Byrd Cruiser Soon May Be Here, Perhaps Expected Around Noon Tomorrow--That Is, Quite Possibly

Gary still was awaiting its glimpse of Admiral Byrd's Antarctic snow cruiser today and last official word from the Soldier field parking lot, where it is marooned with a broken jack, or something, was that it should be here for its sand dune tests tomorrow noon--that is, maybe. Mechanics were busy on the freak colossus today trying to get it in ship-shape for a departure from Soldier Field at 4 a. m. tomorrow. Should no more misfortune dog the takeoff the cruiser should reach the western city limits of Gary about noon Thursday for its final test before resuming the slow jaunt to Boston. It took seven hours last night to move the cruiser from the Pullman shops to Soldier Field. The goal was Grant park, but science's bid for polar fame didn't get that far. Hard to Turn Corners The cruiser found difficulty in turning corners in its Chicago run last night and at one point apparently bogged down completely. However, Dr. Thomas C. Poulter, scientific director of the Armour Institute of Technology's Research foundation where the cruiser was designed, minimized the trouble, said that only minor adjustments would be required and expressed himself as well satisfied with the vehicle's performance. Unless again delayed, the cruiser is expected to reach Gary by noon tomorrow. Several hours will be spent in tests of the $150,000 snow ship in an area between Ridge Road and 45th avenue, west of Grant street, where the WPA is cutting Cleveland street through swamps and hills. Leaving Gary, the cruiser's route follows U. S. 6 to U. S. 31, thence to LaPaz, where a 5-minute stop will be made at a service station at the junction of 6 and 31. It will then turn south on 31 to Plymouth, to U. S. 30, on which it will proceed to Fort Wayne for an overnight stop. Chicago Traffic Tied Up The cruiser's run through Chicago streets last night tied traffic into knots. Fifty-five feet long, 20 feet wide, 12 feet high, and with wheels 10 feet in diameter, the cumbersome steel behemoth presented a bewildering spectacle as it lumbered through traffic. Although it has a top speed of 30 miles per hour and a cruising speed of 24 miles, it averaged only about four miles per hour in last night's test. While motorists stopped their cars in the middle of the street to gape at the "snow cruiser" in wide-eyed astonishment, and pedestrians crowded about it for a close view, the mechanical marvel went through its bag of tricks in a manner to make its driver proud. Driven by Dr. Poulter, the cruiser met and overcame several obstacles. When the corner of a building made passage of the giant seemingly impossible, its four wheels, operated independently, were turned and twisted in such fashion that the machine literally wormed its way past the obstruction, sometimes sidling along at a 25-degree angle. Lowered Four Feet When a low bridge appeared about to stop the cruiser's progress Dr. Poulter merely lowered the whole affair four feet to a point just over the wheels, and went through. Dr. Poulter, who will be in charge of the machine in the Antarctic, expressed complete satisfaction with the performance. Twice the cruiser stopped on its journey for what may or may not have been repairs. Neither Dr. Poulter nor his assistants seemed perturbed by the interruptions, which they insisted did not mean the $100,000 mechanism had failed. Announcement was made that the cruiser will carry a cachet for mail to be dated on the day the cruiser arrives at the South Pole.