Byrd's Snow Cruiser Here This Week

A strange monster will be seen in the dunes this week, when the so-called Byrd cage will be tried out in the sand hills to see how it will work on similar ground in the Antarctic regions, where it will be used with the third Byrd expedition. The snow cruiser is a large automobile specially designed by Armour institute and built at the Pullman shops. Thursday, Friday, or Saturday of this week the tryout is expected. Overall, the machine is 55 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 15 feet high. It will need the whole road and will be driven to Boston over a specially selected route, closed to other traffic while the cruiser is on its way. The first trip for the monster is indefinite. It may be that a two day tryout will be made in the dunes and the machine will proceed at once to Boston. On the other hand, it may be necessary to return the cruiser to Pullman for a final checkup. Driving conditions in the dunes are similar to in the Antarctic, Dr. Thomas C. Poulter, veteran of the last Byrd expedition, says. Snow and sand generate about equal friction.