South Pole Conquest

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 835, 2 December 1929, Page 9

South Pole Conquest

BYRD RETURNS TRIUMPHANT

Flight Thrills and Perils

WAY TRACED BETWEEN JAGGED PEAKS

By RUSSELL OWLX Copyrighted, 1928. by the “New York Times” company and the St. Louis “Post-Dispatch.” All rights for publication reserved throusEout the world. Wireless to the “New York Times.”

BAY OF WHALES, Saturday. r'ONQUEROR by air of both the North and South Poles, U Commander R. E. Byrd returned from his triumphant flight over the latter at 10.10 a.m. yesterday. The big Ford airplane had been gone exactly 19 hours, of which one hour was spent on the way back in refuelling at the base under the shadow of the Queen Maud Mountains.

As Commander Byrd and his companions, Bernt Balehen, pilot, Harold June, wireless operator, and Captain McKinley, photographer, stepped from the airplane, they were swept up on the arms of the men iu camp, who for more than an hour had been anxiously watching the southern horizon for a sight of the returning machine. Although deaf from the roar of the motors, and tired from the continual strain of the flight and the long period of navigation under difficulties, Byrd was still smiling and happy. He had reached the South Pole after as hazardous and difficult a flight as had ever been made. The machine was tossed by gusts of wind when climbing desperately up the slopes of glaciers a few hundred feet above the surface of the ground. WICKED PLACE FOR PLANE When the airplane approached the mountains en route south, Byrd picked out Livs Glacier, somewhat west of Axel Heiberg Glacier, as the best passageway. High mountains shut them in all around as they forced their way upward. Clouds swirled about them, driven down the glacier drift. It was a wicked place for an airplane to be, walled in by a line of towering peaks on either side. They finally reached an elevation of 11,500 feet, and there was little space under the staggering airplane,' which was buffeted by winds that rushed through the gigantic gorge. Then there came into view slowly the long range of the Queen Maud Mountains, stretching to the south-east, and the magnificent panorama of the entire bulwark of peaks along the edge of the polar plateau. MAGNIFICENT MOUNTAINS “It was the most magnificent sight I have ever seen,” said Byrd. “I never dreamed there were so many mountains in the world. They shone under the sun, wonderfully tinted with colour, and in the south-east a bank of clouds hung over the mountains, making a scene I shall never forget.” When above the plateau the commander set his course for the Pole. There was keen anxiety about the petrol supply, but Byrd took a chance and won. Between tl)e mountains and the Pole at one point they saw a new range of mountains, apparently between trails followed by Amundsen and Scott. Everyone rather hoped that mountains would bo seen at the other side of the Pole from Little America, but there was nothing in sight, there. When Byrd’s calculations showed that he had reached the vicinity of the Pole he ran along a line at an angle to his course, then swung in a wide circle, as he did at the North Pole, to make sure of coming within striking distance of that infinite small spot on the earth’s surface. Some time was spent in that manoeuvre. Then the airplane was again set .on a course for Little America. ACCURATE NAVIGATION

The accuracy of the navigation was strikingly shown on this part of the flight, <ts it was necessary to navigate for the entire distance home. By means of the sun compass the commander hit the Axel Heilberg Glacier, exactly, and slid down that to the Barrier. To understand what that means, one must try to realise being in a vast plane nearly 400 miles from the place where the mountains were entered, with the encircling rim of majestic peaks, all looking different from the south side from what they had on the way in. Even so, it was a rough ride, for in the narrow gorge of this glacier, which Amundsen ascended on his way to the Pole, the wind tossed the machine around like a cork in a wash tub. High peaks were sticking up all around them. It was the hardest part of the trip from a flying poißt of view. When the Barrier was reached, the airplane was headed for the base laid down on the previous flight, and the landing there was made at five o'clock this morning. More petrol was put in the tanks, and when in the air again Byrd headed to the east, toward Carmen Land. What they had seen there on the previous flight had interested him, artel his interest was repaid. He not only traced out more definitely the course of the Charles Bob Mountains, but also saw another range, far to the east. ROUSING WELCOME GIVEN

Then he set a course for Little America, and, in addition to navigating all the way, lie flew the machine himself lor some time. He bit the trail about 40 miles south of Little America, on a direct course for camp, and word was sent in that they would arrive in a short time. Everybody here tumbled out of the houses, and clustered on the snow near the Fairchild machine, where two deep trenches marked the resting places of the Floyd Bennett's skis. They watched the horizon, and after what seemed to be hours a thin line appeared in the southern sky, and grew rapidly, flying high and then sliding down rapidly to a few hundred feet over the camp. The men waved their hats and cheered, jumping up and down and yelling with joy. The machine crossed the camp at eight minutes past ten, and two minutes later mads a wide circle over the bay. and landed. One of the most difficult flights in the history of aviation had ended, and the conquest of both Poles by air had been accomplished. The adventurous thought born in the mind of the young Virginian several years ago had been fulfilled. The North Atlantic bad been spanned, and the North and South Poles encircled by airplanes.

IN GUSTY CHASMS

PLANE ZIG-ZAGS BETWEEN MENACING PEAKS A HAZARDOUS CLIMB By RUSSELL OWEN BAY OF WHALES, Sunday. Byrd’s South Pole flight was one of the most dramatic, as well as efficient, long-distance flights ever made. As incidents recalled by tile four men who made the trip show, it seems miraculous that everything went so well. The way in which the airplane with its heavy load was rushed over the hump at the top of the plateau, the smooth running of the motors under most severe conditions, and all the signs make it seem more remarkable as the story is told. The flight out to the mountains was without incident, and after passing the geological party, where mail and food for them were dropped, the airplane started climbing. When they were at an elevation of 10,000 feet, it was seen that the airplane could not get over the mountain with its load. “Balehen told me he had to get rid of something,” said the commander, “so I decided to dump food, as petrol was too precious, and 2SOlb of food was thrown through the hatch in the bottom of the fuselage to the glacier 500 feet below. We had just passed over a steep precipice in tile glacier, and ahead loomed another steep rampart of ice. FOOD DUMPED ’’Balehen bad been dodging from one side to the other to get favourable currents, and when the food was dumped June began to empty petrol from tins into the fuselage tanks, and to throw the tins bverboard, to get rid of their weight. We were tossing in violent gusts, and up and down currents. The walls of the canyon spun past, and occasional views of mighty peaks on either side were seen through breaks in the rampart around us.”

Byrd said the walls of stone were closing in around them, and the airplane laboured upward. Ahead, a fringe of clouds lay over the edge of the plateau where the glacier ended. On one side a little knoll stood above them; on the east was the higher slope of the mountain, ending in a fringe of cloud. CRITICAL MINUTES

Everything hinged on those next few minutes. There was no room to turn, no assurance that there was a gap where that fringe of cloud lay, and the machine was staggering at its maximum ceiling with the load it then carried. It moved along sluggishly. Perhaps it would make the grader with 200 or 300 feet to spare. Balehen headed for the knoll to the west, in the hope that an up-current there would help them over, while Byrd beside- him stared ahead, and -at the sides, and listened to the smoothlyrunning motors. If one of them had stopped—

Then, even as they watched, a tiny hole over the cloud and the surface of the glacier could be seen. The machine could just make it. With its final effort “it just ballooned over,” as Balehen put it. He shook his head and smiled at the recollection of that moment.

But the end of that long effort of maximum height was not yet over, for flying at 11.,500ft or 12,000 ft, with the plateau stretching flat under them, and only a short distance below, they still had to “flop along.” Balehen was driving with one hand and pumping with the other alternately. Others began to feel the effects of their rapid movements at such an altitude, and the emptying of the petrol tanks made fumes iu the cabin, which were almost overpowering. Perspiration streamed off them. GASPING FOR BREATH

“X could feel my heart pumping away,” said Byrd, “and was gasping for breath and wondered what was the matter with me, until I looked at June, and saw him with his mouth wide open, gulping for air. “It was warm in the airplane all the time, so warm that Balehen flew with bare hands for the entire trip, and the others only put on their gloves when they worked near an open window.” Ahead was still another hump, which had to be crossed, although the machine was holding its altitude, and even climbing a iittle. They crossed that last hump, sped away over the plateau, and circled the Pole.

BYRD LAUDED IN AMERICA

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATION NEW YORK, Satui day. Congratulations and praise for their feat of aviation are being heaped upon Commander Byrd and his associates lor their South Pole flight. Commander Byrd sent a radio message to his mother, Mrs. Richard E. Byrd, sen., in Winchester, Virgina, in which he said: “We are back, after a fine flight. It was full of thrills.” Mrs. Byrd said, “Dick sent a Thanksgiving Day message immediately before his departure, and the entire family has waited, worried, but confident, until the news of his safe return- came.” President Hoover has sent a wireless message of congratulation to Commander Byrd. Commander Byrd's wife was requested to comment, on the flight. She refused to say more than that she had been confident of his success.