NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS 



the landing field bringing a note from Belknap 

 which stated that practically all of the requested 

 250 gallons of gasoline and the 30 gallons of motor 

 oil had already been transported to the field by 

 the use of a relay system which he had devised. 

 Everyone has done splendidly, and to Belknap 

 especially is due the successful organization of the 

 work. We are now ready for the flyers and the 

 gasoline transport, the field radio station, and the 

 balloon station have by the cooperation of all hands 

 been put through inside a period of thirty-six 

 hours. Schneider has been calibrating the Friez 

 meteorograph which is to be attached to the plane 

 for the transit of the ice-cap. 



At one in the morning a message came through 

 that Hassell and his navigator, Cramer, had hopped 

 off and been forced down and the plane dam- 

 aged only five miles from the start. Then com- 

 munications ceased and it was only accidentally 

 and through the Danish News broadcast two days 

 later that we were to learn that the plane had 

 crashed, but that the flyers had escaped uninjured. 

 The first news of Hassell's failure to get off was 

 sent by note to Belknap at Camp Lloyd and by 

 radio to Schneider at the landing field. The regu- 

 lar work of the station which had been interrupted 

 was now resumed. 



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