The Bellingshausen-Amundsen Sea Venture
Rescue Missions in Amiteiircfticq Described
Argentine,
Vessels Caught in
Giant Ice Floes
(Editor's note: Thii ii another installment In tha ac
count of Herb Grey's trip to Antarctica earlier ihii year.
Today's article describes rescue operations for two ships
caught in the ice floes of the South Polar region.)
BY HERB GREY
Mail Tribune Advertising Manager
Before the Burton Island slipped off to port near Peter
I Island and pointed her bow toward Chili, then home, Capt.
John Cadwalader, USN, transferred over to the Glacier, and
joined the Commodore's mess, a welcomed addition. Another
new-comer to our ship was Comdr. Isaac Schlossbach, USN,
retired, who was an official observer for the expedition.
Cmdr. Schlossbach, rolling along a stormy deck of the
Glacier, appeared like a character right out of the pages of a
Robert Lewis Stevenson novel. I found him to be a kindly,
soft-spoken man, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and
a World War I aviator before transferring to the submrine
service.
He had worked with the famous submarine designer,
Simon Lake, and was with Sir Hubert Wilkins, British ex
plorer, when he probed the Arctic back in 1931. It was the
first time a submarine had been used for polar exploration;
her name had been borrowed from the father of modern
fiction, Jules Verne. Another Nautilus has since fulfilled
Wilkins' dream with the aid of the atom.
Now on board of the Glacier we have the only two men
in history who have made eight expeditions to Antarctica,
Comdr. Schlossbach and Amory Watte. Their first visit to
this bleak continent was with Admiral Byrd in 1934. Ray
Butler, U.S. Antarctic projects office representative, made
his initial visit to Antarctica in 1939.
Sweeping past Peter I Is.
land, an extinct volcano with
deeply crevassed icy slopes
rising over 4,000 feet into the
white clouds, the Glacier
pressed on toward the ice
pack of the Palmer Peninsula,
.t was the plan to skirt the
pack as far as Adelaide Is
land, then swing down toward
the ice trapped Argentine
ship, San Martin (pronounced
San Marteen) battling for her
life against pressure ice at 67
degrees 28 minutes South, 69
degrees 43 minutes West.
Palmer Peninsula was off
the ship's port beam March 1,
then Victor Hugo Island, nam
ed by French explorer Jean
Charcot for the famous
French novelist and poet,
slipped by in a sea of pancake
Ice bearing seals and pen
guins. Carefully Noted
The "beep" of the ship's
fathometer was care fully
noted on the Glacier's bridge
as she moved through shoal
filled waters toward the tip
of Adelaide Island and her
third crossing of the Antarctic
circle during this expedition.
Then going was tough!
The ship's eight remaining
available engines were on
overload much of the time,
visibility was almost zero dur
ing continuous whiteouts
holding the orange - colored
helicopters fast on the flight
deck. Ice leads would open
and close like a door as the
fickle wind shifted. The res
cue vessel bulldozed her way
way through great pressure
packs, her double-thick spoon
shaped hull sliding off hard
ice like a banking bobsled as
she hurried toward the im
prisoned San Martin 100
miles away.
Pressure on Ice Pack
The pressure on the ice
pack was so great little prog
ress was made as the week
end neared. Snow fell and
the Glacier became a ghost
ship wreathed in whiteout
mist. Again the crew became
apprehensive and the calming
voice of the skipper sounded
over the public address sys
tem. "The most useful virtue is
patience," John Dewey, the
Crater Television
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Danish
American philosopher once
said. This is certainly true in
the Antarctic! Thick ice under
pressure is like solid rock and
it takes patience to await the
wind change that may open
avenues of escape.
Grant Powers, artist and
newspaperman and formerly
a cartoonist on the staff of the
New York Daily News, had
been contributing to higher
morale of those abroad with
a series of king-sized cartoons
which feature various person
alities taking part in the ex
pedition. At night, before the movie
show, Voice of America news
broadcasts came through with
varying degrees of clarity on
Bud Waite's powerful short
wave receiver and were tape
recorded for later listening.
The ship's dentist, endowed
with a soft southern accent,
Lt. John Savage carried on his
nightly feud over the chess
table with Lt. Roy Gadberry.
Regular Reports
We had been receiving regu
lar reports from the San Mar
tin. After earlier beselment
in the treacherous Weddell
Sea, she had been forced to
turn around 180 miles from
Baya Chica, mooring point for
Argentine operated Gen. Bel
gano and Ellsworth bases.
These bases were amply stock
ed, but the IGY base in Mar
guerite Bay had seven men
marooned with but a 30 days
supply of food.
While attempting to round
the south end of Adelaide Is
land near Amiot reef Feb. 22,
the San Martin was caught in
the jaws of a great ice pin
cers, hard fast Ice -en one side
and a vast body of ice moving
at three knots on the other.
Nightmare For Crew
It was enough pressure to
literally tear the ship in two,
a situation almost unparallel
ed in Antarctic navigation.
The starboard propeller blade
was sheared off, several
frames amidships were smash
ed and the bow was forced
fice feet out of the water,
causing a sharp list.
It was a nightmare for the
crew, working desperately for
36 hours in a 100-mile an hour
POINT
I -J . ' ' . . . . : " .'
fv, ir &
MOORED The Argentine icebreaker,
General San Martin, is shown above moored
alongside the USS Glacier off Palmer Pen
insula in Antarctica after the Navy ship had
rushed to her aid from the Amundsen sea.
" lmWr iMiiii.,Jiij,jJsiiiiii
gOv , J S
SNO-CAT Medford-made
tail of Argentine icebreaker,
vessel escaped from grip of ice
er peninsula. When tons of cargo were jetisoned to lighten
icebreaker, highly prized Sno-Cat was not considered expen
dible by Argentines. Left, San Martin's boatswain examin.
ing Sno-Cat with Herb Grey,
gale in an effort to shore up
bulkheads to resist the crush
ing ice. So that the icebreaker
might ride higher and ease
the pressure on her round bot
tom, more than 600 tons of
cargo were jettisoned. One
piece of major equipment not
considered expendable was an
Oregon-made Sno-Cat.
On March 1 there had been
a br.ak in the weather, af
fording the San Martin's heli
copters an opportunity to
hurry to tne Argentine Mar
guerite Island base 85 miles
away and rescue the seven
men stationed there and six
dogs. San Martin officers told
us that the helicopters had
made it back to their ship
with hardly enough gasoline
left in their tanks to fill a
cigarette lighter.
A welcomed wind from the
south came Saturday, March
5, opening up the ice and
springing the trap that grip
ped the San Martin. It was
the first time In two weeks
that the icebreaker was able
to tear herself loose from the
clutches of the pack. She had
covered nearlv two miles
i her port beam in an open
lead.
Relieved Crew
i It was a happy day for the
j relieved Argentine crew. The
j two ships moored and Com
modore Jorge Boffi of the Ar
gentine Antarctic Naval
Group, Capt. Antonio Revucl
, to, San Martin skipper and
other officers boarded our
! ship.
"It was certainly a great
boost to our morale, which
was never too low, to know
that the Glacier was on her
way to help us," Commodore
Boffi told us.
"We feel like we have been
j reborn, now that It's all over,"
was Capt. Revuelto'i com
' ment.
Commodore McDonald,
I Comdr. Porter and a few
guests from the Glacier re-
turned the San Martin call,
inspected the German -built
' vessel and enjoyed warm Ar
igenline hospitality. The dogs
After this picture was taken from a hel
icopter, the Glacier rushed to the assistance
of the Danish polar ship, Kista Dan, also
beset in the ice in the same region.
(Official Navy Photo)
Tucker Sno-Cat shown on fan.
General San Martin, after that
off Marguerite bay and Palm
right. (Offical Navy Photo)
rescued from the Marguerite
Island base seemed in good
condition and high spirits.
'Piped' Aboard Again
Noting the Tucker Sno-Cat
on the San Martin's fantall, I
returned' to the Glacier for
Photographer Bob Henry so
I might secure a photo. When
we reboarded the Argentine
ship, I was embarrassed when
we were again "piped" on
board in traditional Argentine
fashion with a bugle fan-fare.
But there was another job
ahead for the Glacier. The
Danish ship, Kista Dan, was
beset deeper in Marguerite
Bay so, as the San Martin
turned toward her base at
Buenos Aires, our U.S. ice
breaker headed toward open
Philharmonic Society
of Southern Oregon
"POPS" CONCERT
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
with Vocal Soloist
Medford Senior High School
3 o'clock in the afternoon
SUNDAY-MAY 1ST
Tickets $1.00
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Tickets Available at
TROWBRIDGE & FLYNN
sea to circle the pack and re
enter closer to the beleaguer
ed ship.
On board was Sir Vivian
Fuchs, 52 -year -old British
polar explorer and leader of
the British Commonwealth
Trans-Antarctic expedition of
1958.
The Kista Dan was the first
ship of the red-painted polar
fleet built by Ivar and Knud
Lauritzen, world acknowledg
ed specialists in building car
go ships for Arctice and Ant
arctic seas. Her keel was laid
in 1950 and her unique con
struction was based upon les
sons learned as long ago as
the 1890's by the Norwegian
explorer, Fridtjof N a n s e n,
when he crossed the north
pole in his famous ship, Fram.
Strongest Commercial Vessel
When she was launched,
the Kista Dan was the strong
est commercial icebreaking
vessel afloat. She even en
joyed a brief bit of Hollywood
glamour when she was chart
ered by an American film
company for a role in "Hell
Below Zero." Polar expedi
tions are not new to her.
It was a sister ship, the
Magga Dan, which two years
ago took Sir Vivian Fuchs
and his scientists - explorers
and their equipment to the
Weddell sea for the history
making trek from sea to sea
across the South Pole. Other
sister ships, Thala Dan and
Erika Dan, are chartered by
the Australian and Belgium
governments for Antarctic re
search; the Australians will
also use the Magga Dan in
southern seas.
The Glacier plowed first
through brash Ice on a course
set by the navigator, Barnard
Koether, then into the ice
pack with jagged tufts indi
cating great pressure. Emerg
ing from a wide lead the ship
came within viewing range of
a tiny red dot on the expanse
of forbidding white waste
land, dwarfed by towering
icebergs. It was the Kista Dan,
trapped at 67 degrees 54 min
utes South, 71 degrees 32
minutes West!
The little Danish ship ap
peared lonely and lost amid
several hundred square miles
of 10 foot ice.
And the last lap to reach
her was the hardest of all.
Man Grows, Hews
Own Timber for
House for Family
New York - WPP - The aver
age do-it-yourselfer is a mere
apprentice when compared
with John Madison.
Probably the nation's fore
most do-it-yourselfer, Madison
is building a new farm house
for his family in the most
unique manner. He grew all
the timber for the housfi on
his 240-acre tree farm near
Trout Lake, Wash., harvested
the trees himself, and sawed
them into lumber in his one
man sawmill.
Besides the lumber, shingles
for the new house also will be
grown. Cedar bolts are being
hand-split to create attractive
rough -hewn roofing. Even
some of the furniture going
into the new house will be
fresh off the tree farm via
Madison's carpentry work
bench. Maximum Use
The thrifty tree farmer be
lieves in making maximum
use of each tree he harvests.
Wood shavings from his
planer go into the cow barn
for use as bedding material;
other leftovers are used for
firewood; the barn itself was
built from lumber grown and
milled on the farm.
And Madison's chores are
not being made easy because
of ,ast experience either. He
had been an auto mechanic
until the auto fumes got the
best of him, and he was forced
to the wide open spaces. He
has enjoyed every inch of
th"!.
So the next time you drive
in d lew nails around the
house think of John Madison's
doings before patting yourself
on the back.
British Psychiatrist
Appointed by State
Salem - HIPP - The Board of
Control has approved the
appointment of Dr. Maxwell
Jones, noted British psychia
trist, as director of education
and research at the Oregon
State hospital.
In January, Valiant (Nobody't Kid Brother) got the New York Conture Group'i Design Supremacy
Award. They just think it's the best-looking car on the road, that's alL In February, Valiant went to
Florida. It had a road test scheduled with Falcon and Corvair. It left them behind in a big cloud of
Valiant dust. In April, Valiant did it again, beating the carburetors off good old car "F" and car "C"
in the Mobilgas Economy Run. Now, flushed with success, but totally unspoiled, Valiant is waiting for a
chance to spoil you. And you will be spoiled quicker than you can say Valiant, King of the Compacts!
Q) DRIVE IT AT YOUR PLYMOUTH-VALIANT DEALEr"31 13-0 t
Turin In th. Steve Allen Plymouth Show, Monday nights on NBC-TV
Section B
MEDFORDsMTRIBUNE
MEDFORD,
Britain Said Determined To
Keep U.S. Satisfied in Trade
By LEROY POPE
New York-lUPH-Now that he
has at last succeeded In mak
ing Americans his best cus
tomers again, John Bull is de
termined to keep us sati.sfied
with his wares. British auto
magnate Lord Rootes said to
day. Lord Rootes is here as co
chairman of the huge British
Trade Exposition in New
York's coliseum opening in
June. His Lordship is also
chairman of Rootes Motors,
which makes Hillmtins, Sun
beams. Humbers and several
other British cars. He also is
chairman of Britain's Dollar
Export Council, which, by
patient work, has succeeded
in 10 years in balancing Bri
tain's trade with the U.S.,
and making us Britain's big
gest single customer.
Trade Expansion Planned
"Our aim from now on is
to expand the trade both ways
and keep it balanced," he told
United Press International.
"We don't hope for a sub
stantial British advantage."
On the urgent question of
how Detroit's compact cars
are going to affect the little
British car in the United
States, Lord Rootes is not at
all pessimistic.
"I feel we'll keep on selling
you about as many cars and
maybe a few more," he said.
Imports of British cars won't
grow by leaps and bounds
over here as in recent years,
but we couldn't expect that
to keep up Indefinitely."
Lord Rootes said the future
American market for Britain
would be in "a wide range
of consumer goods which we
will sell you on design and
quality not price. You Amer
icans have use for such a huge
variety of things, and if we
OREGON, FRIDAY, APRIL
keep on making things that
please you and serve you well
1 am sure you will buy them."
Lord Rooles disagreed with
those who think the split be
tween the European common
market and the outer seven,
to which Britain belongs, is
deepening and widening. "I'm
happy to see, though," he said,
"that you Americans are
sharing our concern about the
possible implications of com
mon market policy on imports
Development at
Salem Announced
Salem - OiPB - Plans for a
$750,000 golf course, apart
ment house and subdivision
development on 233 acres in
the Keizer area near here
has been announced.
Realtor Melviu O. Potts and
Attorney William D. Miller
said the site is on the McNary
farm tract.
The 18 -hole golf course,
they said, will cover approxi
mately 110 acres. The plans
include a country club, tennis
courts and a swimming pool.
Potts said the project should
be under way by next fall. It
is hoped to be ready for oc
cupancy late next year.
RECORD GM EARNINGS
New York-IUPIl-The General
Motors Corp. reported Wed.
nesday net sales of $3.657,.
972,071 and earnings of $323,.
625,618, or $1.14 a common
share for the first quarter of
1060. Chairman Frederic G
Donncr and President Johns
F. Gordon said the sales were
a record for any three-month
period in GM history and the
earnings were a new high
for a first quarter.
WILL
SUCCESS
SPOIL
NOBODY'S
KID
BROTHER
Page 1 8
29, 1960
f farm products
commonwealth and o t h o r
countries'."
While not nnnnsprf In v,
plan of U.S. Ambassador Dil
lon to got the United States
ma Canada to take the initia
ive in brineititf the
market and the outer seven
closer together. Lord
said he is "firmly against
nasiy measures'' to that aim.
Haste in such matinr ic
more likelv to lead In pnn
mistakes and failure than to
success," he said.
He was more interpcfnrl In
talking about the coming ex
position. "It will be the first
time your new coliseum ever
has been completely filled up
-I'm told the Russians only .
used halt the SDace for thnir
show.
"We are not only goine to
show most of the products of
British Industry, we're going
to have a fine cultural and
Ilea of the original Lloyd's
Coffee House in London,
blocks of the famous 'penny
black' post stamp, some of
Lord Rutherford s original
laboratory apparatus from
Cambridge and many other in
teresting things."
He said the exhibits would
take up so much space the
entertainment features would
overflow into Madison Square
Garden, where 500 British
troops and a huge corps of
bagpipers and drummers
would stage a "tattoo," a mag
nificent and peculiarly British
military pageant, in the early
days of the exposition.
The Duke of Edinburgh Is
coming to New York to open
the exposition and Lord
Rootes intends to fascinate
Americans at the show so
' they will be glad to buy Bri
tish goods for years to come.