to the Byrd expedition
planes and the one flown by Lier Their
are two with Sir Dougles Mawsons ex.
petition on the other side of the con
tinent and two with the Norwegia ex
petition, with which Capt. Hjalma
Riiser-Larsen and Capt Luetzow Holm
discovered land between Coats an,
Enderly Lands a few days ago. Thel
there are two planes with Capt 81
Hubert wilkins at Graham Land.
So there have been 10 planes in tn
Antarctic since last Summer, and onl
two of them have been lost, the plan
which was blown away and wrecked ii
the Rockefeller Mountains last Fall an,
this whaling plane.
fcopyrisht 1880. by the New York Times CO
and the 81. Louis Post-Dispatch. All right
for publication reserved throughout tn