Dunes Trip Of Snow Cruiser Postponed Hundreds, Who Lined Route, Disappointed; May Make Start Tomorrow

Admiral Richard E. Byrd--believe it or not--is not waiting for a blizzard before starting his giant snow cruiser on its test run to the Indiana Dunes via Hammond. This trifle tardy information should be comforting to the hundreds of hardy citizens who turned out at daybreak today to grab choice parking places along the snow cruiser's route through Calumet City, Hammond, Munster and Highland. Where's 'Snow-Byrd?' Scores of calls bombarded the switchboard operators at The Hammond Times office and the police station when the admiral's giant cruiser--someone called it a "snow-Byrd"--failed to enter Hammond over U. S. Route 6 at 7 a.m. as scheduled. After much delay in waiting for the public relations department of the Armour Institute of Technology to open for business, The Hammond Times obtained this information: "The snow cruiser may be taken to Chicago's loop tomorrow and may pass through Hammond some time Tuesday afternoon en route to the Dunes." According to the latest schedule, the cruiser will remain at the Dunes until Wednesday and then move to Fort Wayne, next stop on the trip to Boston for embarkation to the Antarctic. Will Wire This Newspaper The Armour Institute promised to wire this newspaper tomorrow on possible arrival in Hammond tomorrow afternoon. In Chicago today, final-adjustments on the grotesque, motor-driven craft with which Admiral Byrd will start on another Antarctic exploration next month. Last minute work which must be completed before the powerful cruiser leaves construction quarters of the research foundation of the Armour Institute delayed temporarily the start of the trip to the Dunes for test runs and then to Boston. The delay forced revision of tentative highway routes from Chicago to Boston. While engineers made adjustments in motors and equipment, traffic experts communicated with state highway officials across the country arranging new schedules for motor police convoy. Requires Convoy Designed to travel with ease across the icy wastes of the Antarctiv and span a 15-foot crevice without danger, the cruiser will require a convoy along the entire route to the eastern coast. Its huge wheels are 20 feet apart. It stands 12 feet high even without the small airplane which will be lashed atop the roof during the Antarctic explorations. It is 55 feet long. Inside are a complete machine shop, a generating plant to provide electricity, portable sending and receiving radio apparatus, meteorological reading equipment and complete living quarters for a crew of five. The control cab alone provides room for a crew of three--Dr. Thomas C. Poulter, senior scientist and second in command, the pilot and the navigator-radio operator. Tentative plans for the trip provide for two motorcycle policemen to head the caravan and two more to bring up the rear. Advance cars will carry officials of the research foundation and newspapermen.