Evening star., 1947-01-05
Heavy Snow and Fog
Sfymie Hunt for Nine
Missing in Antarctic
By Alton L. BIokesIee
Assoeiufed Press Sfoff Writer


delayed "A heavy snow storm
and fog still prevented this morning
the slightest search move for nine
men lost since Monday in the frigid
silences of the South Polar region
There was no signal out of the
wastes from the lost plane and the
silence caused hopes to dwindle that
the plane might be floating in the
sea, since the men could be expected
to have its radio functioning by
now if that were causing the silence.
The Pine Island, the seaplane ten
der on which the two-engined plane
was based, was tragically helpless in
an extreme bad weather belt.
Weather May Change Quickly.
Cold winds blowing off the conti-
nent meet the warmer Pacific Ocean
waters, causing fog. ANY storms
brewing at sea also were carried by
prevailing winds along that coastal
area. The weather might change
quickly, however.
(The Navy said yesterday in
| Washington that it had no news
on the flyers fate. Washington \
was out of contact with the
Mount Olympus for time due to
communication trouble. =
(The skipper of the Pine Is
land, Capt. Henry H. Caldwell of
Norfolk, Va, is among the miss
ing nine. He is former Annap-
oils football starr
! Today'S SnoWStorm was extremely
heavy and the Pine Island reported
temperature of 80 degrees.
! If the men are downed and located
inland on Ellsworth Land. the only
human beings anywhere near may
be a British group reported based
at Marguerite Bay, below the tip Of
South America.
Such a British group, however,
would be at least 900 or TOO miles
from any plane. Whether the Brit
ish could send a dog team party or
plane to such a spot was not
known here. In fact, it was not def
nitely known whether the British
still are there. ~
Far From Pine Island.
The Mount Olympus group, far
from the Pine Island, was still
jstymied in the ice pack.
Late Thursday night the flotilla
started out from the open pool or
lagoon where it had been halted for
38 hours, but it was forced to return
again this morning.
Rear Admiral Richard H. CurZen,
the task force commander, scouting
in a helicopter Thursday found
formidable area of big icebergs ex-
tended only another mile south of
the lagoon and then there stretched
40 miles of a relatively thin pan
ice. Another lagoon was spotted 40
miles ahead.
The whole task force was tensed
for word from the nine missing
aerial explorers.
A dispatch dated Thursday said
the Pine Island was blindly sending
forced cheerfulness. No one could
tell whether the missing flyers were
receiving their messages; they have
not replied.
The men were being told that only
a smile from God and a break in
the weather was needed until a
long-range rescue plane could speed
out.
They were told, with strained
jocularity, not to make too many
friends where they are, since their
visit may be cut short.
More pointed messages told them
to mark the snow with orange plant
or lampblack Contained in their
emergency equipmenD. They are
told that the whole expedition hopes
and believes the men are down
safely.
Had Radio for sos.
The approximate area where the
plane might be is a region totally
uninhabited, where bitter tenpera-
lures, sudden fogs and Billiards are
the rule.
The planes equipment included
hand-cranked radio capable of send
ing S. o. S. signals from so to 500
miles, depending on circumstances.
Other equipment includes emer-
gency needs for IL men, including
exposure suits, sleeping tents, life
RATS and 30-day rations.
The hope is that the men are
safely at sea in life RATS somewhere
in the iceberg dotted Pacific or per-
haps landed safely on mountainous
Ellsworth Land. The area where the
plane last radioed it's position cannot
be given specifically.