Evening star., 1939-01-13
BY LINCOLN ELLSWORTH,
Leader, Fourth Ellsworth Antarctic
Expedition.

Expedition.
ON BOARD MOTORSHIP wy
| ATT carp. Jan II (by wireless) -
Before taking off on my first fight
over the vast unknown portion of
the Antarctic continent during
which I claimed for the United
States 10000 square miles never be-
fore seen by human eye. the big
Northrop plane was put through its
PAGES in brief test flight
A bumpy take-of on the test fight
showed that We could not hope to
| fly a very great distance. A load of
| gas greater than for three or four
hour flight might cause a smashup
before we could get the plane off
the ground.
| BY the time the test flight was
over, the weather, always treacher-
Gus in these latitudes, was showing
signs of change. A huge ring about
/ the sun was displayed. and storm
clouds loomed to the northwest. We
could expect some trouble from that
quarter in the very near future. But,
toward the south the horizon was
still clear.
l felt that we should take chance
with the weather. 1t seemed to be
now or never as to flying from the
icefoot this season. Hurriedly, the
plane was loaded with gas for little
more than a three-hour flight Onr
provisions, enough for the two of
us-Pilot Lymburner and myself
for five weeks. were slowed into the
roomy cabin of the Northrop, and We
were ready to be off.
The little Adele penguins which
had watched our preparations
seemed to be as excited about it as
we were, and from all directions they
came toddling up, as rast as their
stumpy legs would let them, to
squaWk and peek about and stumble
against the legs of the men who
were busy with our preparations.
At 12:49 G. M. T. T:49 E. S. t.
that is, about pm. our time
We were ready and TAXED to the end
of the short selected runway. In
doing $50 we almost met with disas-
! lCl III lllC ldlL Shld SduS1ll III o1iC
of the numerous pot-holes and was
| badly bent and twisted. But we could
| brook no delay. The load was not
heavy for the machine; it was the
| bad ice surface that was imposing
limit upon us. So Lymburner
opened the throttle wide, picked up
the tail of the Northrop and we
jarringly bumped our way over the
ice for few seconds and were off
1t was 1885 G. M. T. when we
| headed South.
To seaward and north OF us were
| thousands of icebergs and in the
distance an ominous band of pack
ice. To the southwest. section of
barren hills, jutting out from the
barrier. covered an area about 80
miles long and some Z or miles
out from the edge of the continental
glacier edge. This land. most of it
in island form. was generally clear
of snow and showed in conspicuous
contrast to the great glaciated ex-
panse of white that lay to the
southwark and before us
Crevasses Bar to Landing.
Great gaping crevasses yawned
beneath us for the first so miles
as we flew inland from the coast
A safe landing on that area with a
plane would have been impossible
1 doubt that even men on foot could
have passed over it. It was not a
very cheerful aspect for us with 8
single-engined plane, for we were
taking some chances of having tt
walk home. STILL my airplane en-.
gineS have always served me faith.
fully, and l have never yet during
my four years of Antarctic f1yine
been forced down by engine trouble
So we forged cheerfully ahead.
Our apprehensive thoughts, if We
had any, soon gave way to aWec
wonder at the vast and apparently
limitless expanse of ice and snow
ahead The horizon was, for 18(
degrees and as far as we could see
straight-edged and unmarked b,
color and contour. Visibility wa,
perfect in all directions excep
north, where, behind us, the omin.
GUS storm clouds we're thickenine
and banking higher.
We quickly climbed to 1000 feet
and into temperature much lowel
than it was on the surface; in fact
we found that here were the more
or less normal conditions found ir
northern latitudes, drop of about
three degrees in temperature fol
every thousand feet in altitude, but
it was not cold in the cockpit, ane
we were quite comfortable. The en-.