ANTARCTICA

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1932, Page 3

ANTARCTICA

AEROPLANE EXPEDITJON

ELLSWORTH AND BALCHEN,

NEW YORK, April 17

'The American Geographical Society in a brief announcement to-day revealed that tentative plans had been completed to project an expedition into the Antarctic during the winter of 1933-34, headed by Lincoln Ellsworth and Bernt Bait-hen, in an attempt to bisect by aeroplane the area known as the Antarctic Continent.

The expedition will probably leave 'New York in September,, 1933, and proceed to' a base at Framheim, on trie ■ Bay of AVl),alas, via Australia. It will later make, a flighti in,an easterly direction across, the .entire unknown region 'seplarating ..the Rbss and AYeddell seals,, a distance of approximately 1450 miles, and return without. landing. The proposed course follows directly between the Queen Maud mountains. King Edward the Seventh Land, and Marie Byrd Land. The first 1200 miles will be completely over uncharted regions until they sight the Filchner shelf on the borders of the Weddell Sea. -

The explorers will photograph all the prominent features of the land covered, record weather condition's, and take note of the character of the ice surface. Thus the expedition will be able to supply data and detailed ground work in the event of future expeditions, and it hopes to answer tho important question: Do the great ocean indentations forming the Weddell 'Sea on the one side, and the Ross Sea on; tM. other, continue: as a trough perhaps .-below isea-level, dividing the Antarctic Continent into two rugged land masses, or do the mountains of Graham Land continue across the Continent, joining the Queen Maud range ? The American Geographical Society has explained that the expedition is purely for discovery purposes. It will probably carry a dozen men, and it hopes to return to America, by May. Bernt Balchen is negotiating for the construction of a special aeroplane.