IN ANTARCTICA

Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1930, Page 6

IN ANTARCTICA

BLOCKED BY ICE,

(Bj Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, February 9

The “Eleanor Bolling,” Commander Byrd’s expedition ship, arrived in Dunedin this afternoon at about four o’clock, after making an attempt to get th:ougl the he on the way to the Bay of Whales. in addition to the “City of New York,” the whaling steamers “Southern Princess,” “Kosmos,” “C. A. Larsen,” “Sir James Clark Ross,” and “Alonso Neilson” are all now waiting for the ice pack to open. The Eleanor Boiling’s mails and stores were delivered, and she left the ice again on the morning of February Ist and has come hack to obtain coal and stores for the “City of New York” and for the whalers. Moderate weather was experienced on the return voyage.

It is reported that some of the whalers engaged have been into the pack, and the bows of several of the ships have suffered damage.

The “Kosmos” i.s said to have a full cargo. It is not likely that any whaler will go through to Ross Sea. The Eleanor Rolling is expected to sail again on Tuesday for the ice.

PACK PENETRATED. (By Russell Owen—Copyrighted 1929 by tiie New York Times Company, and St. Louis Post Dispatch. All rights for publication reserved throughout the world. Wireless to New York Times.) [United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright], BAY OF WHALES, February 7. The “City of New York,” is now apparently through the main pack ice. She is lying in the ice of the pack, in a heavy gale. She is expected here at the Bay of Whales in five or sixdays, if file weather improves,and, to say that everyone here is delighted, is to put it mildly. There is a blizzard blowing here to-day, and the temperature fell last night to 14 degress below zero. The news that the “City of New York” was through the ice pack came unexpectedly this morning. It was known that she was coasting along the edge of the ice, looking for an opening, but' evidently the recent storms bad smashed the pack much quicker than bad been believed possible by those who have been in it tliis yeai ■ The first message to Admiral Byrd from the “City of New York” said: “We arc in Ross Sea. Our estimated position at 8 a.m. is: Latitude 69 degrees 30 minutes .south ; longitude one degree 78 minutes east. We hove to in clear water. There is a severe southerly gale of hurricane-. force. There is also heavy swell. We have passed latterly through sixty miles of new pancake ice carrying in thickness up to six inches. With a low thermometer and calm condition,,the ice pack will be come impassable. Therefore, wc strongly urge that the base party be prepared to leave on our arrival, as any delay might prove serious. We traversed the pack in 37 hours. The heaviest ice was met in the first 20 miles on the north side, where there was much open space. After that, we took open leads where possible.”

RELIEF FOR BYRD’S PARTY

BAY OF WHALES, February 8

The “City of New York” lias head Pci* for Little America with the wind or her quarters. She is making good speec and is expected here on Wednesday.

“We save not seen any ice lately on !y mush,” said to-days radio message.

NEWS’ FROM MAWSON

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CANBERRA, February !). ! eimliiv despatches from the Maw son expedition ship “Discovery” detail the results of her exploratory work to date. The meteorological observations have shown that the iinper air movement generally is roughly north-west to south-east of Elideby Land. The gales are easterly, and the northern point is almost clear of pack ice in the summer time, hut in the winter the pack ice, is pressed against the shore hv westerlies. The conditions there now are evidently similar to those prevailing upwards of a century ago, when Ramp and Riscoe visited the region. Further cast, however, between Mae Robertson Land and Gaussberg, the pack ice is heavily congested. Extensive neeangraphic work lias disclosed tln> character and the limits of the Continental shelf 'fringing the Ante retie Lands, and also the depths and iiTogularites of the ocean floor. Tin? investigations reveal a special poverty -of land plant life, also green algae. In the region from Endorby Land to Ross Sea whales are exceptionally plentiful.

DR MAWSON’S MISSION,

(Received this day at 8 a.m.) NEW YORK, Fob. 9

The New York Herald and Tribune magazine in an article on Dr Mawson’s work, states: “Dr Mawson has become an Australian hero and a symbol of Antarctic adventure. Australians are proud of him for his adventures, yet they hold in greater regard his material abilities, bis spirit, emotions and gestures. The mission of life for Dr ,Mawson most particularly is to plant at Antarctica the starred and crossed banner of

Australia as the nation most eminently concerned in the Antarctic. It is a frozen forbidding continent to-day, but the blood of Scotland flows in the independent veins of canny Australians, and Antarctica may not always remain so. This is the age of Science who knows.”