Lake’s expedition into the unknown sent out reports from the shortwave transmitters on the planes. The start was made January 22nd at 4 a.m., and the first wireless message we received came only two hours later, when Lake spoke of descending and starting an ice-melting and boring at a point some three hundred miles away from us. Six hours after a second message told of the frantic work. Three hours later a brief bulletin announced the resumption of the flight. I saw that Lake was extremely excited, and that I could do nothing to check the risk of the whole expedition’s success.
Then, in about an hour and a half more, came that excited message from Lake’s plane, which almost reversed my sentiments: