RACE WITH PACK-ICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 893, 10 February 1930, Page 9

RACE WITH PACK-ICE

SUPPLY SHIP SPEEDS TO RELIEVE BYRD

QUICK RESCUE PLANNED Bu RUSSELL OWEN Copyrighted, 1923, by the “New Vork Times” company and the St. Louis "PostDispatch.” All rights for publication reserved throughout the world. Wireless to the "New York Times.” BAY OP WHALES, Saturday. One relief sliip, City of New York, is headed for Little America with the wind on her quarter. She is makinggood speed, and is expected here on Wednesday. A wireless message received from the vessel today said: Wh have not seen any ice lately except mush. Yesterday’s message indicated that the City of New York apparently was through the main ice pack and lying in the lee of the pack in a heavy gale. To say that everyone here is delighted at the coming of the ship is to put it mildly. A blizzard was blowing here yesterday, and the temperature fell on the previous night to 14 degrees below zero. The news that the City of New York was through the ice pack came unexpectedly yesterday morning. It was known that she was coasting along the edge of the ice looking for an opening, but evidently recent storms have broken up the pack much more quickly than had been believed possible by those who have been in it this year. The first message to Rear-Admira' Byrd from the City of New York said: We are in the Ross Sea hove-to in clear water. A severe southerly gale of hurricane force is blowing and there is a heavy swell. Have passed recently through 60 miles of new pancake ice varying in thickness up to six inches with a low thermometer and calm. The ice pack will become impassable. Therefore, we strongly urge that the base party be prepared to leave on our arrival as any delay might prove serious. We traversed the pack in 37 hours. The heaviest ice was ill the first 20 miles on the north side, where there was much open ice. After that we took open leads where possible.