Evening star., 1935-04-21
|Byd's Discoveries in antarctic Are Hailed
As Greatest in Century Since Ross Search,
Planes Made Possible
Broad E1pIOratic-.
Over Barrier.
(continued From First Pace J

Continued From First Page)
was spread fanwise over the most in
teresting part of the unknown terri
tory. His obvious attack this time
was to the east and south, and
the area covered is complete sector,
running from the nearest approach to
the land possible by sea and air as far
as the Queen Maud Mountains and
the polar plateau.
Admiral Byrd was not able to take
part in most Of the field work because
Of Ill health, but June explained that
the work was carried out as 1t had
been arranged before the admiral iso-
lated himself In his advanced base.
Field Work Begun Early.
The field work was started two
months before the usual time for
getting under way in the Antarctic,
some of the early sledging and tractor
journeys being in temperatures of so
degrees below zero. Although the
tractors fell into crevasses time after
time and were extricated only with
great danger and difficulty, they
proved that this means Of tranSporta-
tiOn can be used successfully when
better type of machine for the work
is invented.
But the most astonishing method Of
determining the geographical outlines
Of the country was by using airplanes
to measure surface attitudes. Junc,
q former Navy pilot. obtained the
contour lines showing the gradual rise
of the plateau to the east between
the coast and the Queen Maud Noun
tains by touching the skis OF his plane
to the ground every 20 miles and re-
cording the surface height each time
by means of his altimeter.
This simple and yet roughly effec-
tive method of outlining the surface
Of territory has never been at
tempted before. 1t Is dangerous, but
June proved its effectiveness on sew.
eral flights.
He also proved that It was possible
to fly blind in the Antarctic, flying at
times high above the clouds, or through
them for distances of 200 miles or
more. and finding a hole near Little
come down. He made landings when
the surface of the barrier was in
distinguishable because Of overcast
skies, catching bare glimpse Of the
edge Of the barrier and then stalling
in for landing.
IA Landings Made.
This dangerous but unavoidable
procedure made possible much flying
which, because Of bad weather, could
not otherwise have been carried on.
And IA landings were made away
from camp to assist surface parties
or to make seismic soundings.
This part OF the work, which is
also new in the Antarctic. was done
under poor weather conditions, but 1t
position Of the western shore-line of
Marie Byrd Land, which runs south
under the Ross shelf ice. The sound
ings also proved the accuracy OF
Amundsen's deduction that land
south of the Bay Of Whales and on
the eastern side preserves for long
periods of time the same relative
shape Of the bay
The island that Amundsen sus-
pected was just south of the Bay of
Whales was found to rise more than
500 feet above sea level, the remain |
ing 700 feet consisting of shelf ice
anchored on it. Even the outlines of
this island were traced, and Amund-
sens uncanny judgment was shown
by the fact that he pitched his camp
Of h. ~
protected from the advancing ice
from the south.
Land also rises above sea level and
anchors the barrier ice between
Amundsen's camp and Little America,
and the cape that runs north of Little |
America out into the bay and serves !
as protection is also resting on land. |
Ice Masses Piled Up.
''The eastern side of the bay we
found to be very much the same as
it was when we we're there before"
said June. although pressure on the
bay had piled up such a mass of ice
that 1t was impossible to get into /
Little America by the old route.
The western side of the bay. how |
about five feet day in the Summer
time. 1t is probably slower in Winter.
But this steady movement, and the
land under the barrier which forms |
the eastern side Of the bay, explain
many Of the great upheavals and ice
canyons to the south which puzzled
us so much before.
There Is no doubt, either. that the
basin in which Little America lies is
between two anchored parts of the
barrier and is supported only by
water. The accumulated weight of
snow and our stores made it break
loose at the end of our first Summer,
so that its up-and-down movement
could be definitely seen. But the
cape to the north prevented 1t from
moving out to sea, and when Winter
came it quickly froze fast again to
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