Evening star., 1949-10-17
Byrd Asserts Antarctic
Has Huge Coal Deposits
Uranium Deposits A Possibility, But
Detection Is Difficult
By Thomas X. Henry

Dv HOW0S N. II enfy
Americas need for the vast, high land
mass around the South Pole-of which an
area somewhat larger than the continental
United States never has been seen by man
may become apparent In the next half CEN
tury.
1t is known to contain enormous coal de-
posits. the remains of its great forests Of
100000, 900 years ago when its climate may
have been semitropical. Coal veins stick
out OF the mountainous, protruding above
the thick icecap. There is almost certainly
oil under the ice.
This is the view of Rear Admiral Richard
E. Byrd. Proposals for his fifth Antarctic
expedition with Navy ships and personnel,
now are before the Joint Chiefs of Staff after
having been Cancelled for reasons of economy
this summer.
The possibility that Antarctica may con-
tain considerable supplies of uranium which
can be mined still must be considered. Ad-
miral Byrd says Search for the essential
element of the atomic bomb has been al
legged to be the reason for the renewed in
terest in the Antarctic continent where six
nations are trying to establish claims this
year. Generally this has been discounted
by all familiar with the polar continent be-
cause of the extreme difficulty of detection
under ice. The idea that uranium deposits
may be present has rested on no tangible
evidence.
But within the past few months, Admiral
Byrd says, Chilean naval parties who are
setting up permanent bases on the shores
OF the Palmer peninsula, farthest north ex-
tension of Antarctica. have claimed definite
evidence of uranium deposits. Also Sir
Douglas Mawson, Australian Antarctic ex-
plorer who is among the best-informed men
on the resources of the continent, has main
tanned the high probability of such deposits.
1t is possible that these reports have
stimulated the recent Russian interests 1t
is known that unnamed Russian ships car
rying powerful aircraft have been cruising
in Antarctic waters and presumably making
air surveys to locate ice-free areas
All these facts says Admiral Byrd, now
are before the Joint Chiefs of Staff who are
reconsidering the Cancelled expedition which
would have involved dozen ships and about
$500 men.
First intact preservation of human blood
has just been reported here.
BY special methods of freezing and thaw-
ing, according to the report to the American
Association for the Advancement of Science,
approximately 100 blood specimens have
been preserved with the majority of the cells
unbrokeh for periods up to one month
The report is by DR.. Max M Strumia of
the John S. Sharpe research laboratory at
Bryn Mawr, Pa.
First the blood is frozen to a solid mass at
a temperature of about IA centigrade It
is then placed Immediately in an air cabinet
at temperature of 3, which keeps it in
the solid state. 1t must be thawed rapidly
when needed.
Difficulty in preserving whole blood In the
past has been the practical certainty of
breaking the delicate walls of the blood
cells. Their chief constituent is water This
increases in bulk when crystallized to form
ice. The surrounding membranes are broken.
The secret apparently lies in the 3 preser-
vation temperature. When a lower tenn
perature is used the cells quickly disinte-
CRATE DR.. Strumia says.
Only few cells are injured in the new
process. The practical significance may be
very great. it is pointed out. If the method
could be perfected it would make whole blood
transfusions possible at all times without
donors.
Whole blood transfusions of large numbers
OF persons Is one of the major hopes in
combating the deadly radiation sickness
which would follow an atomic bomb attack
Fast freezing, it is pointed out, results in
the formation of small, uniformly sized
water crystals. Slow freezing produces large
crystals which are almost certain to rupture
the blood cell walls.