Evening star., 1948-01-25
By Dr.. Donald Mclean

BY DR.. Donald McLeon
tReleased by North American Newspaper
RONNE ANTARCTIC EXPEDT-
TON BASE, stonington Island,
Jan. 19.-DelayeO-We who man
this main expedition base in Ant
arctica may lack black maria, a
dog catcher or a hook-and- ladder
but we have an ambulance. 1t is
a sled fitted with all the gear nee
essary to rescue man from the sea,
out of a crevasse or from the side
of an ice cliff. For we have our
accidents here as well.
One expedition member fractured
q rib in a friendly skirmish and I
chanced to break a leg only few
feet from the bunkhouse but for
tunately saved my precious skis.
Thinly iced or open canals, called
leads, in the thick sea ice have not
yet led to catastrophe. However,
both explorers on the southern geo
logical trail trip received duckings
at different times while trying to
rescue leading dogs that had broken
through the ice.
Got Out Quickly.
Both men and dogs managed TO
get out of the icy waters quickly.
A sled was unloaded, dry clothes
selected and they were moving again
in IS. minutes. The mems heavy
woolen clothes insulated them dur
ing their brief immersion at a tenn
perature. just above freezing.
Theirs was not a case of exposure
such as that of the man who was
working with. me stretching out guy
wires preparatory to raising 60
foot rhombic wireless mast on the
glacier foot near the camp.
I shouted "Stop, Stop!" as he
backed toward the 50-foot ice cliff.
At the bottom was shallow water
floating newly formed pieces of thin
Ice known to us as pancake ice"
One evening during the long win
ter night. as we were enjoying a
movie-with the usual f1ve-minute
intermission between each IL reels
o man we had assumed to be safely
tucked In his sleeping bag at the
weather station on top OF the
plateau skied into camp with
dreaded news: his companion had
broken through the snow bridge OF
q crevasse on the glacier eight miles
from camp.
Our dog teams chugged up the
s.000-foot elevation carrying
searchlight, ice axes, tent, a
primus-heated sleeping bag, ropes,
food and medical supplies. We were
searching in the darkness for hours
before we located the trail flags
marking the spot where he had
fallen, over II hours previously.
Man 110 Feet Down.
The man was wedged between the
sides, 110 feet down. He greeted
us with the most appreciative smile.
Later he told us he thought at
irst we would never find him in
time. Then, after seemingly in
terminable period, there came that
metallic tap-tap-tapping of the ice
axes. The intensity OF the SOUND
increased, then faded alternately as
we approached and by-passed him.
picking q way over the crevassed
area.
Although the temperature was SO
degrees below zero, the stagnant
air at the bottom of a crevasse keeps
considerably warmer regardless Of
the changing surface temperatures.
As he was warmly dressed, he was
not frozen-not even the hand
which had lost its rnitten.
The sides of the crevasse were
not sheer but rather shelved at in
tervals, 50 that in his fall he banged
from side to side before he was
eventually wedged at the bottom.
We cut of his clothes, treated him
for shock, examined him for frac-
lures and placed an arm and a leg
In Sr1lir1tS as a nrec9J1tiOn Until a