IN ANTARCTICA

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1929, Page 5

IN ANTARCTICA

(By llussell Owen—Copyrighted 1921. by the New York Times Company, and •nt. Louis Post Dispatch. All rights for publication reserved throughout the world. Wire'sss to New Yoik limes.)

PREPARING FOR NEXT SEASON

GETTING THE OUTFIT READY

(Received this day at 9.25 a.m.)

BAY OF. WHALES, June 18

This darkness enshrouded mole like village is busy these days with preparations for the southern trip next season. Long before tTie weather is good enough to fly, dog teams Avill start southwards, probably on October loth with the purpose of reaching the mountains in Queen Maud Range to establish a base under the towering peak of Mount Nansen. While waiting for Byrd to take off for the Polar flight, Larry Gould (geologist) will lead a sledging party into Queen Maud mountains to gain all tluknowledgo possible of their structure. It is four hundred miles from here to the foot of the mountains and the journey will take a month because of interruptions due to blizzards. The geological party hopes to spend at least a month there and the trail home will take three weeks. Therefore careful preparations are being made to keep the group of men in the field for a three months period, during which they must depend entirely on their own resources and provisions carried with them. It is this work of preparing, food, clothing, tents and sledges that is occupying the earnest, attention of nearly everyone in the camp. Each detail has been made the responsibility of two or three, who are working on the experience of others and their own experience in the field, to devise what they believe the best outfit to meet the difficulties of the trail. These recommendations and models are then turned over to the Commander who examines and approves them or suggests iinnrovements. In this way many now tilings have been invented and adaptions have been made or tried, with articles in equipment used by other explorers. Such a procedure requires a groat deal of painstaking work and experiment, but promises to eliminate much hardship due to defects. Dressing, for instance, offers thcAmost difficult problem, for it has been proved almost impossible to keep dry while on the trail or to keep sleeping hags free of moisture and ice. all sorts of sleeping bags have been made, in an effort to devise one-"flint will stay dry.

Byrd has experimented with at least a dozen types of foot gear to find one which "'ill keep the men warm without causing too much perspiration, for wet feet are dangerous in low temneraturcs.

Byrd has also tried out many kinds of masks to protect the face against frost bite, wind proof parkas, shirts and socks are being made and many experiments undertaken in an effort to devise a perfect glove. New sleds are being Constructed and those used last year are being repaired. Each dog team will pull two double ended sleds. The first one will be a little sled with gcepole, and trailer will he a flexible sled. The latter will be much lighter and on the way home the heavy sledges may he abandoned in order to travel faster. Stoves and tents are also subject to many experiments. Sugar, powdered milk and tea are packed in oil silk hags holding a weekly ration. Butter is packed in tins. All these things are packed in canvas boxes for convenience in lashing them on sleds, and so that at each depot the requisite number of boxes may merely be lifted off sleds and cached in relays. The food is all packed and ready for the trail. It has been divided into portions for daily rations for/ nine men and packed in hags. AVhCn the bugs are taken out they Contain the food for tlmt day. Pemmican, biscuits, concentrated soup, malted milk, cocoa and bar chocolate arc packed this way. Getting started in the morning which every explorer has' found difficult to overcome will be reduced by cooking oatmeal as the principal breakfast dish in a thermos flask over night. It has (been out of doors here at forty below zero and found that oatmeal cooked perfectly, kept hot twelve hours,' while a jar 'rested in the snow. Each man will have two and a quarter pounds of food daily. Dog pommiean is being made into cakes and each dog will have one and a half pounds daily.

With all these preparations proceeding there is little time for idleness despite the winter night, which is one reason everyone is healthy and contented. The weather continues fractious. For a week warm winds from the north kept up the temperature and to-day it is two above zero. Every rope and wire outside is coated with ice and hoar frost. Our weather has been about as different as can ho imagined from that experienced by Amundsen. Several inches of snow have fallen in the last few days.