PREPARING TO LEAVE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 875, 20 January 1930, Page 9

PREPARING TO LEAVE

SHIPS GOING SOUTH TO GET BYRD’S GEAR SUPPLIES FOR THE MEN By russell owen Copyrighted, 1928, by the "New York Times'* company and the St. Louis “PostDispatcli.” All rights for publication reserved throughout the world. Wireles3 to the “New York Times." BAY OF WHALES, Saturday. The City of New Y’ork is 300 miles north of Scott Island, and should reach the pack ice in a few days. There is an unusually heavy ice pack this year, which has made us doubt many times whether the ships can penetrate it, and everything depends on the rapidity with which the pack disintegrates in the next few days. The pack is wider at the 118th meridian than at any time since _ the whalers have been coming south. For the first time whales did not appear in large numbers south of the pack ice, and those few which were found were badly scarred by ice. RearAdmiral Byrd is not concerned about the situation. The only disagreeable aspect is that the ships may arrive so late that loading may be hurried or curtailed in our speed to get out before the freeze. The summer season is short in the Antarctic. Already the days are a little cooler and the wind is nipping.