Antarctic season ‘was eventful’

Press, 1 March 1982, Page 4

Antarctic season ‘was eventful’

The 1981-82 summer season of the United States Antarctic research programme will be remembered more for the extras that happened during the season than for the scientific successes.

"The season was good as far as what we were supposed to be doing,” said the commander of the United States Naval Support Force. Captain J. M. Pearigen.

But it was the extras, such as the fire that burned down a public works garage, a helicopter accident, the sinking of the Gotland 2. and a fatality during the unloading of the U.S.N.S. Southern Cross, that will make the season memorable.

Captain Pearigen is completing his second and final year as commander of the force, but not ending an association with the Antarctic that began when he was a pilot with the Navy's VXE-6 transport squadron from 1967-70.

Captain Pearigen will take up a new position as a Navy officer attached to the National Science Foundation, liaising between the foundation and the United States Department of Defence. The fire in the garage in December had destroyed a lot of machinery repair

equipment, and was probably the biggest fire experienced there, Captain Pearigen said. Replacement equipment was taken in by supply ship later in the season.

In the dry conditions of the Antarctic fire was a serious risk. Many of the buildings were built very close together and in some cases actually joined, which made the spread of fire very easy. “Now this sort of thing is taken into consideration, along with alarms and sprinkler systems.” Captain Pearigen said. A helicopter involved in the Northern Victoria Land research projects was in an accident which resulted in one injury.

The Naval support force was also called in to help the Gotland 2 when the ship began taking in water. A United States Navy aircraft was used to drop two pumps on to the ship to help in the pumping.

The helicopters from the rescue were returned to New Zealand by ship, because this was the cheapest way to take them.

The helicopters eventually caused the Navy more problems when a writ prevented the Southern Cross from leaving Lyttelton for the United States on a voyage

that was already six or seven davs late. the ship had been delayed by. high winds at the Navy base of Port Hueneme. Bad ice conditions caused the ships to slow at sea. These were thought to be caused by lack of wind, and storms to disperse the ice. A petty officer was killed at McMurdo Station during the unloading of the Southern Cross earlier this month. The U.S.N.S. Yukon and Coast Guard ice-breaker Polar Sea were damaged in an incident in the Antarctic this season, said the Coast Guard's liaison officer with the force.. Captain P. R. Taylor. The Polar Sea was escorting the Yukon when the Polar Sea stopped. The Yukon was unable to stop and scraped the starboard side of the Polar Sea. The Polar Sea was temporarily repaired at McMurdo Station before she left for the return journey, and repairs, to Seattle. The Yukon was redirected to Sydney for repairs. A cook on the Yukon died of a heart attack on the return journey. “The season did not go without its problems by any means,” Captain Pearigen said.