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~ .,\ A NEWS BULLETIN published quarterly by the , NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY I \. ,It f· '~- I· I I f SCOTT BASE A/B Raman Tito raises the New Zealand flag for the first time on Captain Scotfs old flag-pole as the first New Zealand base 1 in the Antarctic is officially named. Right of flag: Capt. H. Kirkwood, Sir Edmund Hillary, Rear Admiral George 1I Dufek. VOL. I NO. 5. MARCH 1957 International Geophysical Year - Proposed 80se5 • Unifed Kingdom + New Zeolond • U"i~ed Stotss • Australia .. U.S.S.R. 0 OH,e" (j) CommonwoaHh TronsonrorcSc Expedihon (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin") VOL. I. No. 5. MARCH 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.a. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z. New Zealand Expedition Begins Field Work From Pram Point The New Zealand component of the Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition, along with the Dominion's LG.Y. party, is now firmly established in its camp, Scott Base, at Pram Point, on the South coast of Ross Island. Here, in a compact, well-designed and solidly constructed station, the 23 members of the wintering-over party are settling in for the long winter night. After an impressive farewell on December 27, south of Scott function at the Wellington Town Island. Hummocked pack slowed Hall, expedition members who had down progress until New Year's not already left on American Day, when the ship ran out of the vessels boarded H.M.N.Z.S. "En· pack into a gale of'such severity deavour", which sailed from Wel· that a roll of 47 deg. was recorded Jington on December 15 for Lyttel· and the deck railings were some· ton. Here the vessel was inspected times under water. Mount Erebus by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. was sighted on the 3rd and next Sir Edmund Hillary laid a wreath day contact was made north of at the Scott statue in Christchurch, Beaufort Island with the V.S. ice and members of the Expedition breaker "Glacier" on which were then attended a farewell service in most of the other members of the the Christchurch Cathedral. New Zealand expedition. While the "Endeavour" was pul· ling out from the wharf at Lyttel· ton on December 17 the expedition's TOWARDS BUTTER POINT Auster aircraft came into collision Both vessels proceeded into with the cargo vessel "Huntingdon" McMurdo Sound to a point nine and one wing was badly damaged. miles east of Butter Point, near After three days at Dunedin, where which it was intended to establish it was found that the wing would the New Zealand base. "Glacier" have to be sent south later, gave invaluable ice-brealdng assis "Endeavour" sailed for Bluff and tance and also provided the heli finally left New Zealand from there copter in which Hillary, Miller and on December 21. Captain Kirkwood of "Endeavour" Next day the frigates Hawea and carried out a reconnaissance of the Pukaki of the Royal New Zealand coastal area. On January 5 a party Navy made a rendezvous with "En of 14 men headed by Hillary and deavour" and accompanied the Miller with four tractors and three expedition ship as far as the ice dog teams endeavoured to cross pack, which "Endeavour" entered the sea ice to the proposed camp 102 ANTARCTIC March 1957 site at the foot of the Ferrar flown by Claydon. The Auster's Glacier. The ice was slushy and repaired wing was brought south ridged by pressure, and progress on V.S.S. "Curtiss" and this aircraft proved slow and difficult. A second also was in use by the middle of attempt, on January 7, brought the February. Both planes have since party within two miles of the site given excellent service. but made it evident that the estab lishment of a camp here was impracticable; so after some days TIlE PRAM POINT SITE of camping on sea ice most mem bers of the party returned to the Pram Point is a low, rocky pro "Endeavour" on January 10. jection from the southern coast of Meanwhile, on the' suggestion'" of Ross Island, only a few miles east an American naval officer, Hillary of Cape Armitage, the south·west and his deputy leader, Miller, flew corner of the island. Near it is the on the 8th by helicopter to examine junction of the bay ice of McMurdo a possible camp site at Pram Point, Sound, which breaks out to a on the opposite side of McMurdo greater or less extent each year, Sound, south of Ross Island. This and the thick- permanent ice of the proved most promising and "En· great Ross Ice Shelf. There is as a deavour" was taken across to the result a belt of heavily pressured ice·edge as close as possible to the ice extending for a mile or two east new site and unloadi~g began on and west just south of Pram Point. Here there is a large seal colony. January 9. Between the "coast" and the foot· ROUTE ABANDONED hills of Erebus, -the Crater Hill ridge, is a series of terraces of loose A party of four, Marsh, Ayres, basalt lava. The surface, which in Brooke and Ellis, with the three dog summer time has only patches of teams, had remained in the Butter hard snow, consists of lava blocks Point area to carry out a reconnais ranging from small pebbles up sance of the lower Ferrar Glacier, wards; but two feet down is perma up which it was still the intention frost which presents the builder to travel in order to reach the Polar with serious problems in the boring plateau. But on the 13th a heli of holes for foundations. Hoffman copter contacted the party and has evolved an entirely new method Marsh reported that after a of boring which ingeniously com thorough reconnaissance no practi bines the usual rotatory action with cable route had been found over the constant air pressure from a corn" lower three miles of the glacier. pressor attached to one of the The Ferrar route was therefore tractors. This has proved entirely abandoned and Marsh's party was satisfactory and 200 six-foot holes picl{ed up by the "Endeavour" and have been bored, and filled with a transferred to Pram Point. new "permafrost" of water, sand "Endeavour's" false stem was and rubble around a metal rod, to damaged by ice during these opera- form the solid foundation of the , tions and as water was getting in, camp buildings. a sheet of steel had to be welded The actual site of Scott Base is across the false bow while the ship a terrace about 40 feet above sea was moored for five days beside the level and 100 yards from the edge V.S. cargo vessel "John R. Towle". of the ice shelf. Here there is ample During this period also the expedi· room for the camp buildings as tion's Beaver aircraft was assem well as for the aerials, dog-lines,· bled on the fore-deck of "Endea transport and -the carefully vour" and on January 15 was arranged and marked dumps of unloaded and successfully test· stores, all on solid ground. Moreh 1957 ANTARCTIC 103 '.rilE SEA·IC.I!; TRAIL American sailor, Ollie Bartlett, was When unloading began, "Port killed and five others made under· McMurdo" was only a wedge I water escapes when their weasel broken into the blue bay ice of broke .through the ice just .off the McMurdo Sound, but at this time it beaten track near Hut PoInt. had more than 45,000 tons of ship Hillary ordered the hoods to be ping working in it. taken off the weasel cabs to facili. The wedge-about six miles long tate escape in case of a break. -was broken by the icebreaker through. Only five days later this "Glacier" a month earlier. The precaution was shown to be wise "Glacier" officers have estimated when a weasel off Cape Armitage that 32 million tons of ice were transporting stores from "Endea shifted. vour" to Scott Base suddenly At the end of the lane was the crashed through thin bay·ice. The harbour, about 300 yards across and sledge it was towing ran on and -. a third of a mile long. Ships in wedged in the hole, thus stopping it "port" were the "Endeavour" from sinking further in the 800 feet which represented just on 2 per of water below. But it took Hillary, cent. of 'the shipping--'the ice Hatherton and Mulgrew with other breakers "Glacier" and "North helpers four hours' work to get wind", the tanker "Nespelen" and going again. the cargo ships "Arneb", "Green ville Victory" and "Towle". Tlill CAMP TARES SHAPE The route from ships to base was a nerve-wracking orie through melt Construction work began as soon holes and slushy ice and a driver ~s the site was selected and, with was always aware that six feet be Invaluable American help in the low was the cold green water of shape of a D8 tractor, cleared 'and McMurdo Sound. levelled. Personnel from the crew of Trail flags marked the twisting the "Endeavour" later assisted the route past the American air-strip on construction party. By mid.Janu the bay ice off Hut Point. Here the ary 'the mess-hall was erected. traffic was very heavy and newly Expedition members slept in tents formed ice had no chance to until the living huts were built. thicken. Melt holes two feet deep Every man worked hard, fourteen and filled with water waited beside hours a day seven days a week the track to bog down the unwary scientists sharing with surveyor~' tractor driver.