FLIGHT TO NORTH POLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 7 April 1926, Page 9

FLIGHT TO NORTH POLE.

Silence Of Captain Wilkins

ANXIETY PEAKED AT FAIRBANKS.

By Cablo —Pross Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cabio Association. VANCOUVER, April 5.

Some anxiety is felt at Fairbanks, owing to the silence of Captain Wilkins, who has not been heard from since Friday night. He was expected to return to Fairbanks on Easter Sunday, hut has not yet appeared, although the flying weather lias been perfect.

A party which left Fairbanks bydog sledge for Point Barrow also struck trouble after crossing Endvolt mountains. They wirelessed that they were short of food for the dogs, and unless.relief was sent soon they must shoot some of the animals. The leader of this party, Malcolm Smith, set out for help, and provisions and has not since been heard of.

ADVANCE DIVISION WITHOUT FOOD.

SACRFICE OF DOGS FEARED. By Cable—Press Association-—Copyriuht. Reuter's Telegrams. (Received April G,. 10.25 p.m.) NEW YORK, April G. “The Detroit Arctic expedition may have To-shoot its dogs if food is unobtainable, for them in a short time,” a radio despatch from the party which is exploring the Polar lands north of Alaska, said on Monday. The huskies were drawing the sleds of No. 1 division of the expedition -which was pushing overland toward South Colville river, 140 miles from Point Barrow, the Alaska explorers base operations. “Tiie men of the party,” tlie despatch said, “are living on ptarmigan, but this is insufficient for the dogs, and unless .the-relief party sent for food for the dogs, to Jones Island, returns in two days, it is feared (he animals will have to he sacrificed.

the expedition is sponsored by the Detroit Aviation Society,- and- is in command of Captnin George Wil-

(When Captain Wilkins leaves Point Harrow he purposes llj'iug on a giant ‘-monoplane- over- - the “Ice Pole” and the vast region yet unknown to man. It he discovers land, he will drop a flag on it, photograph it, and leave his second plane to establish a base there while lie proceeds to Spitzbcrsen by way oi the Pole itself. To the centre of the polar ice pack no‘explorer has ever ventured. Peary, on his sledge trip to the geographical Pole, was on the other side of the sphere, as was Amundsen last. year, . and Nansen skirted the. region in J.he Fram, while Stefansson followed a similar route with his dog teams. The line of (light taken by Captain Wilkins will bo' northwards,- along the meridian of 15 G West longitude. The daring of .Captain .Wilkins may he gathered from his understanding, explicitly made, that “if we fail to return, or to reach Spitsbergen, no rescue expedition will be sent for at least two years. We can live off the ice indefinitely, and expect to find seals as far north as the earth’s top." This valuable lesson of “living on the country” Captain Wilkins learned from Stefansson. The aeroplane can cover 2500 miles without refuelling. It is SOO miles from Barrow to the Ice Pole (that is to say, IGOO if the airman is forced to return to Cape Barrow) and 2100 miles over the Pole itself. Wireless installed on the aeroplanes will, keep the world in touch with the progress of the dash through the Arctic. Captain Wilkins was a member of the Stefansson Arctic expedition and the Skackletoii expedition. He is an experienced airman; > Shortly after the war he attempted to fly from London to Australia, but was forced to come down in Crete. In 1921 lie was second in command of the British •Imperial Antarctic expedition to Grahams Land, and* recently he commanded an expedition into littleknown Australia for the British Museum of National History. Ilis pilot, Carl Eielsoti, is a university man, who has specialised in flights ill Alaska and the North. , A.M L’XDKK VS HOPES. DISCOVERING A NEW LAND. LONDON, March 1-1. Captain Amundsen hopes, during his forthcoming Arctic flight, to stop his airship, drop anchor on the ice, lower men in baskets, and take observations and examine anything interesting. He contrasts such a prospect with his last experience in an aeroplane, when the speed rendered observations valueless. Navigation

was mere guesswork. . The greatest advantage is Unit tlie ieo loses Us terrors which have always been-the bane of. polar exploration. : “Uate May,” when I .hope to start, should he favourable,” said Amundsen. “The Arctic air during the six summer months 'is mostly troubled by zephyrs. Fogs- are usually light and low-lying, not. compelling an ascent ter excessively cold altitudes. "It we meet, trouble, we shall- resort to the sleds, and aim for Greenland or Alaska. Six months’ provisions should suffice for any emergency. “The rations,” he suvs, "will he what I personally have found most sustaining in the Arctic—P.emmican, ,oatmeal, biscuits and dried milk.” On Amundsen’s last jouTney the party was reduced to Soz.. of food 'daily, and though they became very thin, they were never hungry. "The expedition's greatest hopes,” ho con■iin'uert, “ard to discover the land we are almost certain exists amidst icolioes which have hitherto delicti human penetration.

“We hope to be the first to put foot on a territory as isolated as the moon. If we succeed the discovery will be of enormous strategic and commercial importance, providing a short cut acrossrthe Arctic.” The expedition's ship Hobby will o for King’s Bay. (Spitzbergen) in a few days, carrying .the Norge's mooring mast, gas containers and other stores. Amundsen and Kllsv.'ortli will join the Norge at King’s Bay in April. ANOTHER EXPEDITION. A:M EiMC.iX PARTY' SAITS. , A 7 Cabio —Press AssuchiHon—Copyright. Australian ami N.Z. Cablo Association NEW YOKE, April 5. Tho I’olnr ship (.hantuUj carrying ah expedition headed by Commander Byrd, sailed on .Monday for Spitsbergen. There are two airplanes .and stores in the holds of the vessel. ' 't’lie charting o! new lands and -Obtaining: ineleoruUrgical data tire the scientific objects ol the" expedition, which lias the barking of tlie United Ala Ics Govern ineiil. Their hope is to Jlv to Hie Pole,■and Pack- if they get li chance.