A NEWS BULLETIN published quarterly by the NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY r ~~- ..;
NEW ZEALANDERS' TREK SOUTH BEGINS Sir Edmund Hillary's tractor sets out from Scott Base, followed by the tractor driven by Dr. R. Balham. PHOTO BY DENIS WEDERELL, REPRESENTATIVE OF "THE PRESS", CHRrSTCHURCH.
Vol. I. No. 8. DECEMBER 1957 .. I / jr----,------,------.r----·--.,,-;------"""II""O·,------r /
a Byrd 5tt:otion
THE ROSS DEPENDENCY By Order in Council dated July 30, 1923, the territories of the Ross Dependency-that sector of the Antarctic Continent between 160 0 E. longitude and 150 0 W. longitude, together with the islands lying between these degrees of longitude and south of latitude 60 0 S.-were brought within the jurisdiction of the New Zealand Government.
The dotted line indicates the route being followed by the New Zealand expedition's southern party, with the approximate positions of the depots established and proposed. (Successor to HAntarctic News Bulletin")
Vol. 1. No. 8 DECEMBER 1957
Editor: L. B. Quartermain, M.A., 1 Ariki Road, Wellington, E.2, New Zealand. Business Communications, SUbscriptions, etc.• to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z. Annual Subscription, 15/- - Single Copy 4/- ALL READY AT SCOTT BASE The first week in September brought the first physical contacts between Scott Base and the outsi!le world when two Dakota aircraft arrived from Little America, some four hundred miles away to the east. The New Zealand Auster 'had 'been In New Harbour they joined flying reconnaissance ·sorties in pre Miller and Carlyon, both of whom paration for the field trips to the were driving a dog team. and an Koettlitz and Blue Glaciers, lthe Fer a..'ttempt was made to 'force 'a way rar Glacier, and Cape Grozier. up the Ferrer Glacier. After several 'Dhe western arflas of ,the Ferrar attempts they found the going im· and Blue Glaciers were ahnost 'com possible even fur dog teams. On pletely withou1t snow cover. a dis the morning of September 14, they appointment to those planning west· moved north towards Cape Bernac· ern trips. chi and continued geological obser vations and :surveying 'up the west TELEPHONE LINE LAID ern coast of McMurdo Sound !to well Scott Base and lthe American Base beyond Gneiss Point. ait Hut Point are now connected by A severe blizzard ·which swept ,telephone. Mulgrew and Martin, an across Ross Island and McMurdo American 'technician, ran lthe line Sound on September 19 and 20 over the almost two miles of moun struck Marsh, Warren, Oarlyon and tain·side oat the beginning of Sep· Miller in 'a very exp'Osed position six tember. The :installation simplifies mi'les from the western shore of the co-ordin'ation of fly'ing adivities McMurdo Saund. For two days they and gives the N1ew Zealand pilots endured gale and driving snow in up-to~the-minuite ·met. forecasVS. iliheir two small tents. On ,Septem ber 21 they made a run of thJrty-ltwo SPRING JOURNEYS miles back ,to Scott Base. On September 9 Marsh and War ren, with one dog team, camped at TRACTOR TRAIN Cape Royds, after a :fast five and a On September 10 Hillary, Bates. half hours' journey. They then EUis, -and Mulgrew. with three trac crossed thirty miles of thin bay ice tors, set out for the western side of to the weSitern side of McMurdo McMul'do Sound. . They made a Sound in a one-day run. good journey of tihirity..three miles 182 ANTARCTIC December, 1957 in two days to reach the foot of the the pole for almost .two days. Ferrar Glacier. En route they re When eventually a good surtace plenished the depot of food cached enabled them to make the final • earlier in the year, and moved it to day's run iOO Cape Crozier, a glazed a more readily a'ccess'ible spot. Sir ice surface over 'the last few miles Edmund reported that i~ would be forced them to camp almost five , impraoticable for tractors to move mIles away from the penguin , up the Ferrar Glacier oWing to 1fhe colony. broken nature df its 'SUrface. The tenth day, however, s'aw them On September 14 they proceeded among the 'PengUins, and lthree northward to Gneiss Point where more days brought them back to they depcited 1,000 1bs. of dog and base. The colony appears to be in man food for the Northern Party. a much more lhealthy state /than in Two days later the 'laying 'Of the the winter of 1911, when Wilson depot at Gneiss Point had been suc estimated the population at about cessfully accomplished and the trac two hundred birds. Now ithe birds, tors were returning. They reported .among whom are many three-week· finding several boxes during their old chicks, number about seven hun· foot reconnaissance of the Ferrar dred. A further two 'hundred non Glacier: apparenitly ones left behind nesting Ibirds and Ithose who must by Scott's team which explored tthe be away foraging wou~d bring the Ferrar Glacier in 1902-03. to'tal to over one thousand, not in cluding the newly hatched chicks. BLUE GLACIER RECCE Owing to the long itime taken to On September 11 Brooke and reach Cape Crozier only a few hours Gunn, with a dog team, set ouit for could be spent among .the penguins; the Blue Glacier about five miles consequently no banding was ac south of Butter Point. They pro complished and no blood smears ceeded up the glacier with their could be taken. Balham did, how ~eam pulling a Greenland type ever, return with three unhatched sledge, the only type suitable for eggs, two of lwhich were discovered the very Ibroken surface. ·A geo on the outskirts of the colony and logical survey of ithe lower slopes the third covered by some broken 'and topographioal mapping f1Ued ice, together with nine cl1'icks, six of one of the obvious blanks in the which were found dead, represent map. Three days later ,they were ing ,growth stages from newly having a rough 1:rlp among the -hatched to three weeks of age. boulders of the mOl"alne. They • reached t~he head of the glacier, BEAVER ASSEIIIBLED however, the first party ever Ito On October 4 the wings were re have done so. placed on ithe Beaver aircraft. On , Atter 'Working along the eastern October 2 Tarr had given the engine face of the Royal Society Range its first run up. It fired on the first they arrived at Base on September 'swing of !the propeller and roared 23. into life. TO CAPE CROZIER At the beginning Qf October Oar The Cape Crozier party, Ayres, lyon, Gawn, Macdon'ald and Miller, Douglas, Balham, and ISandford with two dog 'teams, visited Cape (I.G.Y. party), .Jeft base ,m the Royds, the 'site of Sh'ackle'ton's win mornlng of September 15. Two days ter quarters in 1907·08, and Cape after leaving they were forced Ita lie Evans, the site of Scott's Winter up for two days; they moved for a qUariters on his second expedition day and were again delayed by a in 1911·12. fierce blizzard. One of tthe four The par.ty was away from Scott poles of one of the pyramid tents Base for two nights and three days, broke ltUld iit was impossible to splint making good progress over the sea- ,
December, 1957 ANTARCTIC 18)
ice on each leg of !their trip, wWch "Star-Sun," Chr'istchurch, who was totalled a little over fifty miles. A in the Antarctic with Operation whole day was spent at Cape Royds Deep Freeze for a short period. He \Vhere much time was spent clear will be the official reporter for lthe Jing snow from ithe hut and digging expedition. Mr. McKenzie was bom ice 'and snow from 'the dootway. in Christchurch and educated at the A half·day and a night was spent Chrilitchurch Boys' High Sdhool. at Cape Evans. A·n entry was 'forced Dr. F. A. de Hamel (34), tuber· but most of lthis comparatively large culosis medical officer to
New Zealand Expedition's • Main Journeys Begin The main field parties are three in number, with four men in each: the Northern 'Par~' with dog teams, the Southern Tractor Party, and the Southern Dog Team Party. The Northern Party left on Octo· flying supplies to the Northern ber 4. Brooke, leader and surveyor; Party lto stock a depot for use when Gunn 'and Warren, geologists; and the party returned to Cape Roberts Douglas, mountain gUide, ice and from further north.. dog lexpert, first crossed McMurdo Sound where, ithree d'ays later, sixty mGH CLIMBING SEALS miles out, they picked up at Gneiss On October 24, Claydon flew out. Point the supplies left by the Sep· with Gawn to visit the party which ,tember t.ractor party. Th'en they was ithen camped at Granite Har· entered the valleys of relJreatlng bour. Since lth'eir departure from glaciers which once reaChed to sea Scott Base tlhey Ihad explored from level but n'DW are free from snow the foot of the Ferr,ar Glacier .to and dee. Granite Harbour, climbing numer This could be a geo1ogisit's 1lara· ous peaks as they progressed n'orth· dise. In '!!hese valleys and on the ward. Gawn 1:ook with him one of ice-free 'beaches Which, lin some fue new field radio sets which had cases, iterminate them, a biological just been flown down to Sc.Qitt Base. party will later in the season do a Claydon brougn~ back to Scott survey. The fresh water lakes and Base from Granite Harbour the streams ,"HI almost certainly yIeld carcase of an ancient Weddell seal a harvest of invertebrata and primi which had been found high up one tive fonus of botanical life. of the glaciers leading lnland from Radio contaot was made with the Granite Harbour. 'TIhe previous party on Oct.ober 8. In the six days week the Nort.hern Party had found they had covered about. 90 miles anot.her seal 2,000 feet. up t.he slopes and were about six miles east of of Mt.. Newall. Both of these seals • Mt.. Newall. Two dogs had fallen were vaken to Scott Base where I 30 feet down a crevas'se after break· Balham will make a careful st.udy ing the harness rings attaching "f !'hem. Then ,t.hey will probably them to their 'traces, 'but had been be 'sent to New Zealand for radio I recovered. carbon datin'g. The party on Odtober 16 discover· BI'ooke and his p'arty now headed ed at Cape Robert.s, sou!'h of Granite north towards the Fry Glacier, Harbour, one 'hundred roUes north travelling on the sea-ice !in splendid of Soott. Base, a cache "f clothing weather. P.arit of the reason for 'and personal effects left by a .party the warmer temperature may be from Scotlt's Expedition an 1912, heat. radiation from Ithe rock. Among the items was a film-chang On October 25 t.he party report.ed ing bag in perfect order, and a by radio that they were camped in sm'all kit bag bearing the name uF. Tripp Bay after expen:encing good Debenham," geologist. of the expedi· surfaces on the sea·ice on the jour tion. The -contents of the cache ney from the Mackay Glacier. They were brought back to base by eran· proposed spliitting up for .. whUe in I field. who, wit.h Claydon. had been order to get the utmost coverage Dacember. 1957 ANTARCTIC 185
ot territory Ior their investigat'ions. ging into the soft snow. The Beaver at this date had made The four vehicles wf:th their seven four supply flights to Cape Roberts, sledges, carried a payload of ten on the south side of Graniite Har tons, from a gas welding plant to bour, ~o lay a depot for the party's bridging timbers. Included ,\vere return trip. thiIity-six 44-gallon drums of gaso On October 26, the Northern Party lene which, together with a further was again vlsLted by air. The wea thirty to be transported by ·the ther was perfect with zero tempera Beaver aircraft, should be sufficient tures. Douglas and Gunn were to enable the tractors to reach lthe proceeding up ithe Mawson Glacier 7DO-mile Depo! and still have sutl! while Brooke and Warren were ex cient fuel for the needs of the many ploring up the Fry Glacier. vehicles of Dr. Fuchs' crossing After heading back to Cape Rob par.ty. erts, the party reached the head of All but the leading tractor tows the Debenham Glacier on November itwo sledges_ TWs first Itractor pulls 9, proceeding through Miller Glacier a sledge on which has been erected to Mackay Glacier, up \vhich they a high platform over the space will travel ito the plateau and then allotted to drums of fuel so that, in head north again. Reconnaissance a crevassed area, the driver of ,the of ,the Miller Glacier showed very leading vehicle, with increased visi rough surfaces, probably necessitat· bility, can drive the tractor with a ing manhandling of sledge ID'ads. pair of reins. The laitest creaJtion of The party was experiencing good the tractor boys is a workshop tent weather and plus temperatures. which consists of a framework of light piping over which a canvas cover is laced, the structure snugly SOUTHERN TRACTOR coverung a whole tractor. Inside, PARTY with heaters going, they can carry The departure of the Southern out maintenance 'and repair in lthe Tractor Party on the first stage of field. A stripped-down dog sledge the journey 700 miles souil!hward to is carried for a haul Ita the nearest Mt. Markham was delayed by an landing strip in the event of a com 86-mile-an-hour blizzard. At 4.30 plete break-down. p.m. on Monday, October 14, ithe The train travels with the weasel long trek began. Rear·Admiral bringing up the 'rear, pulling the GeOl·ge Dufek was among those caboose and a sledge 'of food and who came over to Scott Base to engineering supplies, The j·ear seats wish Ule party success. in the weasel have been removed Ito Hillary drove the leading tractor, make a spares deparbnent and tool followed by Balham and Mulgrew shop where small jobs of repair will in the other itwo Fergusons. Ellis be undertaken. was in charge of the weasel, which The first objective was the Skel was towing ,th·e caboose. The caboose ton Depot, at the foot of the Skelton can sleep itwo, and houses the radio Glacier, 180 miles from Scott Base. and the cooking prlrnuses. L'ined The route led across lthe ice shelf with fibreboard 1nside, it is covered in a wide half-circle to avoid the outside with green canvas an'd is crevassed area near White Island heated by exhaust gases from the and Minna Bluff. The party travel weasel. This weasel is the only led over the rouite pioneered by totally enclosed vehicle of lthe four. Miller and Carlyon last year with After casual -farewells to expedi dog teams. tion members and vIsitors, Sir Ed Late !that first evening the tractor mund climbed into his tractor, and party camped about seven miles set it into gear. Ilt roared forward from Scotit Base. One of the trac with its cleated rubber tracks dig- tors and its sledge had side-slipped 18b ANTARCTIC Decomber, 1957
Into a hidden but fortunately sba]· same distance in seven hnurs, hav· low crevasse; hard work with drag ing ,th1rteen capsizes in the eighteen , lines and heaving pulled ;( out un· miles. The hard going did not suil harmed. the dog teams as well as l:he trac· The first thiIity miles across the tors. ice shelf was bad going, and head On Wednesday, October 23, a bliz· , winds and driving snow slowed zard all day pinned both tractor and • down progress. They also had a dog teams to their tents. On Thurs· social engagement-when the Hon. day, in the face of blinding snow, Mr. McAlp'ine landed nearby and the paflties set out again and cov had a chat with the members. ered twenty miles in difficult condi· tions, Six·foot·wlde crevasses caused WEASEL IN TROUBLE difficul~ies and extreme care had to be ",ken, Sir Edmund's party was M'eanwhilej mechanical trouble with the weasel dogged lthe tractor thirty·eight miles inland from the train and delayed progress still fur· Skelton Depot and was ~a<:ed with ther. First there was itrouble 'with harder condi,tions as they starited ,to carburettor icing and then Ithe dis climb the Lower Staircase. They tributor shaft broke on October had left the dogs slighUy behind 19, when the train was about forty with the understanding that if the miles from the Skelton Depot. dog iteams did not catch up within /two days, his party would wait for It was impo·ssible for an aircra1it .them. to make a landing near the trac'tors Hillary was then due to enter an owing to heavily broken snow and area where the glacier rises steeply, ice surface. Sir Edmund decided to nearly 4,000 feet in six to eight leave ,two sledges where they were miles. In this part, the ice flows 'and to tow the weasel with the past a huge rock island, \Vhich caboose to the Skelton Depot. While breaks up the smooth surface. repairs were being carried oUit. a The first broken portion has been tractor returned for t:he 1.\vo sledges. called the Lower S~aircase, ,then Olaydon and Cranfield had mean· comes a comparatively level area -\Vmle flown three sorties in .the known as The Landing, and higher Beaver to the Skelton Depot, but up again 1s the Upper Staircase. found that 1frle snow surface there l'he progress of all parMes was was e>dtrem'ely hummocked and dan· ,good, and the -hard conditions en gerous for landings. They fie\v in countered on tilie Skelton Glacier two dog teams to awallt the tractor were ideal for the tractor transport. party and also brought Bates to It proved unnecessary lto lay a depo't 'assist in Tepairing the weasel. The which had been planned an lth'e pllots decided ,"ot to risk any fur· Vicinity of Mt. Feather. ther landings there un'tll ,the sum· By October 26, despite thick wea· mer thaw smooths lthe surface. By ther and cold win'ds, the tractor the Tuesday morning, October 22, train had achieved a height of 3,500 repairs had been effected to the feet and a 'distance of fifty miles up weasel without having to call on 'the glaCier. any 'spares from base. TRACTORS REACH PLATEAU UP THE SKELTON The Itractor pa~ty arrived at the Both parties left the depot on rim of the polar plateau 280 miles Tuesday a.fiternoon and in four 'from Scott Base on October 30. The 'hou~, travelling over a hard sur· party had covered twenty miles dur. 'face, the ;tractors had covered a ing the day. Miller and Marsh 'distance of eighteen miles up the arrived alt Plateau Depot a MUe glacier. Miller and Marsh, with later with Itheir dog teams. their two dog teams, covered the Ayres and Oarlyon, with itheir December, 1957 ANTARCTIC 187
dog teams, had been flown In to the Hiliary, Mulgrew 'and 'Balham of Plateau Depot la day earlier and the tractor partiy now flew back to were awaiting the arrival 'Of the Scott Base. Balham remained there, I tractors. 'bult Hillary and Mulgrew returned Earlier, Claydon had flown in to to the pla1teau on the nighit of No the Plateau Depot laid last year, vember 10. but found it so completely covered • AT DEPOT 480 with snowdrifts that 'Only one drum of fuel, on the summit of the pile, The tractor party left Depot 280 was showing. The surface was so at 6.30 p.m. on November 12, four rough that landing would have been days ahead of schedule. dangerous, but Claydon found a They passed the dog teams dur'~ng better spot about two miles furlther a fortnight of very bad weather and east, ,and here a new depot was arrived at Depot 480 on November estab1i'shed. 'Dhe 'supplies at fhe old 26. The pa~ty had ·who,,;t Hillary depot !Will 'be reserved for Dr. Fuchs 'described as an "unpleasant time" -and his party when they cross 'the in a creva'ssed area on November continent. 25, but extricated all t!he vehicles Aircraft operations were ham safely and found a good 'route more pered by bad wealther for ten days, to the west. Temperatures had been but lthe Beaver
I.G.Y. TEAM GEOWGICAL SURVEY The New Zealand I.G.Y. parities The eigltt·man pa.rty of New Zea· to winter 'Over
, WINTER AT NORWAY STATION The Norwegian base in Dronning Maud Land (700 30' S., 2 0 32' W.) is located 30 k.m. from the ice-front and at an altitude • of 55.7 metres above sea level. About 1,000 equipment cases form was -SUddenly to turn up, he would a passage 'Some 60 m. long. Tar ndt catch sight of so very much of paulins have been placed on a the es'l;ablishment, but here it lies, frame-work ab'ove the cases and a neveIithele'ss, hldden under th'e l'OW of lamps Iight the passage. snow. High, well·guyed chimneys T:he station oomptJses, in one build are vomitling smoke, and the ex ing the radio and meteorologllQal 'haust ga's from the 'aggregate is room, 'surgery, me'ss-room, pantry, emerging from ithe n'arrow tube in offices and a dark·room; and in a rhythmical puffs. But ,\vhdever second building separalte bedrooms would imagine that liVing beings for each member. The buildings were lodged here? What is left of measure 7.2 x 7.2 m. and 7.2 x 10.82 the roofs above the surmce is too m. small to give an impression of habi The garage houses one of the tation, and so far we have hardly three tractors. In the garage is done with the first winter. also a small room for snow melting. "Now we are welcoming another In another building two motor summer. As yet the sun is rather dynamo's, each 14 kilowatt, are powerless, but outside lit is getting lodged, and a mechanIcal workshop a fine light. But lin all weathers, in is established. howling storms and drifting snow, All these buildings are under one so dense as ID make ou'tdoor aOO vity roof, enabling /the members to be qui'te impossible, or on an icy night sheltered lwhen passing betlween bright with stallS and flickering th:em. Bu't there are other houses sou'ftIern lights-in the station un· and huts not :connected Ito fhe pass del' the ISnow we are ahVlaYs 'Safe 'age: t'he ra-win tllouse. 1Jhe hut for and sheltered. magneVica.l observations, the Jnstru "The weather ,has proved much men:t \Screen and 'a small hou'se on be:fter than expected. Of course we pillars, 2 m. lUgh, where is mounted h'ave had storms and bad weather the film camera for aurora photo at times. June was worst in 1!h'at graphy. NW of 1!he instrument respect. During 28 days Is'trong screen is the highest building, a 26 breeze 'Or m'ore was measured con· m. high tower of itubular steel con tinually, but on it:he whole we have sb·ucl1on. On Itop of the Ithwer a long periods with extremely fine red light is installed, for guidance weather, with a minimum tempera dUring the dark months and in 'ture so far of only --46.50 C. snowy weather. At th'e 'enitirance to "The houses are 'vell bullt and the passage a whlte lamp is mount warm, -and require less fuel th'an ed, and to most of rthe above-surface anticipated. In free ihours the buildings a rope ts stretched to 1avouril.'e pastime 1s chess. Other serve during storms and poor visi en'tertaining aotivtities are competi bility. The 'dogs are kept in the tions with arrows and air-guns. We open air. have an excellent .radio, and much reading ~'S being dbne. For enter. LIFE AT TIm STATION ta'inmen't -there 1s also walks to the The "xpedi'tlfon le«der, Sigurd sec'ondary s'ta'tion at th'e 'Sh'ore. F·rom Helle, writes: "Suppose a vi'siitor ,here the ]"adio 'connect'ion to l'the Docember, 1957 ANTARCTIC 191
main base l's very good, Maud Land, for the purposes of "We have a much betlter fellow survey'ing and of geological and ship than was .to be expecred among rglaciolog,ical reseaTch. They will men with such disparity ~n interests 'have two diesel tra'ctors, six sledges and 'temper, and under the restrainl and tv/o dog teams. of havin'g 'Il> keep company day and The g}'aciological programme is night. We shall for a long itime 1:0 less 'extensive than 'that of !the last come call to mind how we enjoyed expe
worth prepared to fly a rescue Haslop said: "We du'g a hole the mission as soon as an aircraft could size of a two·man comn and covered :it be assembled. with a cape for a Toof. As time I Ait Shackleton men worked progressed we enlarged the hole through'out the 24 hours ro prepare until we had living spac'e and could the Otter for flight. A pit 8 feet lie down in 'our sleeping bags. Even· • deep was dug around the embedded tually we could stand up and • plane and beh'ind the tail a long stretch. vVe were working on slim ramp was constructed so that the rations." machine could be dragged ~o the The men in'Sisted that 'they owed surface by a sno-cat. By under what comfort ithey did get, and cut'ting and sawing the snow be possibly even their liv'es, 'to the fine neath the skis the alrcraiit came free quality of the New Zealand·made and the wings could be de·iced, In down clothing which they were seven days 'she was ready. but th'e we"aring. blizzard was followed by a while ~IAIN JOURNEY BEGUN out and flying was still impossible. The commencement of the actual Lewis and Stratton took off on trek across the Continent 'Was an September 30, but were forced down nounced in a message received in to fifty feet over ith'e sea and had London on November 25: to return to Shackleton.
On these tractors, Soviet scientists SOVIET MOVES hope to reach Komsomolskaya sta· The flagship of the third Antarctic tion, 880 kilometres from Mirny. expedition of the U.S.S.R. Academy The rest 'of the way will be made of Sciences, the diesel-electric ship on "Penguin" tractors 'Which will "Ob," left Kaliningrad on September 'also be tried in the Antarctic for 27. the first itime. These are very light In an interview, Mr. Vrarsily Burk and powerful machines. They have hanov said Ithat Soviet gl'ac1ologists heated cabins equipped ,with ~nstru had established lthat 'over a consider ments for 'Scientific observatIons, so able area the ice-cover of the Ant that 'the scientists win be able to arctic lies on the sea bottom, much conduct observations uninterrupted· below sea level. As !this data is ly, without having to stop ,the supported by the findings of scien· traotors. tists of other nations, "I!'here is Pressure is expected to be very every reason to suppose ithat the low at the inland stations so that Antarctic is not a continent but a the content of oxygen;in the air will large group of islands. Mirny is be comparatively low. The staffs evidently situated on one of the of the 'Stations are /therefore pro islands." vided with oxygen masks and will The 'scale of research is Ita be have had special training in pres· greatly expanded 1his year, with sure chambers. many new instruments. Soviet ex plol'ers are ita build two scientific INLAND STATIONS stations, Vostok and Sovietskaya, Moscow has reported that a team deep inland, at a distance of 1,500 of 27 men set out from Mirny on kilometres and more from rthe coast. October 8 on the 875-mile journey The experience of past years has inland to establish a new station in shown that vehicles whictt operate the area of Ithe southern magnetic faultlessly on the Antarctic coast field. The team will ha\~ to cross are liittle adapted for inland work, an unexplored area lying over 9,000 where the ice crust is covered with feet above sea·level. dry, crumbling snow lying 100 The repol't states that the half· metres d'eep, in which caterpillar way camp, Komsomolskaya Station, [tractors gelt stuck as in, desert sand. has been establish'ed on a hj'gh Moreover, at 'high altitudes the 'en· plateau. Fuel ,supplies were air· gines lose about half their pnwer dropped on November 8. before the o~ng to rarefaction of the ai~ so team left ita Cl'OSS lthe remaining that tractors move with the greatest 400 miles !toward the geomagnetic difficulty. pole. Moscow radio stated on November NEW TRACTORS 25 that about 18 miles of tWck ice Sovi'et engineers have designed was cutting off ithe "Ob" from new types of tractors which they Mirny. The "Ob" ,is to launch think will work well in Antar6tic meteorological rockets to 1nvesti conditions. Fifteen of ithe new trac· gate !the upper strata of the atmos tors are being handed over to the phere. e"pediti<>n by the staff of the Chely· The m.v, "Co·operatzill" (3,767 t.) abinsk Traotor Works. Three of left K'aliningrad on November 1, them, called flleaders," have cater carrying 166 members of the ex· pillars one me~re wide. All the iWa'c· pedition. tors are -equipped with devices for Tass has reported that a party pumping air into Ithe engines, so le~t Vostok I, 390 miles south of that they operate normally even at Mirny, on December 1, on the fur· an altitude of 3,000 metres and ther 34o-m1le journey to the Geo· more. magnetic Pole. I
196 ANTARCTIC December, 1957
Australians Prepare to I Trek South from Mawson ( At the main Australian station, ~Iawson. spring activity has centred on route finding and vehicle testing as preparations are hurried on to start out on the main journeys of the summer. On August 21, the day after the Beaver at Mawson was assembled. fire which destroyed ~he tent at The difficult 5Q.mile sea·ice jour Taylor meteorological station, a ney to Taylor to establish the per· blizzard developed. The box caravan m'anen't auroral and meteorological was snaitched away and it's remn'a11ts stati'on was accomplished without were found seattered far and wide incident between Seplember 3 and over the sea-ice outside the harbour. 9. The party of four tNvelled in Two of 'the diesel generators failed two weasels, each pulling two and the staNon relied upon the ~hird heavily·laden sledges. until repairs I\vere effe
Harbour in October. A second wea· over the line of ice dom"s about 50 sel run was made ito Taylor to dump miles south of Mawson, a crevassed fuel. Sledges and caravans have zone which may be one of the first been strengthened for the ltasks obstacles. The huge glacier ,vhich ahead. Prolonged good weather, flows down among tthe ranges to rising temperatures ('approaching feed the Amery Ice Shell may be freezing point on many days) and larger than lthe Beardmore. The low wind during the afternoon, have camps which are to be established given men 'an 'Opp'ortunity to work in the ranges shortly will be for the outside unhampered, 'even without purposes of eJCa.mining the so-called g'loves. East Range, parts of Which are geo· The men participating in ithe logically distinct, and of extending sou;thern trip will be Mather, Good the accurate survey of Ithe eastern speed, Collins, Melior and Willing. groups. Shaw will be Tadio man for about vcrober saw -the completion of the a week, vhen King will be flown in work !round the Enderby coast. to replace him. The train will con· After many reconnaissance flights, sist of two caterpillar trec'tors and in sevellal instances with both ten cargo sledges, four of which planes out together, Stinear, Fisher will carry fuel alone, and one wea· and Pinn camped for five days at sel which will scout ahead of the Arnundsen Bay, carrying ou't geo· main train. Including vehicles, Jthe logical study, survey work and mag total weight exceeds forty itons. netic observations. After negotiating the local ranges, the train will head south approxi AT DAVIS mately along the 62nd meridian. Ait Davis observations from air The main purpose of the journey craft in AuguSt indicated that the is t'o measure lee-.thickness along a ice-edge was orientated north-south sou:ttl'ern profile. The large hydrau along the Vestfold Hills c03~tline :to lic drill is mounted on one sledge, the Sorsdal Glacier tongue; .f\rom 'and ithe control cab on another. A there it ran Ito the outer islands of ton of explosives will be carried. the Rauer group, to the outer is MeUor will also make general lands 'of the Svenner group and glaciological observalIions en route, westwards 'across Prydz Bay to the and ·the party will talte mete'orologi· Amery Ice Shell. The !thickness of cal data and 'release pilot balloons. 'the sea..ice on the airstrip was 58 The six men will sleep in two cara inches. vans. Stinear, Fiisher and Lied spent 13 days at t:he Larsemann Hills ito FLIGHTS SOUTH obtain an astrofix and complete a In preparation for the traotor geological survey. The party were operation, t\vo long flights have been pinned for sLx days inside their made southwards. The first, lasting pyramid tent while storm to hurri· nearly seven hours, on October 16 cane force lwinds with driftting snow was for about 350 st'atute miles discouraged their activJtie-s out· 'south, examining the snow surface doors. The party was flown back Ito for signs of crevassing. On the 25th Davis on August 24. . a fiighit of ne-arly nine hours was Three men flew to Sandefjord Bay made through the Prince Charles to fix the position of Mount Oaroline ranges, refuelling at Depot Lake, Mikkelsen and to eollect geological then down to and beyond their samples and obtain gravity meas south-wesitern extremities, and 'back urements. The paIity visited IJichen 'along the 'southern route. This flight Islet fot' geological and gravity pur· established the highes't peak in ithe poses and during the Teturn fiighit Prince Charles as 12,000 feet. to Davis discovered a 'small Em Later, '3. fli'ght was mad'e circling peror penguin rookery which they 198 ANTARCTIC Docombor. 1957 estimated had a population of 3,000 birds, midway belween Larsemann Ballett Station Hills and Ranvik Glacier. The Station Sci~n'tific Leader at By the end of September sea-ice tile joint United Staites·New Zealand thickness at the airstrip had in base at Oape Hallett this year '\/ill creased ita 63 inches whilst the ice be a New Zealander, Mr. Kenneth J. edge gradually receded towards the Salmon. Born an England in 1922, outer islands. No elephant 'Seals Mr. Salmon came to New Zealand were sighted in September tn spite in 1950 and lives at Johnsonv111'e, of regular 'sledging runs along the Wellington. He is married and has coast towards the approaches of three sons. He gained hls diploma Crooked Fjord. in electrical engineering, with tele· In October destructive winds communicatiuns as h'is speci'alty. ait charged with snow, sand and grit the London Polytechnic. He is a scoured most of the pain1t from ithe member of the staf1 of the Ci"jI weather-side walls of th'e commu Aviation Admini'stration, serving as nity hut and workshop and toppled a radio engineer and specialising 'in one mast. However, radio communi design and linstallation of special cations were maintained without in types of ground nav,igational aids. terruption and the mast was finally 1\1r. Salmon wa:s 1n -the United hauled back in position. SVates in September and October Once ithe customary calms re this year studying the special types turn'ed the sea-ice reached a maxi of inslrum'ent being used at Hallett. mum thickness of 65 inches (mid During this period he visited Thule, October). in Greenland, and spent four days WILD LIFE at the I.G.Y. auroral and ionospheric observatories there. Occasional 'elephant seals had With Mr. Salmon at Hallett will been observed by the end of October be two other New Zealanders, Mr. in the vicinity of Mule Island whilst G. A. King, physjcis~ and Mr. K. A. several ,groups of Weddells with Bargh, electronics technician. They their pups were located within Lung will leave Lytlelton for the Antarc· Fjord. Adelie penguins first return· tic on the l'Arneb" on January 5. ed to Ithe local rookeries on lthe 14th, The worst wJnter storm at Hallett apparently unhampered by weather lasted iten days, in June. "During conditions which blasted them un the hills," commented Dr_ Shear, mercifully during their ~rek from tire ice-'edge to their nesting sites. the pres'ent Scien'l:ific Leader, "the wind dropped to about 30 knots." During a shorter but fiercer storm • in October one gust of 99 knots • the first aircr'a1it to land 'On the new was recorded. A weasel had a runway six miles from the base. wind-screen shattered by !the flying , Other New Z'ea1and visi tors were grit and gravel and the vehicles Dr. E. 1. Robertson, chaJrman of the lost their orange paint on the Wind N.Z. 1.G.Y. committee, and Dr. Tre· ward side. vor Hath'erton. The scientific temn, Dr. Shear and A1though the open sea was. at New zealanders Ingham, Humph· the time of Mr. Wederell's visit, still ries and l;angevad, completed !their some 40 or 50 miles away, crab winter programme almost 100 per eater seals had been seen on the ice cent. The station has been supply· near lthe cape. With a huge penguin ing ionosphere observations regu rookery on its doorstep and innum larly for Ithe New Zea1and radio erable skuas, the station probably propagation service. has more wild life around it, says Mr. Denis Wederell of !!he Christ· Mr. WedereJI, th'an any other on the church "Press" vis'i'ted tohe sta:t!ion continent. -at the beginning of November on Docombor, 1957 ANTARCTiC 199
• Operation Deep Freeze III Off to an Early Start Three United States Navy aircraft left Harewood airport, Christchurch, between 5.10 a.m. and 6.32 a.m. on October 1 on the fll'St flights to the Antarctic this season. A Skymaster (R5D), Lt-Cdr. Hanson, landed on the ice runway at Williams Field at 5 p.m., a Neptune (P2V), Cdr. Coley, at 5.21 p.m. and a Dalwta Sltytrain (R4D), Lt-Cdr. Franltiewicz, at 6.2 p.m. This ,Was fifteen days earlier than mander 63rd Troop Carrier Wing. the first fly-in last year, while in The ice runway was not wholly up 1955 ~he first aircraft did nol take to prescribed specifica,tions, but off from Christchurch till December General Hampton waived ~ strict 20. width and marking requIrements Hall 'an hour prior to the landing and authorised the eight Globe of the first plane fog enveloped th'e masters at Chris"tchurch to take off. runway, reducing visibility to one- Admiral Dufek arrived at Mc eighth of a mlle, but by ithe time Murdo Sound aboard a Skymaster the Ithird plane arrived wind had on October 12. With him was dispersed the fog and visual ap· veteran 69·year-old Antarctic ex- proach and landing were possible. plorer Sir Hubert Wilkins. The destroyer escort U.S.S. Globemaster 117, piloted by Cap· ';Bl'ough" was on station at approx. tain de Cesare, was flying south at 60 0 S. to provide weather 'reports 12,000 feet 900 miles from Christ· and radio direction for the pilots. church at 11.30 p.m. 'on Odtober 16 Ten sick 'and linjured men were when the port outer engine failed. brought out by ithe Skymaster on T,he ait~craft turned back, but 15 its 'return flight to Christchurch. minutes later the outer starboard Th'e five stretcher cases induded engine also began to lose power. Lieutenants Anderson and Frido- Captain de Cesare could not jettison vich, who were ~njured in the hell- the major polition of IUs load, two copter crash on July 12. heavy trucl land illld the New Zealand Minist'er mile traverse is expected to talw of Labour. until F1ebruary 15. Popular attention, however, \vas The proposed Toute is: Little 'focllssed on the two s'tewardesses, Amer:ica via Roosevelt I'sland to Mc· Patrici'a Hepinstall and Ruth Kelly. Murdo Sound, south Ito the Beard who now hold the furthest south more and Shackleton GlaCIers, and women's record. The girls had 1J'a'ck to LUttle America following merely three and a half ,hours on ,roughly the soufhern and eastern the ice. but in that fime they travel edge of the ice-shelf as far as led as p'assengers in a U.8,·N.Z. dog· 82' 45' S., 155' 20' W., and then turn· sledge race from air-field to camp. ing west to 80' 20' S., 176' 55' W. to judged a beard compe'lli'tion, ·saw the avoid the crevasse-area known to Chapel and other sights, and Were lie across the direct route, along the entertained at a m1dnight supper. 81st parallel. The purpose of the itl'averse is to AT LITTLE AMERICA V gather detailed information about the formation and present character The long ,winter iso1ation was of the floating ice sheet thait makes broken on October 12 when a Nep up the Ross lee Shelf as well as to tune arrived from McMurdo. After deterniine -ice thicknesses and waiter the unloading of a cargo which ,~n depth by seismic methods. Ice sur eluded over BOO lb's. of mail, where he was admitted to 'hospital tains spread for '8. hundred miles or on November 10. so '1'n an east-west direction, and A daring landing I\vas made along· sou·th beyond the horizon. Lofty side the tr'aver.ge parity when it was peaks, some bare and some snow marooned by about five miles of coveted, rose to 11,000 feet between crevasses. Philip Smit'.h, who was 48° W. and 51° W. , crevasse expert with the Byrd ;tI\ail Another fligtit, on which captain finding party last year, was flown Finn Ronne was observer, 'Scouted out to help the traverse men find a for a route for the traverse party. way through, An aerial reconnais An apparently easy tvnil 'Was dj,s sance of the area 'ahead was on'adc. covered. The traverse party is to rendezvous in lthe Ellsworth High ICE DEFOR~IATION STUDY lands with another parity doing During late 1957 and early 1958 a seismic and glacial studies from four-man party from Little America Byrd Station. The nearness of the is to map, measure and study a route to the newly discovered moun pov~ion of the Ross Ice Shelf. Stan· tains may permit the 'COllectJon of dard geological field methods are rock specimens. being used; air photography and The aircMft headed almost due boring will be included, and cre south. Ait 79° S., approximately 60 vasses will be descended. miles south of Gould Bay, elevated The camp site of the advance re land rose from 700 feet to a smooth connaissance party of the group surface elevation of 2,500 feet. R-adio was visited on November 14 by U.S. altimeter readings in conjunction senator J. P. Saylor. The camp is with the contours indicate either an situated between Liittle America ill island or a peninsula jutting In from (site of the 1939 expedition) and Edith Ronne Land and coverung a Roosevelt Island. large section of the Filchner Ice Dr. Jam-es Zumberge is in charge Shelf. These features were not of the deformation studies. observed on Ronne's 1947 flight in this area. Turning west at the southernmost ELLSWORTH point of the fllght, the highest and The first flight of the 'Season was most ma'ssive mountains were seen made on September 24. The Otter about ten miles due south. They had to have a 'wing-change before it appeared smooth and rounded, \Vi th became operaition'al 'Owing to the little sign of erosion, and connect I crushing of th'e original \lling by the with the range first sighted at heavy weight of accumulated snow. 81° S., 38° W. on a flight last March. Ex'tensive digging out was required The range runs about 25 miles in also Ito clear the eight sledges. a norith·east, south-west direction, On September 30 a flight was ,and is heavily weathered w'ith deep made to the British base, Shackle ri'fts and sharp, lofty pinnacles ton, some fifty mUes distant. grouped tog..ther ~n cluster's. Other pinnacles stand majestically single. MOUNTAINS DISCOVERED Steep, snow-covered slopes cling to On October 25 a seven-hour ex the mountain--sides, and the foothills ploratory flight probed the unlmown show no crevasses, indicating no area of Edith Ronne Land to ,some glaciation. 300 mHes sou'th of Ellsworth Sbation. The aircra1it1 which set out at 9.20 At 82° S., 47° W.1he aircmft climbed 'a.m., aNived 'back -at Ellswo~lih art to 10,000 feet through 'haze which 5.30 p.m. limited visibility to iten miles. When the haze suddenly disappeared for· TRACTOR IN CREVASSE midable mountain ranges bathed in About mid-November the traverse -unow alfJ. '''\a!A olUJ. aurro aUIlfsuns party met a stretch of undetected 202 ANTARCTIC Decomber, 1957 crevasses about 100 miles south of to record ground control points for the base. The front of the leading aerial mapping purposes. traotor 1ell in:to a creV'8sse. The By early November penguins , men wedged the tractor 'On the solid were returning in great numbers. surface, and when it was removed Eklund's census-taking was made from the 'Crevasse the universal difficult by the tendency of the joint was found to be damaged. thousands of penguins [lO charge, The Argentinians at Belgrano pecking furiously at the census· Station have given their American taker's legs. neighbours three month·old husky A tractor /towing fuel made a pups. trip to the ice-cap station. The ice Cap'tain Finn Ronne was ina plane pit there has reached" depth of 115 flying ait 5,000 feet some 80 miles feet, with a hand-drilled -hole at rthe west of Ellsworbh when -he slghted bottom extending to 200 feet. a rookery of several Ithollsand pen guin's. The aircra.flt dropped to a BEARDMORE STRIP few hundred feet above the 'birds and photos were taken. The plane On September 9 two R4D's were came down on the sea-ice and half flown from McMurdo to establish a an hour was spent 'among the pen new lthree-man weather station and guins. emergency landing strip at the foot of the Beardmore Glacier, 314 miles from McMurda and 122 miles from WILKES last year's station at Liv Glacier. September at Wilkes Station fea Ski landings were made on tured stormy weather with nine smooth 'Snow in ---32° temperatures. days of winds over 50 knots climax The flight 'last year to select .the Liv ed by a new Base Uhlgh" of 91 knots Glacier site was not made Itill Oc· on the 30th. tober 28. An Emperor penguin captured on A Dakota flying supplies to the the sea-ice near the ba'se was three strip on September 12 made a forced and a thalf feet 4n height and weigh landing on the ice-shelf 90 miles ed 90 lbs., the finest Emperor Ek south of MoMurdo when the port lund has seen. The irate bird was engine failed owing to .the icing oJ: released. stl"a1ners 1n the fuel lines. The Two men on a short 'man-hauling crew oL a rescue plane, working in geological field trip to the south -36° and a 35-knot wind, cleared were 'caught by 'a storm for two the fuel system four hours aJiber the days. After the storm .. party 1rom forced landing. The plane was only the base went out to ensure ithat aloft five minutes before H was they were sate. They searched the forced to land again, on a rougher area as far as !the intended destina 'surface. The two crews worked tion without success, but late in the alternately 10r 33 minutes before • day the two men were sighted re the aircraft could .take off again. By iturning from further south. this time the rescue plane's skis had The search party located " steel frozen to the snow and 20 minules' cylinder left as a cairn by Russians digging with shovels was required from Mirny who had flown into this to free them. area in October and November, 1956. A note in ta vodka bottle was When Falther Darkowski, chaplain photographed -and -returned to the 'at McMurdo, introduced the two ~ottle, plus a map of the area pub· stewardesses Ito the ~wintering-oveI' llshed in the United States a short group he Stammered a 'bit and then time before the Russian party ar with a ,big smile said, "Don't let my l'ivect ithere. A party of American grey hairs fool you. I 'am just as surveyors was landed there in 1948 excitcd as you are." December, 1957 ANTARCTIC 203 Drama at the Pole The first mail to reach ithe South Pole in exactly eight months landed at ,the back door of the world's most is-olated scientific station at lunch-time on October 17. A Globemaster took off from Mc tance from the base. Murdo Sound 'at 8.45 a.m. and picked Four aircraft·engine heaters were up the Pole station on radar at 1.7 air·dropped on October 29, but three p.m. Eight minutes lalter, Lleut. were extensively damaged when Tuck, 'the Pole staition military lead parachutes flailed to open. The crew er, said over the radio: "We have built u'p one complete heater from you in sight. You're nice and big 'the damaged three. and beautifuL" A spare engine was taken on a On the first run ten bundles of Dakota which left McMurdo on No· four drums of diesel oil each were vember 7 but engine trouble forced dropped from 750 feet entirely with the plane to land at the Liv Glacier in seven seconds, making the dis· ·air-strip, about half·way to the Pole. tance from first bundle to last not The aircraft was left Ithere for an more than a quariter of a mile. As engine change. the elevation of lthe base above sea· After another unsuccessful ait· level is 9,600 .feet, the drop was m'ade tempt 'On November 8, 'a P2V-7 took from an altitude of approxima'tely off for the Pole on November 16 and 10,400 feet. On the se'cond run mail, landed safely. The stranded men parcels from home, food, and ur were br.ought back Ito McMurdo gently needed ·mdio parts were drop after 23 days' "detalnmentIJ at the peel. Attached to ithis bundle was a Pole. New Zealand flag, dropped with the compliments of Mr. McAlpine, who FREAK ACCIDENTS was in !the aircraft. On October 31, ltwelve drums of The mail bundle nearly hit a oil about to be air-dropped ait the weasel coming out to pick liit up. Pole tore loose from their moorings The "ground" tempel'a'ture at the 'and smashed through t:he unopened Pole Station was _60 0 with a six drop doors of 11he Globemaster when teen-knot wind. Temperature at the aircraft was 13 miles ~rom the drop altitude was -45°, a normal drop zone. The drums, weighing temperature inversion. two and a half tons, ruined the auto matic mechanism used to close the STRANDED drop doors. After maklng the earliest spring Five men working on a narrow landing 'ever at !the Pole, five days caitwalk over the open hatch, with earlier than last year, a Neptune nothing but 750 feet of GO· below· piloted by Cdr. V. T. Coley which zero 'air between them and the Polar touched down on October 26 was ice, managed .to close the doors only unable I{:o rtake off when two seals by lowering a hook on 'a cable to in an oil-cooler blew out. The ten pull them back into place. unexpected guests, five members of the new wintering party and five NEPTUNE ENGINE AFffiE passengers, including two pressmen, On November 8 Lieut. Bolling in were made welcome 'al'though ac a Neptune was climbing steadily comm'odation all: the 'base wa's se· with botih jets and reciprocating en verely ·strained. Some !had to live gines an'd wa'S five miles f1'Om Ithe in the emergency 'shelter some dis- air-strip when a fil'e broke out. He 204 ANTARCTIC Decembor, 1957 turned steeply back and made a spends a mlmmum of two hours ragged landing as first the star· every week either cutting or h'aul board and lthen the port Wings dip 'ing snow, despite the rapid onset of ped steeply. fatigue ,in the 'Sub·zero temperature. The heavily-laden aircraft came An 18° ramp 'is maintained ito pro to a stop in a flurry of snow, mis vide access to the pit. taken by watchers as smoke. The The temperature Ifn !the pit 'is crew and passengers dashed clear. nearly consta.,t at -60° F., wJille On November 10 a seven-ton trac· 'at lhe surface a record temperaiture itor, the heaviest item to be dropped reading of _102.1 0 F. was recorded at the Pole, tore loo·se from its para on September 17. During the period ehutes and plummelled twenty feet from May 11 to September 17 South into the snow. The ltractor made Pole temperatures were lower than a crater fifteen feet deep in the _95° F. ·seventeen .times. snow, and caused a "snowqualre." A meteorologist watching the drop MORE DIGGING was lrnocked down by debris and Digging out of the garage en broke a crown in a tooth. trance was necessary before the air The first clear signs of twilight drops began, as the entrance was were .seen on August 10. Many completely blocked to roof height attempts were made to get twilight by snow drift. photographs of the base, but the September was the coldest month low temperaiture froze cameras in 'Cl in the Antarotic winter. The aver few moments. It was found .that ~ge temperature for the first 1'i the nose of a man standing facing days o'f the month was minus 83. a 12·knot wind at 95 0 F. froze be S-vation Scientific Leader ,at Pole tween twenly 'Seconds and two Station for 1957-58 wjJ] be Mr. Palle minutes. Mogensen, who was technlical ad Sunrise on September 23 ended visor to 'hhe Marie Byrd Land ,trail the six-month winter rughit. During parity last year. The military leader the winter .two weekly lecture series will be Lieut. V. Houh:, 'a Navy doc were ~eld. Dr. Siple and l1ieut. tor. Among the scientific personnel Tuck covered 'the history of Ant· will be Mr. Paul Dalrymple and Mr. arctic exploration and geneml geo Mario Gioveneltti, an Argentine ·g11aplly, while 'science subjects have 'glaciologlst, \vho bo'th !wintered at been dealt with by specialists at ;the Little Arneri'ca lthis year. 'bases. Dr. Taylor gave a we'ekly Lieut Houk, who back home is a medical lecture and, 'With Dickey, part-time cotiton grower, int-ends to conducted Divine Service each Sun grow cotton-wH'h water cress, car day. Movies were screened thre • I By Tractor Train to Byrd Station Belching billowing clouds of steam in a-46° temperature, seven tractors and two weasels roared out of Little America V at noon on October 1 for a 645-mile run t<> Byrd Station. Last year's trail was found In fuel cache at mile 380 for use by good condition and by October 5 the the traotor train on its return jour train had already covered 197 miles ney. The 10~ton sleds 'and one on the Army-Navy Drive. wanigan will be left at Byrd for This was ,the third tflans-continen· use by the I.G.Y. ice-drilling team. tal tradtor train to make ithe hazar· dous run since ·the trail was first LIII1PING HOME opened in November 1956. The 19· A Globemaster limped back to the man crew Ihad three living wagons, McMurdo rice-strip early on the spare parts, fuel and nine 2().ton and morning of October 27 after one three 100ton sleds for hauling more engine failed "and the generator of than 300,000 lb. of cargo. another caught fire while on a sup· The greatest obstacle .expedted ply drop mission ito Byrd Station. was the cold, as temperaitures on It was the same airCMfit and the the high wind·sweplt Rocl RELIEF SHIP HITS ICE FLOE When the F.I.D.S. relief ship "Shackleton" (1,100 tons), which left Southampton on October 1, struck an ice-floe "at speed" on November 30 while making towards the Hope Bay station, her No. 2 hold filled and some cargo was jettisoned. The F.LD.S. guard vessel, H.M.S. reconnaissance. "Protector," ra'ced to Ithe uShackle Surveyors and geologists from ton's" assistance, and took off rthe Base 0 (Oanco Coast), using boats, scientists on board. On December 2 recen'tly spent two months :working the two ships stopped "'hlle repairs in the Para'dise Harbour area and were carried out 'in the lee of an on Bryde and Lemaire Islands. ice·berg, before proceeding to South Routes on to the plateau were recon· Georgia, where some dry-dock facili noitred and glaci010gica1 observa ties are available. tions made. The paIity at the Cape Among those on board "Shackle Reclus refuge hut spent seven /ton" is the Governor of the Falk weeks surveying up on the plateau, land Islands. who joined the ship aJt returning on September 19. Port Stanley. On the ''Biscoe.'' which left on WEATHER PER~IITTING October 21, in addition to new re At Base W U,(mbet Coast) local cruits for the bases, is Professor dog-training trips have been made, Cragg 'Of Durham UnIversity. Pro· whenever weather has pennitted. The fessor Cragg, who 4s an ecologist, medical officer has used these jour will be carry'ing out field work at neys for testing new dog-ra'tions and several of the bases. Dr. Adie, continuing work on dog physiology. F.LD.S. chief geologist, will also The two Base Y (Horseshoe Is /tour rthe bases this summer. The land) men who arrived at W at the Itwo ships carried a total of 50 new end of June left agaln a few days personnel. later and reported ftheir arrival at the Base Y refuge hut on Blalklock FIELD WORK Island on July 14. On the way Ithey Routine work, including special had experienced unusually low tern· I.G.Y. observations, has kept all the peratures down to --440 F. bases busy, but this has not pre Base W surveyors cont'inued cluded extensive field work. working in Lallemand Fjord, mak Parties 'from Hope Bay have ing an as'trofix (in July), and meas visi:ted Cape Longing, James Ross uring a new base-line (in August> Island, VoIitex Island and the East alter one of the survey beacons had Russell Glacier, and prepara'tions been blown away. have been completed for a journey Base G (Admiralty Bay) and H southwards along !the plateau. (Signy Island) have also been ham From the Graham Coast base pered by bad weather. On one trip (Base J) the triangulation scheme 1n August, Base G surveyors were has been extended nOIithward as far able to travel on only six out of as Nunez Point, but field paIities 'Seventeen days spent in !the field, were forced Ito return In early Sep and observations were prevented on tember by the rapId break-up 'Of the three of the six days by fog and on sea·lce. One party was forced to a fourth by drift. The wealther im follow a very difficult overland proved later in the month and sev '1'oute. An easy 'route up on to the eral depots were 1aid and a two·man ·plateau has stHl not been found, and party set out for the nOIith-west of lack of 'sea~Ice has prevented furtther the island. 208 ANTARCTIC December, 1957 , Argentina Operates from Eight • Antarctic Bases To develop its programme of investigations in the Antarctic, • Argentina is relying upon eight stations in the Graham Land area. Tbe Orcades (60" 40' S., 44" 46' M'artlin and the oceanogl"aphi'C ships "V.), a magnetic and meteorological Ba'hia Blanca and Capltan Canepa_ observatory since the year 1904; i'n The fields of geophysics to ,vhich 1958 H i~ proposed to 'nstal an auto especial 'attenition will be given in matic tide gauge. The staition 'is clude aurora, geomagnetisrn, glaci'O equipped with radio 'sonde. logy, oceanography, ionospher,ic General Belgrano (77 0 58' S., physics, meteorology, 'Seismology, 38" 50' W.), wblch among Jts equip· ozone content of the air, solar radia ment uses an automatic carnem for tion, a'tm'05pheric eledtriejlty and • photographlng aurora's; it 'is an ion· gravity. _ ospheric station. In addition, Argentina is taking Esperanza (Hope Bay) (63" 19' So, patit in ,the plan of banding and ring 56" 50' W.l, a meteorological obser· ing the Antarctic 5kua, to be carried vatory with an automatic ade out In collaboration with bases of gauge. other countrie:s. It is a question bf Tenlente Camara (62" 36' So, observing 'th'e migratory 'habits and 59° 55' W.), a meteorological obser· distribution 'Of the skua. Those vatory. takIng part in this will cap'ture Deception (62° 59' S., 60" 42' W.), ,adult and young specimens, band la meteorological, seismographical 'and l'ing them. The dnging will be (since 1950) and 10nospheMc station carried out tin numerical order, and ('since 1951). the band1ng with bands of colours l\lelchior (64" 19' S., 62° 58'W.), a 'already a'greed upon for each s'ta meteorological centre. .tion. Records 'are to be kept of all Almlrante Brown (64° 52' S., 62° obsel'vations of 'PJa:ce, age, date, sex, 43' W.>. a meleorological observa· etc. The U.S.N.C.I.G.Y. is correlat· ltory wIth "n au·tomatJic tide gauge. ing the observatJions. • General San lI1artln (6S" 08' S., Various Argen'ttin1'an institutions 67° 06' W.), a meteorological obser· are itaking part in the Antarctic ac vatory. itivitlies conn'ected with 'the I.G.Y. as The proposed base which ,~t w'as follows: • intended to establish on Thule- The Argentine Antarctic Institute, Southern Sandwich Islands-rould 'On the staff of which .cl promlnent n'ot be establish.ed owing to vari.ous position is occupied by the geologist local difllcultJies of the terrain_ who 'speci'alises in glacirology, Senor The difficulties whIch beset the Cesal' Augusto Lisignoli, a graduaite installaltlon of an amp'ortant elec of the N~Uion..1 University O!f La trio>ty generaflng -plant on Decep· PIata, -and " paIiticip'anl in the tion had 1I1e result 'that the cosmic S.LP.R.E. polar programme carried ,ray 'station intended for Deception out in Greenland in 1956; the geo lis being set up 'on Ushuaia {Tierra logists, R. E. Dallnger and J. P. Di del FuegoJ. Dem, both with much field geologi Included ,in the equipment des cal 'experience; the topogrephists, itined for the studies of the I.G.Y. G. O. Meji'as, O. Freitaj, E. Ricci, are ithe 'Ice-breaker General San and S. Mangione; in addition ito December, 1957 ANTARCTIC 209 technical staff. .l\larit1me Meteorological Service, The Sub-Antarctic with a staff' of IObservers and corn· pu~~rs. KERGUELEN (FR.) National l\feteorological Service, The "Gallien'i" le:lit Tamatave on which is CO..Qperating with various November 2 to carry out the annual meteorological observers. Kerguelen .r'elief. The vessel visited General Staff of the Arm:)', with the Crozet Islands on November 10 numerou's specialists. 12. Aerial photographs of the group Genera.l Staff of the Navy, which were taken from the Djinn heli has also appointed men with 'Special copter. technical and 'scientific knowledge. "Gallieni" was due ito arrive at The Argentine Anil.'arctic Institute, Kerguel'en 'On November 16. In founded in 1951, was tmnsferred in addition to the relief party there are Jamta:ry 195"6 to the Marine Ministry abou:t 15 experienced men for the as an ~u~tonom'Ou's 'scientific and seal.IQil pl'ant in course o-f erection. technical organisation, to study the France foresees not only 'Scientific nature of the Antarctic. To carry research at Kerguelen but econ· out its purposes, ithere are under omic explol,taNon of the archipelago. construction iin Buenos Aires two chemistry l'aboratorles, "two for geo ANTARCTIC HONEYMOON logy, lOne for biology, a refrigeralt!ing The factory~manager end his chamber for 'I:!hc pre'servation· of fiancee aTe also on board, and are biolugical 'specimens, a -taxidermic to be m'arried on itheir arrival at workshop 'and a musewn, a photo· Port aux-lOrancais: tile first wedding graphic labopatory, a. map room, a on Kerguelen. The young couple libra'ry, a conference hall, work will leave Kerguelen on the "K1sta room's, 'a depot 1101' instruments and Dan" when 'it returns from Mawson. equipment, and il:'he admini:swative On October 23, at the island of offices. Nouvelle Amsterdam, like Kergu elen under the control of Terres Australes et Anltarctiques F-ran The Army MinIstry ha's an .caises, a meteorologist fell from a nounced tlraJt a new Tefuge-hut has cliff overhanging the 'Sea and was been -constructed on the R'Oca Islets drowned. HJs body could not be (67" 49' S., 68" 40' W.) in Marguerite recovered. Bay, Graham Land. The new post, which was in'augurated on OctObel' 26, is located about 6 k.m. from Ithe MARION ISLAND (S.AF.) General San MaTtin base. The S.A.S. "V'ry5taat" sailed from Simonstown for Marinn Island on August 12 and returned on August A press repoI1t from Buenos Aires 21. Mr. du Toit of the Weath\>r says tha't the ArgenlNnian Govern Bureau and five other passengers ment has announced that 10·day were brought lback from the island. tours to the Gralram Land area next Dr. J. F. Nagel and Mr. A. B. Craw J'anuary and Febru'ary are to be ford accompanied the "VrysL Two giant petrels banded at Mac ~tORE VETERANS PASS quarie as chickens in February were recen'tly recovered in Chile. DR. \VILHEL~I FILCHNER wed , MacquarIe's domestic Uve·stock at Zurich on May 7 aged 79. Filch· are flourishing. F,ive lambs were ner in 1911-12 led a German expedi born in Septlember. Geese, ducks tion in the "Deutschland" (Captain and fowls are lay.ing well. A snow Vahse!) to the WedclelI Sea. Land, white bull calf was born on October the Luitpold Coast, was discovered. 6. The party has five gallons of Haited by what 1s now the l'1ilchner fresh milk daily. Ice Shelf, the 35 Germans built a base on a 'Sectlon of Ithe ice-shelf which on February 18 'broke "Out to CAMPBELL ISLAND (N.Z.) sea. Most of the 'stores were re The ''HoImglen'' carrying out the ioaded just in time. On March 6 annual relief le~ Wellington on No· the "Oeutschland" was frozen in and vember 7 and returned on Novem· dri.!ited for nine m"onths, a prisoner ber 18, !the actual relief operation of the ice. Filchner, Konig and being completed in the record arne Kling made a hazardous eighlt·day of 21 hours. The new Officer-in sledge journey of over 60 miles in Charge relieving Mr. G. Kape'is Mr. mid-"Vlinter (1912) across the ice, George Timpson (35) of Blenheim. proving Mor'rell's "New South The new staition is practiically Greenland" to be non-existen1t. completed, but another carpenter In later years Dr. Fi'lchner ca'rried h'as gone to the island to put on tthe out extensive exploration in A'siatic fin'ishing touches. There are now Russia, China and Tibet. ten men on the island, !including five scienitists. Four are second-year PROFESSOR R. N. RUD~IOSE men. . BRO\VN was naturalist to the Scot Dr. A. M. Bailey, American omi tish Antarctic Expedition under Dr. th'ologist. with one or itwo Welling W. S. Bruce in the "Scol'ia" in 1902 ton 'Scientists, will spend about two 04, during which a magnetic obser months on Camp'bell Island to vatory was erected on Laur'ie Island gather specimens for an exhibit at and land discovered on the east of -the Denver Museum. the WeddelI Sea, between 16' 30' W. and 37' W., north of FHchnel""s laiter discovery. This was nwned Coa"ts Land after the expedition's 'Spon sors. Rudmose-Brown wrote an ac • ROSS SEA MAP count of the expedition, HA Natur A map of the Ross Sea Tegion has alist 'at the Poles." He I\vas 77 when recently been pUblished by the De 'he wed on January 27. partment of Lands and Survey. Wel· • lington. The map is on a scale of 1:4 million with two insets, Ant arctica in iits relation Ito Australia, New Zealand, etc., and an enlarge When th'e Hallett radio man was ment of the area in which the New Uworking" an aJuaiteur 1n Los An· Zealand party w'ill do mast of its geles his penguin stories were re work. ceived wIth incredulity till ·he said, The map, folded in a neat cover, "I'll open the door and let you hear or fiat, is printed in six colours. Tt them." He then played a tape re is available 'from book sellers, dis corwng he had made a few days trict offices of the Deparbnent of before 'of the penguins' raucous Lands and Survey, or at Head Office, cries. IIMan!" exclaimed. the amazed Lands and Survey, Wellingtton. Price operator 10,000 miles away, "how do 5/· per copy. you keep lth'em out of the place?" December, 1957 ANTARCTIC 21 1 The Whalers BOOKSHELF The Norwegian Whaling Gazette \'Valter Sullivan's fine book IfQuest reports that the 1956·57 Antarctic tor a Continent" (reviewed in "Ant pelagic whaling season was eleven artic," June, 1957) has now been days longer than in 1955·56, chiefly pUblished ,n England by Seeker and owing to lthe great decline in the Warburg and re~ils in New Zealand catch from March 1. The average for 30/·. catch per day dropped to 127.8 blue 'Whale units, 'whereas the average from the beginning of the open sea· Admiral Dufek's book "Operation son until February 28 was 237.6 DeepfreerJ.e" is unfortunafi!:ly not units. published in England. The Ameri· The total number of whales pro can edition (Harcourt Brace and Co. cessed was 32,723. The percentage $5.00) has 'been deservedly well re of blue whales to the ~otal catch viewed. continues to drop. In 1932·33 it was 80.7 per cent.; in 1955·56, 6 per "ANARE," Australia's Antarctic cent., and last season only 5.5 per Outpost, ,by PhHlip Law and cent. John Bechervalse, 152 pages, ill., The total catch of 32,966 Wl1ales Melbourne, Oxford University comprised 14,008 by the nine Nor· Press, N.Z. price 54/-. wegi'an expeditions, 5,281 by the ·three Briltish expediUions, 8,093 by This beautifully produced volume che five Japanese 'expeditions, and is of both immedi·3'te and lasting 1,596, 1,434, and 2,554 by the single value. lit opens with a 14·page South African, Dutch and Russian. sketch of the history of Antarctic expeditions respectively. in addition, exploration, which naturally stress 3,128 whales were caught from land es Australian a'Ctivi,ty and Austra station'S ·in South Geopgi'a. lian interests but refuel' cavalierly Twenty expeditions are now dismisses the explorations of headed for the Antarctic whaling Wilkes, the TJlOrshavn expedition, grounds for ithe s'eason which opens Ellsworth and others in Australian on January 7: nine from Norway, An'tarctic territory, six from Japan, -three from Brita1n, The major portion of lthe book and one each from the U.S.S.R. and consists of nearly 130 splendid the Netherlands. photographs, 16 in full colour, with really explanatory text. The 'Or· rangement is rather confusing: IN ~~IORY OF BYRD what are pictures and text descrip· tive of Davis Station doing under Of all the Itributes paid to the late "The Journey South"? But it all Admiral Byrd, perhaps that which adds up to a magnHicent panorama he 'Would 'most appreciate was offer of the Antarctic landscape and of ed by the men at ~he South Pole itse!!. life in Anl'arctlca. The few maps are helpful and the index adequate. Dr. Paul Siple, scientific leader at Take one look at "ANARE" and you the Pole Base, reports that men the will want there decided Ito keep their flag at ·tt. half·mast beyond the official mourn· ing period and until the annual sun "EXPEDITION SOUTH," W. Ellery set, when the .flag was lowered for Anderson: London. Evans Bra· the duration of ithe winter night. ~hers Ltd., 200 pages, ill., N.Z. "We thought this was the one spot price 221·. where he would have liked to have Anderson was leader of the a special observance," Dr. Siple said. F.LD.S. party at Hope Bay, Graham 212 ANTARCTIC December, 1957 Land, in 1954·55. In this personal own geologists and mountaineers story he gives a good picture of life may face ,these next two summers at a permanent Anmrctic base, hIgh· 'in Victoria Land. One poin1t ,to be lighted by an eleven·w""k sledge seriously pondered is Sutton's im· journey to Cape Alexander, some plied support of Sir John Hunt's 300 miles south, which ,showed that dictum "Science and mounta'ineer the Antarotic can be as savage and ing do not mix." unpredidbable as ever. Major Anderson rem-ained the .Iofficer and ,genJtleman" and one senses strained relationships. The man who took lhis dinner.j'ackelwith PENGUINS HIT BACK him and never quHe became accus· tomed 'to ,taking his turn as gash Many bird·lovers ",vill rejoice ,to hand must have been an unusual know that the much publlclsed air· person to serve 'under in the Anit· Hilt of 66 penguins to American zoos arctic. He is a litltle critical 'Of his was not quite a one-sided 'battle. assoCiates-not ungenerously-and During the preparations for load· of the F.r.D.S. organisat·jon. ing at McMurdo one side of a box Major knderson has a fitting dropped off spilling 16 Emperors sense of historical assoCiation, and on to their native ice. In a last bid on the whole writes well. Buit there for freedom they made off in all is no index and the maps are In· directions w'ith fiipper.s flailing adequate. wildly. In the ensuIng chase many amateur wresJ:!lers fared badly and chief penguin-catcher Marks caughlt lOG'LACIER ISLAND," George Sult· :an upper-cut on the chin whioh in· ton: London, Chatto and WIn· flicted a long cut. All 1he bIrds dus, 216 pages, 'ill., N.Z. price were re-captured, unhurt. 21/·. This account of the 'British South Georgia Expeditlon-1954·55---'is pri marily a mountaineer's book. But GffiDERS AWAYl SOlXth Georgia is Antarctic in ·char· :a:cter, and of special interest be· When Waliter Su1livan in a direct cause of its associations with radio-telephone conversation with Shackleton. So fiOt only alpinists the men at Ithe South Pole on March • will enjoy this unsually well·written 21 asked whether ~hey had made ,account of a small but dauntless any trips away from the camp party'-s adventures. "there ",vas," lhe says, "a general Aliter four months of frustra'tion laugh." This ,s ,why. itheir mood was one 'Of grim deter· One of 'the last drops of '!!he sea· mination ("The clImbIng of a high son was a bundle of girders for the 'mounta!in had become no longer a barracks building. Normally, they pleasure, but a duty") j 'hut Sutton 'Pursued the falling parachUltes in did not lose his sense 0'£ beauty and their weasel and cut the 'parachute he transmits to the reader much of shrouds lbefore rthe cargo was drag· the loveliness of the Tugged a1pine ged far afield. On this occasion the country as well 'as i ts relen~tless weasel ha1ttery ,\vas dead 'and a stiff oruelity. Even the non-mountaineer breeze blowing. Parachute and gir never loses interest although ·~here ders disappeared over the horizon is no spectacular climax of either before the vehicle could be started. achievement or disagter. It took a day of ~ravel be1'ore the New Zealanders may in this book girders could Ibe tound-twenty.five get a preview of the conditions our miles away. The New Zealand Antarctic Society -is a group of New Zealanders, some of whom have seen Antarc tica for themselves, but all vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development or research. You are invited to become a member. BRANCH SECRETARIES Auckland: W. Dobier, 418 Pacific Bldgs., Wellesley Street, Auckland. Wellington: A. S. Helm, Box 2110, Wellington. Canterbury: A. Anderson, 110 Chapter Street, Christchurch. Dunedin: J. H. McGhie, Box 34, Dunedin. The membership fee entitles you to attend all meetings, lectures, film-screenings, etc., and to receive "Antarctic" FREE. "THE ANTARCTIC TODAY" This volume is out of print, but a limited number of the follow- ing separate sections is available, the stapling slightly rusted: Ionosphere Research (J. W. Beagley). Meteorology (A. R. Martin). Marine Biology (R. K. Dell). Aurora Australis (1. L. Thomsen). The Nations in the Antarctic (recent Australian, South African, French, etc., exploration by leading experts in the countries concerned) . These separates are available at a cost of four shillings each from the Secretary, N.Z. Antarctic Society. "ANTARCTIC" Published Quarterly • Annual Subscription 15/ Copies of previous issues of "ANTARCTIC" may be obtained from the Secretary of the Society, p.a. Box 2110, Wellington, at a cost of 4/- per copy. Of our predecessor, the "ANTARCTIC NEWS BULLETIN" only the following numbers are available: 5,6,7,8,9,12,13,15,16,17,18,19,20. In most cases only a few copies are in stock. These may be obtained at a cost of 2/6 each. l \ Universal Printers Ltd., 22-26 Blair Street, Wellington.