THE SEARCH FOR HASSELL AND CRAMER 



makes it impossible to see such markings as are on the 

 field or objects on land generally. The broad surface 

 of the fjord can be followed of course, but land levels 

 and land objects will not come out clearly before 4 o'clock 

 our time, 2 o'clock Eastern Standard Time, 



In another message it was explained that the 

 landing field was ready with the fuel and oil in 

 place for rapid servicing of the plane; and that 

 a field radio station and a balloon station for re- 

 ports on the upper-air would soon again be in 

 operation upon the field. 



It was of course most unfortunate that just now 

 the weather should be somewhat unsettled. Upon 

 July 26, the date of Hassell's first take-off, until 

 Saturday, August 18, when he took off from 

 Cochrane, a period of more than three weeks, the 

 weather had been perfect for flying, and a period 

 almost as long was soon to follow. The fact that 

 radio contact ceased an hour or more before the 

 hop-off from Cochrane would occur, left us for two 

 successive days in uncertainty until the evening, 

 when word would come in that weather conditions 

 in Canada had been unfavorable and that the flight 

 had been postponed. Our only course was to 

 assume on each day that the hop-off had occurred 

 as predicted, and we would make the weary journey 

 to the landing field eight miles distant from Mount 



257 



