ELLSWORTH SEARCH

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 3, 4 January 1936, Page 14

ELLSWORTH SEARCH

DISCOVERY'S ORDERS

TIME-TABLE LIMITS

FLYING SAFEGUARDS

On November 23, from Dundee Island, off Graham's Land, (he Polar Star, with Lincoln Ellsworth and Halleck Kenyon, Hew into the unknown, hoping to get to Little America. Ross Sea, 2140 miles. The New Year finds the Wyatt Earp on the run southwards from Magallanes. Chili, where she picked up a United States relief aeroplane; and also finds the Discovery II on a similar run southward from Dunedin, with two Australian R.A.F. aeroplanes on board. In these rescue, efforts four Governments, those of the United States, Great Britain (who allowed the Discovery II to be diverted), Australia, and Now Zealand are active. Chili has assisted. By a remarkable piece of organisation, men and material from all parts of the world are now engaged in this Antarctic rescue operation. And it is possible that several whalers now in the Antarctic, mostly Scandinavian, will assist. RAPID ORGANISATION AND RESULTS. The following time-table shows at a glance the co-ordination of the relief measures:— November 23—Polar Star leaves finally on flight across Antarctic Continent, from Dundee Island. Her radio messages heard for eight hours. December 9—President Roosevelt gratefully accepts Australian Government's offer to search by sea and air. December 12—American rescue aeroplane, a Northrop piloted by Richard Merrill, (lies from Kansas City, U.S.A., for Magellancs, Chili. December 22—Wyatt Earp, Ellsworth's ship, which had gone to Magellanes to pick up the Northrop, sails with it for the Ross Sea via Charcot Island. December 23—The Discovery II (diverted from her exploratory work by consent of the British Government) sails from Melbourne with the Australian Government's two R.A.F. aeroplanes (Wapiti and Moth, Pilots Douglas and Murdoch) for Ross Sea via Dunedin. January I—Wyatt Earp fails to penetrate pack ice at Charcot Island and goes on south. January 2—Discovery II leaves Dunedin for Ross Sea. The two rescue vessels may meet in the Ross Sea, but their movements are controllable by wireless, and as they will be in consultation with their home countries and can report events and receive orders, their eventual movements will depend on circumstances. IN RADIO TOUCH. Captain Leonard C. Hill, master of the Discovery, is in charge of the expedition so far as she is concerned. The "Sydney Morning Herald" of December 27 states:— "All work relating to the search by the Discovery 11, whether afloat, ashore, or aerial, is under Captain Hill's direction. He has been given freedom of action, subject only to instructions from the Federal Government that he is to give no order likely to jeopardise the safety of the ship or those abroad. The first port of call is Dunedin. where oil, fuel, water, and additional fresh stores are to be taken aboard to the full carrying capacity of the ship. From Dunedin the course I will be set to the Ross Sea. To conserve fuel, the speed on this section of the journey will not exceed seven I knots. "On arrival in the Ross Sea, Captain Hill is to endeavour to establish wireless contact with any whaling vessels in the vicinity, and to report their names and whereabouts to the Federal Government. This is a precautionary measure, so that, if necessary, the Federal Government may communicate with the Governments of the countries concerned, with a view to securing additional oil fuel for the Discovery II if this should be required. He is also to endeavour to get into wireless touch with Sir Hubert Wilkins, on the Wyatt Earp. On receipt of information from the Wyatt Earp, the Federal Government will issue instructions about the future movements of the Discovery 11, and will decide whether she is to go to the Bay of Whales. ON THE ICE EDGE. "If she goes to the Bay of Whales, the Discovery II will be made as secure as possible along the ice edge. If there is then no information of the American flyers, a reconnaissance flight will be made by the Moth seaplane over the area surrounding Little America. On this flight the Moth is not to go so far as to be out of sight of an observer, who is to keep it under constant observation from the ship in the event of a forced landing. If this and other short observation flights fail to locate the missing flyers, the major flying operations in the Wapiti are to be undertaken, but only after careful consideration of meteorological data. "Before the Wapiti goes on any flight the pilot must furnish to Captain Hill a copy of the route and courses he intends to follow, together with the proposed furthest point south for that flight, and the time it should occupy. Whenever the Wapiti rises from, or lands upon, the sea, or is engaged in flying over the sea, a launch or boat, fully manned, is to be in the water and available for dispatch with the utmost expedition in the event of an accident to the aeroplane. Before the Wapiti is dispatched inland, a sledging party, comprising an officer of the ship (who must be a navigator) and two men, must be detailed and be ready with all necessary equipment and adequate stores to start at short notice in the event of a forced landing. This sledge journey is to be made at all speed, on the assumption that one or both of the men in the aeroplane may have suffered physical injury. Observation flights within restricted limits arc also | to be made by the Moth seaplane to . assist the sledge party. NORTHWARD RETURN DATKS. "The aerial search is to be continued until February 1. and may be continued longer if the leader of the aerial party is of opinion that the flights may be continued without undue risk of forced landings, and that circumstances have arisen which render the continuation, of the search desirable. Except in circumstances of emergency, the Discovery II is to leave the Bay of Whales not later than February 15, if her oil supply is so depleted that a return to Hobart or Dunedin is imperative. In any case, she must leave the-Bay of Whales by March 1 for the nearest convenient port. J "The flying party is in charge of Flight-Lieutenant Douglas, with FlyingOfficer Murdoch as. second in command. All flights have to be undertaken after consultation with Captain Hill. The Wapiti before starting on any flight is to have aboard 1171b rations, prepared on a scale to allow a minimum supply i of food for two men for four weeks. In addition, there will be carried a sledge, food box, an additional four , weeks',supply of food, tools, and other equipment for emergencies. : "Arrangements for wireless connection between the ships .-is well as be- : tweon them and the nulsidc world hnvc ; been made as complete as possible.1' '