Evening star., 1935-05-11
SCIENTIFIC GAINS
RELATEDBYBYRD
10000 Square Miles of Un.
known Area Covered by
Expedition.

Scientific observations which will
make necessary recaSting Of ideas
In many fields of research have been
brought back by the second Byrd Ant
arctic Expedition, Rear Admiral Rich
ard E. Byrd and expedition leaders
believe.
The expedition has wiped 100000
square miles of hitherto unknown area
off the map and has laid claim in the
name of the United States to an area
equal to 10 of the original 13 States
Results of the expedition were de-
scribeo by Admiral Byrd in his first
press interview yesterday aboard the
s. S. Bear of Oakland, flagship of the
expedition, en- route from Quantico,
Va, to Washington. At his ease under
cross-f1re of questions. the youthful,
but gray-haired, admiral described the
work which took more than 100 men
across $4,000 miles of sea and cut
of the ice party of Sc from clviliza-
ton for IA months.
Byrd paused frequently in the course
of the interview to pay tribute to the
men of the expedition
Don't make this a one-man affair.""
he said at one time. There were
more than 100 of us, and every man
played his part"
Gives Credit to Men.
He stressed the fact that the men
Of the expedition are all volunteers,
and pointed out that it was - splen-
did thing on their part to give up two
years of their lives and to work as
hard as they worked to make the ex-
peuiIion success"
Asked if he was giving any thought
to third expedition to the Antarctic,
Byrd said:
Naturally I have thought of the
possibilities of going back, but I sup
pose really can't say anything yet
about a third expedition. First
must make up the debts contracted
by this one"
For the next year, at least. he said,
he has three main objectives-to
write book and some magazine ara
ticles, to deliver lectures and to spend
some vacation time with his family
Arrangements have been made for the
first two of these activities.
The scientific objectives attained by
the expedition have been many, the
admiral explained.
"The question which is most often
asked" he said, sis just what purpose
the expedition has served. 1t is the
hardest question of all to answer be-
cause it requires several hours To sum
up the results"
I think" Byrd continued, that it
Is the duty of mankind to Keep on
with the work of exploration and
Ef,,l, ,ft
world he lives in. The Antarctic is
the largest unknown area On earth
and one of the richest fields for the
scientist"
He listed as among the branches
Of science which have been benefited
by the results of the second eXpedi-
ton those Of geology, cosmography.
astronomy, biology, terrestrial magnet
ism, ocearography, meterology and
associated subjects.
Although great deal Of coal,
copper, lead, some silver and other
minerals and metals have been dis
covered in the mountains of Ant
arctica, the admiral said, they cannot
be commercially exploited because of
their inaccessibility.
In the field of geology, he explained,
much has been learned of the struc-
ture Of the earth. 1t is indicated
that the backbone of the Americas,
by prolongation of the great Andean
range, extends through submarine
mountain chains to and across the
Antarctic continent.
Meteorological Studies.
Meteorological studies made by the
expedition are of especial Importance,
In the admirars opinion.
THE Antarctic continent" he ex-
planned, lis in the clutches of an ice
age in its full flood tide. Thirty
thousand years ago we had an ice age
in North America and there un-
doubtedly is some relationship between
the two. More study will be necessary
to determine whether the Antarctic
ice belt is advancing. It now is
about 40 degrees colder in the Ant
arctic than in the Arctic regions, on
an average, and this has profound
effect on weather in the whole |
Southern Hemisphere"
The coldest weather he encountered |
at the advanced base. Byrd said, was |
about 30 degrees below zero. Temper
atures ranged up to maximum of |
81 above zero.
Although it has been supposed no
life existed in Antarctica other than |
the marine and bird life near the
edges of the ice sheet, Byrd said that |
the expedition found strange bugs
in the snow and ice. In the high |
mountains, even near the South Pole, |
despite the fact that the temperature |
of the air never rises above freezing, |
the rocks absorb the suns heat and |
become warm enough to melt the |
snow and create small pools and |
lakes. In these waters we're found |
various forms of life. The sea near
and beneath the barrier teens with |
life, probably thicker than in any
other seas, Byrd said On the high |
mountains there is primitive plant |
life in the form of ichens.
The Antarctic atmosphere is so
clear that tens of thousands of mete-
ors could be seen, the admiral said. |
1t was found that millions more of |
these fragments of interstellar space
lombard the earth than had ever been
suspected. During the night, he said,
careful observations of meteors were |
made and they appeared at the rate |
SPECIAL NOTICES.