Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-31
Meteorograph Record Estab.
fishes Definitely That Party
Crossed Pole.
EXTENDED STUDY MADE
BY GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Flight Divided Into Three Parts
for This Purpose-Long
Trip visualised.

Detailed study Of the meteorograph
record has formed a harmonious mosaic
definitely establishing that Rear Adj
miral Richard E. Byrd crossed the
South Pole in his historic 1929 flight,
the National Geographic Society Re-
search Committee reported today.
This meteorograph record" the COM
mittee reported. lis a unit, a block, in
a complete and harmonious mosaic:
mosaic into which the many and varied
evidences Of Byrd's journey to the
South Pole, dead reckoning and aStro-
nomic determinations, photographs and
meteorograph record 1T with simple
ease, each adding to the picture, none
detracting from 1t.
Can Visualize Trip.
zone may follow the adventure.
course by course, see the snow below
and the mountains alongside as Byrd
saw them, visualize the long trip over
the polar plateau, and appreciate fully
that when on the return north the
landfan Is made as expected, Mount
Nansen on the left, Ruth Gade on the
right, that the South. Pole has really
been attained"
review Of the exploits Of Byrd and his
flight was divided into three parts, from
Little America to the tran camp of the
geological party close to the mountains;
from the trail camp to the South Pole
and return to the supply depot at the
foot of the mountains and from that
depot to Little America.
Trail Often neutrality-suspicious..
THE first and third parts Of the
iNtr1 ta
quire but little mention; they were over
known territory, territory which had
been well explored from the ground
and from the air and over which, in
fact, their way had been beaconed by
trail made in the snow by the sledge
parties which had established supply
depotS along the line to the pole.
This trail at places was distinct
enough for the airmen to see, but at
times was indistinguishahle Byrd fol-
lowed 1t closely, and when IL would dis.
appear would soon pick it up again,
holding his course with sun compass
and with speed and drift indicator. If
these instruments had had no previous
tests in other parts Of the world and
In earlier flights around Little Americs.
the accuracy with which they held the
plane on its course to the trail camp
would have fully justified the confidence
imposed on them in the hazardous and
oimcult flight over the polar plateau.
Started Thanksgiving Day.
''The start from Little America was
made on Thanksgiving day, November
20. 1929, at 4:35 pm. local time, which
correspondent TO 3ll. so N. November 29.
Greenwich civil time. The record of
the trip was kept in Greenwich civil
time and nautical miles. At Oh. is m.
q. G. 7. the plane reached the trail
camp OF the geological party and sup
plies were dropped there by parachute.
The geographic position of the camp
had been determined by Dr. Laurence
M. Gould, geologist Of the expedition
This gave a point of departure 325 miles
nearer the Pole than Little America.
and by thus reducing the airline dis
lance to the Pole to 361 miles, simpli-
ned and strengthened the chances of
closely attaining that point.
Clocks Rated Carefully.
"The clocks at Little America, hav-
ing been carefully rated through long
periods by comparison with radio time
signals, could, Of course. be used in de-
the local time for any me-
ridian to which it might be desired to
set the sun compass clock. The posi-
ton of the trail camp was determined
edly less than that Of Little America.
but with ordinary methods and q good
instrument this might be said to have
been OF the order Of miles.
Leaving the trail camp at h.
is M, the plane Immediately be-
gan to climb, but keeping to the same
course as before. After traversing Is
miles the course was changed to the
right, toward Liv Glacier; the east
portal Of Liv Glacier was passed at q
distance Of about miles, and q fair
check was here obtained on the posi-
ton Of the plane, as Gould had made
determination Of position at this east
portal.
Changed Course.
I'm such a flight as this decisions
acted upon. Such decision was now
made to go through the pass over the
main part Of Liv Glacier, so at Oh 20m
the course was changed and a new
course made good so miles up and over
the glacier. The flight up the Liv Gla-
cier included one of the most difflcult
parts of the journey for the navigator.
But realization Of the Importance OF
at all times keeping a close check on
course and speed, and the comparative
" short length Of the difhcult part
lluSb nave HECfCuJc0 lA1c "
any stable error in position.
Reaching the plateau and making
, couple of short courses before straight
ening out on the Hist meridian for the
flight south to the Pole. the position Of
he plane with reference to Mount Nam
zen and Mount Ruth Gade checked sat-
sfactofily the dead reckoning position
carried from the trail camp. >
Uncertainty Of Position.
cat 10 hours 20 minutes the plane
was placed on the Hist meridian. at
parallel IS degrees IS minutes, and the
sun compass set for a course along that
meridian to the Pole, 227 miles away.
The uncertainty of the position Of the
plane at the beginning of the fight
along the Hist meridian may be said
10 be Of the order Of miles In lati-
Jude and 8 miles In longitude. This
Is the accumulated uncer-
tainties OF the position Of the geological
party'S tran camp and the dead reek-
oning from that camp.
Headed south and holding the plane
Is closely on the Hist meridian as It
vas possible to do with the sun COM
pass and the speed and drifh indicator,
Byrd new straight ahead until Is hours
"A minutes, @. c. T. Il hour IL minutes
IN face of clock), when it was estimated
hat the Pole had been reached"