The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-02-17
WANCHESE MAN Is
ON EXPEDITION
TO SOUTH POLE
Murray E. Bridges Serving Aboard
The lee-Breaker Glacier in
the Antarctic, to Get a
Short Holiday.

ANTARCTICA, Feb 2 (Delayed)
(FHTNC.-Murray E. Bridges, en-
gineman second class, USN, son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Holmes o. Bridges
of Wanchese, is serving aboard the
icebreaker USS Glacier in the Ant
arctic.
The weather-beaten crew of the
icebreaker, who for the past %
days have worked without letup
shutting cargo from Operation
Deepfreze supply ships to sledges
on frozen McMurdo Sound, today
looked forward to a short holiday
in New Zealand.
Deepfreeze Commander Rear
Admiral George J. Dufek, USN,
ordered the Glacier north to Port
Lyttleton, N. T., to take on $780,
900 gallons of badly needed diesel
fuel. She will depart about Febru-
airy or 2.
This marks the end of the Ola
cier's role in one of history's clas-
sic moving jobs. Since January IL,
she has hauled nearly 1000 tons
of cargo destined for the expedi-
TONS fast growing air base on
Ross Island.
The cargo ships Wyandot and
Greenyille Victory, moored to the
fringe of the ice, have been trans
ferring their loads of building ma
terials, foodstuffs and supplies to
the Glacier and the smaller ice
breaker Eastwind, because hard ice
in the channel would probably
slash open the thin-hulled cargo
ships.
SeaeBes load supplies onto trac-
tor-drawn sled trains and move
them over firm ice to the air base
six miles away. The base is going
up on the site used by Britain's
Sir Robert Scott on his 1902 South
Polar expedition.
This is perhaps the first time an
icebreaker has transhipped so
much cargo. Her bargain basement
loads have covered items like. q
ton tractors, a piano and delicate
feather-weight weather instru-
ments. The heaviest payload to
date weighed in at some AZ tons.
Pressed by the rigid Deepfreeze
timetable, the Glaciers desk force
which normally handles all car
go jobs-was augmented by sail
ors from other walks of Navy life.
Men left typewriters, drill presses,
cook stoves and laundry machines
to pitch in.
| Work goes on around the clock
with each sailor putting in from
8 to Is hours day. Three day ago
la blizzard dashed by savage IS
mile-an-hour gusts of bitterly
cold wind slowed, but did not stop,
cargo transfer from the Glacier to
waiting sleds. Recent weather is
better with temperatures up to the
balmy 20's.
There is strong rivalry between
the cargo handlers and profession
;al deck force men. Shocked boats
wain's mates have been receiving
ready advice ON load hosting from
lnovices. These in turn are kidded
about callouses on soft hands and
aches in unused muscles.
;! The Glaciers Commanding Off
Ger, Cdr. Eugene H. Maher, said
he was proud of the cheerful way
his men took to the backbreaking
Job. He promised the crewmen as
much rest and recreation as posi-
BILE during the New Zealand refuel-
ing interlude. The ship will prob
ably spend three days at Port Lyt-
Teton before returning to Antarc-
tica.
Antarctica has replaced below
decks pallor for Navy outdoor men
with curious tans. The sun has
bronzed only the cheeks where the
face isn't protected by colored Cog
, giles or beard.
Besides serving as colossal
J moving van, the Glacier has be-
} come Operation Deepfreeze's port
} able hotel, restaurant, theater, hell
iport, garage, filing station and
: fuel barge.
SeaBee tractor drivers frequent
ly stay overnight aboard while re-
!. liefs take loads back to the air
! base. Only recent exception was
the snobbish crew Of a dog sled
e team out on a seal hunt. They pre-
: ferred to "rough it" in their tent
pitched adjacent to the ship.