S2 - Lesson 43 - Over the South Pole

Words

pole

 

seem

 

flight

 

crash

 

explorer

 

sack

 

lie

 

clear

 

serious

 

aircraft

 

point

 

endless

 

plain 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Content

 Over the South Pole

In 1929, three years after his flight flew over the North Pole, the American explorer, R.E.Byrd, successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time.

Though, at first, Byrd and his men were able to take a great many photographs of the mountains that lay below, they soon ran into serious trouble.

At one point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash. 

It would only get over the mountains if it rose to 10,000 feet.

Byrd at once ordered his men to throw two heavy food stacks.

The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the mountains by 400 feet.

Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole which was 300 miles away, for there were no more mountains in sight.

The aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without difficulty.