The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-03-16

Al Study club by Miss Virginia
Eldredge, of the Libby high
school faculty.-Editor9
"Alone" is the book that Admiral
Byrd was four years deciding
whether to write the account of an
experience so intimate-and per-
haps so catastrophie-tha for
long time he could not bring him
self to tell it. II is an experience
that only one man could write about
because it happened to just one
man. and that man was completely
alone in the South Polar night. It
is the account of Byrds five months
isolation at Advance Base, the place
far south of Little America, where
in 1884 he nearly died.
1t has been said that Alone is
record of another excursion into
the unknown. Not an unknown de-
fined by latitude and longitude, but
rather one whose boundaries also
were suffering and the shoreless
night and the infinite reaches of the
human spirit Byrd has only told
the story because of the inslstence
of his friends who believe that the
world may be able to learn some
thing from the narration.
Advance Base was the outcome of
an idea inspired by Byrd's first Ant
arctic expedition. The idea was to
plant deep in the interior of that
continent, an outpost, manned by
several trained observers whose
task would be to study weather
within the polar continent where
weather breeds. And also, Byrd
says, This much should be under
stood from the beginning: that above
anything else. and beyond the solid
worth of weather and auroral OBJ
seTVations In-the hitherto unOcCu-
pied interior and my interest in
these studies, | really wanted to go
for the experiences sake. So the
motive was in part personal. Aside
from the meteorological and auroral
work, had no important purposes
He says that he wanted time to
think, study, and to live as he chose,
obedient to no necessities but those
imposed by wind and night and
cold. and to no mans law but his
own. He studied the dangers in
volved and learned only later that
they were far more serious than
he ever could have anticipated. To
quote,
That | miscalculated is proved
by the fact that | nearly lost my
life. Yet, | do not regret going.
For | read my books-if not as
many as | had calculated on read
ing; and listened to my phonograph
records-even when they seemed
only to intensity my suffering, and
editated-though not always as
cheerfully as | had hoped. All this
is good and it was mine. What
had not counted on was discovering
how closely a man could come to
dying and still not die, or want to
die. That too was mine, and it is
also to the good. For that exper-
ience.> resolved relationships and
proportions for me as nothing else
could have done: and it is surpris-
ing, approaching the final enlight-
eminent, how little one really has to
know or feel sure about.
Byrd was poisoned by carbon
monoxide fumes from his stove after
he had been at Advance Base for
about two months. For the fol-
lowing three months he lived close
to death. Whenever he felt stronger
for few hours. he had to exhaust
himself with the necessities of liv-
ing such as, preparing food, refuel
ing the stove and the lamps, anc
making weather observations The
continuation of his radio contacts
with the rest Of his party at Little
America proved the most Difficult
# a J., Fn h,
never dared to hint to the other
that all was not well with him
lest they should attempt to rescu
him. Actually they suspected tina
he was i'll and came at the earlies
possible date. All in all he wa
there for four months.
The cold was intense Most Q
the readings were between so and :
below zero. At 54 below flashligh
batteries freeze and at so rubbe
turns brittle If there is the slight
est breeze, you can hear your breatl
as it floats away, making sount
like that of Chinese firecrackers.
Out of his suffering Byrd cam
to some (for himl important con
illusions. They are.
The universe is not dead There
fore, there is an Intelligence there
and it is all-pervading. At least on
purpose, possibly the major purpos
of that Intelligence is the achieve
ment of universal harmony.
Striving in the right direction fc
Peace (Harmony), therefore, as we
as the achievement of it, is the RI
suit of accord with that Intelligence
1t is desirable to effect that az
cord
The human race, then, is ne
alone in the universe. Though | al
cut off from all human beings, :
am not alone
For untold ages man has felt a
awareness of that Intelligence Bt
lief in it is the one point where a
religions agree. 1t has been Gale
by many names. Many call it Go,
Of his departure from Advanc
Base Byrd writes.
Il climbed the hatch and neve
looked back. Part Of me RENAME
forever at latitude 90 08' Soutl
what remained of my youth m
vanity perhaps. and certainly m
claptipicrp I'm tha ofhar hand