Evening star., 1936-01-23

Strikingly contrasted to these rugged
Hearst Land Mountains were the low
topped Graham Land Ranges We had
been following south and which
dwindled down to isolated peaks as
they neared Stefansson Strait. Both
ranges are undoubtedly Of sedimentary
formation. The Hearst Land Noun
tains, or at least the section over
which we flew, was a loosely formed
range with none Of the crowded topo-
graphy Of peaks with glacier-fllled
valleys and high crevassed bottoms.
such as pictures of the Queen Maud
Range show. We saw neither glaciers
nor crevassed surfaces in crossing.
Mountain Ranges Visible.
At 1890, the mountains beneath us
dwindled out into isolated Nuntaks
and merged into a great snow plateau
surface with an elevation of between
six and seven thousand feet. Isolated
patches Of sastrugi appeared at inter-
walls on our right during the following
half hour. but no crevasses.
At 1915, on the distant right hori-
zon, q mountain range became visible
with isolated black peaks which faded
out 20 minutes later. At 14:00, a few
more peaks showed on the same hori-
zon. From 1920 to 17:45, mountains
100 to 40 miles distant appeared on
our left horizon, also a few peaks on
the right horizon. At 1920, it be-
came very hazy ahead. Below 1t was
dead fiat. with q patch of sastrugi
on our left.
One hundred and ten miles further
on we came abeam of solitary little
range, about IS miles long, on our
left, to which took bearing. 1t was
symmetrically formed, with peaks
rising to $4,000 feet and all clustered
into a central mass which dwindled
down at either extremity to merge
into the plain around. I named it
Sentinel Range, and its central peak
Mount Mary Louise Ulmer, after my
wife.
Fifteen minutes later, on the south
horizon and 100 miles distant, ap-
peared q long, black-topped range,
which visibly extended through at
least one degree of latitude. This
appeared to be the last of the noun
tains We were to see, for ahead and
around swept only q vast plateau
meeting the horizon In q vista of
white.
Land on Undulating Plateau.
Our visibility throughout the Jour-
ney so far had been from 120 to $50
miles, for we were flying at an average
altitude Of 10000 feet in clear weather.
At 2l:55, after 13 hours and so min
utes' flying, the visibility was getting
low, 80 We landed and fixed our
position as latitude 1912 g., longitude
104:l0 w. Our altimeter here showed
the surface elevation as $500 feet and
the plateau extended with slight un-
dulations In every direction.
Our next landing, at longitude
107:55 w., latitude 1890 s., was at
about the same elevation. Again, at
latitude 1888 S., longitude 114:15 W.,
1t was within 200 feet Of the same
level our altimeter showing a height
Of $500 feet. This point seemed to
be about the end Of the level plateau,
which had extended from the last
seen mountains, for, on December
4, after leaving at 1915, we found
ourselves, at 20:30, an hour and
q quarter later and about 40 miles
ahead, ct an elevation Of $500 feet.
From here, the plateau, with un-
dulations, seemed to dror toward the
Ross Sea barrier. At 22:04, we were
over crevasses, and, at 22:40. we esti-
mated the surface to be at an eleva-
ton Of about 1000 feet. We landed
at 1910 at an elevation Of $50 feet
at latitude 1915 g., longitude
1876 w
The su6N condition "a The high