BYRD EXPEDITION

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1933, Page 5

BYRD EXPEDITION

THREE STOWAWAYS

YOUNG MEN SEEK ADVENTURE.

(Per Pre s 3 Association, Copyright).

WELLINGTON, December 13

At four o’clock on Tuesday afternoon th e Jacob Ruppert was about 8 hour e from Wellington, eruis.ng at ten knotes, 40 miles sou.h of Cape Palliser, 175.30 degrees east and 42.35 degrees south.

As the vessel approaches the “Roaring Forties,” preparations are being made for a stormy passage. The decks have been cleared for action. . The extra cylindrical water tanks mounted at the forecastle head have been moved to the well deck and secured, to the bulwark. The forward well deck cargo has been swept clear of miscellaneous cargo.

During boat drill three stowaways were found hidden in .a boat to the consternation of the officers, as the ship is already heavily manned. Turning back to Wellington wag out of the question, so Admiral Byrd w.as forced to put them to work as deck 1 hands.

The men identified themselves as ■Robert Christian, Geoffrey Wrey and Michael Pilcher, .all Auckland youths. The eldest is twenty-seven.

One stowaway explained that they had tried to enlist as Expedition members. When they were refused, they hid in the boat 'on the night before sailing. “We would like to go to the South Pole,’’ he added.

Geoffrey Wi-ay, who will be 22 years old next month, is a son of ’Mr and Mrs J. G. Wray, of Remuera. and a brother of Mr J. W. Wray, an engineering student, who has built a yacht in the garden of hi s home. The yacht will be launched next week.

Pilcher is 27_ years old, and is the son of Mr William Pilcher, 0 f Otahuhu.

It is understood that Christian has at Ivarori, Wellington, although of recent months he has been gold prospecting at Coromandel in company with the other two. It was known that the three men arc seeking adventure, and they had expressed their intention pf going to Wellington to see if they could join the crew of a boat that would take them overseas. The news that they had joined the Byrd Expedition, however, came as a dramatic surprise to their relatives.

“Geoffrey was always looking. for ;adventure." Vsaid Mr Wray to-night, “but we had not the faintest idea that he would try to go to the South Pole.” After leaving Auckland Grammar School, Geoffrey Wray was employed on the Auckland staff of Wright, Stophenson and Co., Ltd., and was then transferred to the firm’s Hamilton Branch. He was at Hamilton for about nine months, and then six or geven months ago went to Coromandel gold prospecting with Christian and Pilcher. He was formerly a member , of the Royal Naval Volunteer IReserve at Auckland, and was a keen yachtsman. At one time he was part owner of the yacht Oringi. He had endeavoured to join the crews of various sailing ships which have visited Auckland, but the terms offered were 1 not sufficiently attractive.

WYATT EARP SIGHTS ICEBERGS

THE "WYATT EARP,” Dec. 13

Two icebergs sighted at 5 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday- Behind them loomed the ice .link. By 7 o’clock the vessel had passed twenty more icebergs. She entered the edge of a loose ,pa.ck at approx, latitude 63.17 and longitude 174.06 at 1 a.m. to-day. Locse pack ice lies ahead as far .as w e can see.