The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-05-25

lICiUQt4 INC (rAlAA GtifEs AAeaohh -
island, an interesting dot of land
In mid-Pacific where the native
attire earned the name Just Neck
lace island; New Zealand. and
thence to Little America
There the North Stars crew
achieved a remarkable record for
cargo handling. Noteworthy Ia the
fact that they moorcd the ship to
20-foot- thick Ice In the harbor: the
ice was inclined to break adrift
periodically-five times upon that
occasion, as a matter Of fact-and
II was always q matter Of six
hours work to remoor her. Also
pertinent was the fact no previous
ship had brought more than third
of the North Stars cargo, and none
had ever done their discharge in
less than rs days.
Impressing all hands TO service,
Including cooks. biologists. wealth
ermen, etc, Capt. Lystad set them
at watch-and-watch. IL hours at
a whack. The North Stars 1900
tons of cargo were landed without
q scratch or loss atop the 200-foot-
high cliffs of the great ice barrier
In just 10 days!
From Little America, or what
they called West Base. the ship
then went to Valparaiso and thence
returned to East Base on the other
side OF the Antarctic continent
That place Is otherwise known
a. Palmerland. honoring the men,
DRY of an American whaling cap
tain who first visited il.
II was while In that vicinity that
the North Star went farther south
10 degrees IS minutes-than any
vessel has been before. Ito make
Cape Horn a ship makes South of
Fifty" and that achievement en-
titles u. s. naval officers to put
one foot on the tablet
II was en- route through those
uncharted and hence unknown
waters that one day Capt. Lystad
and Admiral Byrd Ton the old
Bear. preceding the North STAR
had one of their typically subtle
incidents"
The North Star sighted some
islands. Capt. Lystad felt sure
then, and still does. they were a
new discovery. He radioed the
admiral-not without understand
able anticipation and the thrill of
making history. perhaps-that he'd
sighted new land.
Admiral Byrd radioed IN reply
an airy dismissal: Probably just
those two islands we saw yester-
day." or words to the same effect
which were enough TO be remind
full of who was supposed to be the
explorer in the crowd.
Capt. Lystad. however. had the
last word. He looked at the islands.
and then at the debating message
about the "admirals two islands. /"
He looked again at the islands.
Then he sent this classic mes
sage: "Okeh. Probably just the
two islands you discovered. Except
can count four islands In sight"
Capt. Lystad reports that pen
gums are every bit as comical as
we've heard. The way they stand
respectfully at attention and sol
EMMY stare unwinking at a man
he says, they look for all the worlc
like steam-shovei watchers.
Only scant wild life is to b
found In the Antarctca: penguini
of various kinds. one specie o.
small fish similar to herring. hair
seals and whales.
The penguins are deathly afrais
of killer-whales, and have for tina
reason evolved a practical and NIL
bidly human method of not becom
ing q tasty snack.
They gather in a small crowd a
the ices edge, obviously wondering
; and debating whether or not IL
safe to enter the water. They hud
die closer to the edge as the min
utes 90 by.
Then there's a brief but spirite'
tussle ard the crowd surges 4
unison against one iuckless mem
Der. pushing him into the water
II there are no killer-whales aobu
to eat him. the others then go In
Nrtea ttirk