FOR ANTARCTICA

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1933, Page 3

FOR ANTARCTICA

THE ELL WORTH EXPEDITION SOME DELAY CAUSED A delay , in.-,the plans of Air Lincoln Ellsworth for his Antarctic bight will probably,..mean that the Hyrd- expedition will be ahead of them and t-he ilight across the -Pole accomplished before his expedition arrives. The delay is caused by; the fact, that Air Berndt Balchen, the noted aviator-explorer, has had an.attack,of,appendicitis. Mi; Ellsworth did not hear of Air Balchen s illness until his return to Christchurch .from the Franz Josef. At the glacier he received a telephone ring : “Do you know that Air Balchen is missing from Cope Town, and would you like to comment?” lie had explained that lie know nothing about it, ■but it had exercised his mind until he'returned to the United ServiceHotel and received a cable telling him. ■ of his co-pilot’s operation. Air .Balchen was recovering well and it was expected that the Wyatt Earp,' with alii the equipment for the expedition the Northrop. Delta low-vying monoplane, and the other members would reach New Zealand about November 7. .The disarrangement of his plans lias not worried, Air Ellsortlh to any great extent; nor lias the possibility that the] other expedition may anticipate him.' Admiral Byrd had not yet announced ; his plans and Mr Ellsworth did not know what lie proposed to do. “] suppose I’m too old to worry about the competitive side” he said. “I told Byrd when last I saw him that it did not matter who made the first crossing as long as it was accomplished and the things we want to find out were made known. That will be the great thing.” ' '■ Air Ellsworth spoke of the preparations he has made for the expedition, his plane* and the magnificent wireless equipment it would carry—three times as powerful as that -carried : bv Admiral Byrd, on his. famous flight with a second emergency equipment to be operated from the. ground in'case they .had to .land—an dof the'men who would -assist

him: Sir Hubert Wilkins, the .famous explorer, who. bad already helped him to such a great extent in. - his! choice of . .equi.pmGn.trand- in the formation of his plans; Mr Berpdt Balchen, who was with, Amundsen and himself in the Norge Expedition,! and later piloted Admiral Byrd to. the South Pole; and others of . his small company all of vvhqm would contribute to the success of the venture ,

There are many -in Christchurch and the .rest of New Zealand wlio would like to share some of the hazards and honour of the 'adventure. Mr Ells-wo-rth reyeaObd’ last evening that be had- .beep approaohbd on .many occasions since.his arrivSl'hereiißy iiiieh'whb wanted to jpin .him, of assist'.in some ■way. . There had. been one caller who /wanted to built}", boats for him, who; Jind .told him that ho had done this service- for' Amundsen, Scott and Siiackletori. (“I was. wondering' wRe-, they I should .have i|iy pinnace fixed up bared’- lie added, reflectively.) To these, callers in search ,of adventure he had regretfully 'to explain that the composition of his company was al-; ready .fixed and that it would. not be increased. ;

“I qm just living from day to ,day,” said thr, explorer when asked as to his immediate plans. He might go no to Mount'Cook; or on the other hand.die .might- /return to the Tongariro; Alucli depended on the: weather. lie wanted it fine aud dry so that lie .could do some climbing. - “I’m not .doing it for training; .that’ssilly,” he said. “You see, I’ll be a month on the boat -and I*ll lose any fitness -I gain. Of course, I like to keep in trim, but I climb because I; like climbing.” .He had been .for a long “hike” that day, he said,’ and had climbed Aloupt Herbert. AY hat he would-.do torday, or to-morrow or the! next day he did not know.

Then he .introduced Mrs Ellsworth, who will he with him .until he leaves on .the great adventure. Mrs Ellsworth is. greatly enjoying her stay here, and has been much impressed with the hospitality of New Zealanders. Everybody had been most kind to them, she said, from the ,time .they landed at Auckland and on all their visits since. And they had liked everything they had seen. “Your food here i-s wonderful,” said Mr Ellsworth, and Mrs Ellsworth agreed. It was always so fresh and good. They were amazed with the progress of the country generally, particularly as they .had been told that it was just of eighty years’, growth. The plans of Mrs Ellsworth during the absence of her husband have not vet been decided. She may stay in New Zealand, or she may return to Honolulu, where she has a number qf friends. In either case she will be here in Fcbrnary next tcwelcoine her husband back from his oorilous trip.