Evening star., 1939-01-13

gine purred evenly, except once
when, as was looking backward, I
was startled as Lymburner throttled
down to change over to a new tank
of gas. We climbed steadily from
1000 feet to IL 500 feet and the bar
rier surface also rose steadily be-
meath us.
The crevaSsed area near the coast
had given place to furrowed sur
face Huge saStrugi, with a few
/ patches of smooth snow here and
area looked somewhat like a gigantic
white plowed field. Nevertheless
there were small, apparently smooth,
patches here and there, and from
any point except when over the gla-
cier and crevassed areas I believe
we could have made a safe forced
landing.
Good Weather at 1000 Feet.
At 20 &C. M. T) were were at TO-
900 feet altitude: at l 80, IL 900. and
our meter showed a drift due to
wind from the east of five degrees,
which meant wind force of about
10 or IL miles per hour. We were
having good weather at high alti-
tudes.
Ahead of us. to the south. was an
absolutely bright blue sky right to
the sharp horizon. Beneath it was
| vast unbroken plain of white. it's
surface ripplcd with sastrugi and
shimmering in the sunlight. There
was no sign, from our altitude. of
undulation. and we saw no specks of
color or Serration on the horizon
to suggest nunataks or mountain
ranges-nothing but an endless ex-
| panse of white. It was sight to stir
ones feelings deeply, and l was
much impressed.
But other things soon called
themselves to our attention. Our
gas supply was almost half exhaust
ed. If we were to get back safely
across those last so miles of terrify-
ing crevasseS, we had to think
quickly about a reversal of our
course
l calculated that we had reached
latitude 70 south on the longitude
of 70. We had flown south for
more than 210 miles and could see
more than ITO miles farther on
total distance of over 800 miles from
our starting point. That is $50
miles further south than any one
else has ever seen in this longitude.
So, following a custom long honored
| by explorers. I claimed the area I
had explored for my country and
dropped brass cylinder containing
the following record:
TO whom it may concern: Hav-
ing flown on direct course from
latitude $3.50 south, longitude 1900
east to latitude 70 degrees south,
longitude 79 east. I drop this record,
together with the flag of the United
| States of America. and claim for my
country. so far as this follows, the
| area south of latitude 10 to a dis
tance of $50 miles east and $50 miles
west of my line of flight and to a
distance of $50 miles south of lati-
tude 70 south, longitude 70 east,
which 1 claimed to have explored.
Dated January II. 1889. Signed,
Lincoln Ellsworth"
After this formal act, we turned
the machine toward the ship and
| flew back on. direct course into
the clouded northern sky. So &C
curate was our navigation that We
came out directly over the Wyatt
carp. and. after circling few times
to get the feel of the wind. which
had risen to considerable force since
we left. we landed and completed
my long Antarctic fight of dis
covery.
Now, at the beginning of another
day, we are steaming along the
coast. looking for shelter from the
strong east wind.
Copyright 1889 by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc)