Evening star., 1933-12-23
BYRD USES PLANE
To SCAN ICE PACK
Flight Convinces Explorer He
Can Push Ship Nearer
Little America.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ABOARD BYRD FLAGSHIP, ANT
ARCTIC, December % (By Mackay
Radio).- flight over the uncharteo
vastness Of the Ross Sea has convinced
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd that he
will be able to push his ship much
farther toward Little America than he
first expected.
When his flagship, ploughing along
the l50th meridian, encountered what
seemed to be an impenetrable ice pack
Admiral Byrd ordered the ship back to
open water, lowered his huge seaplane
over the side and took of yesterday in
a surprise flight over the unknown
spaces lying ahead.
He returned four hours later with the
report that there was no heavy ice pack
ahead, contrary to the usual belief
There was supposed to be an impene-
trable pack extending far across the
somewhat a9a a'ksa Of an sz arcaepeIago " A9el
what he observed on his flight, how
ever. Admiral Byrd was not so sure OF
this.
rack w as fdHCake
TT wouldn't surprise me If open sea
existed clear to the continental limits
that we explored on our flights east
ward of Little America in 1929 and
1890" the explorer said To the limit
of vision open water could be seen and
the pack We saw was all young, shallow,
pancake ice. 1t may be that further
exploration in this vicinity would have
the effect of extending the known limits
of the Ross Sea. ! think we might
have solved the thing If we had not
run out of gas and had to turn back. d
AS a result of yesterdays flight. Byrd
will be able to push on by ship, al
though eventually he will be stopped
by the ice now forming. Then he plans
to go on to his base at Little America
by plane from where he will make
further explorations.
Admiral Byrd was accompanied on
his flight by Harold I. June, chief pilot;
William Bowlin, relief pilot; J. A. Pei
ter, aerial mapper and Carl o. Peter
sen, radio operator.
Saw No Land or Barriers.
1--WE saw no land no barriers and nc
heavy pack TO speak Of Admiral Byrc
has been one of the most puzzling mys-
teries of Antarctic geography. 1t il
tabled for its impenetrable pack There
was supposed to be a great land mass
perhaps an archipelago, extending int
the Ross Sea, against which this pacI
was buttreSSed.
After what ! saw today / am not 81
sure. 1t wouldn't surprise me If oper
sea existed clear to the continental
limits that we explored on our flight
eastward of Little America in 1929 anC
1880.
To the limit of our vision open wa.
ter could be seen and the pack We saw
was all young Shallow, pancake ice
1t may be that further exploration il
this vicinity would have the effect o
extending the known limits Of the RoS
Sea far to the eastward.
II think We might have solved tn
thing If We hadn't run low On gas anC
had to turn back"
The flight was as sudden rs 1t wa
spectacular. 1t had been in Byrd
mind for years 1t was the hidden pur
pose that brought him far to the east
ward of the normal break into the Ros
Sea.
That was why the seaplane was full!
equipped during the stay in Wellington
New Zealand. Byrd's plan was to div,
the ship as far south into the 7ack a
could be done safely and after that, i
open water, could be found, hurdle tn
pack by the air route.
AS the ship steamed south Yesterday
engines turning up half speed through
the loose pack, The fields around her ap
peared more consolidated 18th the ap'
proach of evening. They ran thickly
to the southern horizon and the jarrins
and trembling Of the craft became mort
violent as ice was encountered.
At $50 pm, in a position, latitldt
66.45 S. and longitude 150IO w, Com
modore Gjertsen, scanning the pack
recommended that the vessel withdraw
"All right Byrd agreed, Now we'll
give aviation a chance"