Former Firemen Returning With Byrd

On the “City of New York” which is bringing part of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition Back to New York, is Esmonde M. O’Brien, formerly a marine engineer on the fireboat “New Yorker” of the New York Fire Department.
He won a commission with the expedition, but since the trip was for more than one year, he was forced to resign from the fire-boat service, for it was illegal to receive more than one year’s leave from the department.
Mr. O’Brien has been a seafaring man all his life. He is the only member of any fire department with the Antarctic Expedition. O’Brien’s father is fire telegraph dispatcher.