The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-06-25
RESCUE plane
WRECKED
MOBILE CAMP
Second Landing on Ice
MaroonS Filler; AirShip
Chief on Ship.
NO WORD OF Is MEN
DirigibIe Commander Fears
for Companions as FIoes
Break Up.
Copyright. 1923. by United Press,


VIRGO BAY, Spitzbergen, June
25.-Lieutenant Elmer Paal Lund-
borg, Swedish aviator who rescued
General Mobile from the arctic ice
of Northeastland, radioed from the
Mobile camp today that his airplane,
which crashed on his second landing
there, could not be repaired on the
spot.
If the weather is cold enough, q"
Lundborg added, "a plane equipped
with ice runners couffild lad here at
midnight.
i am doing my utmost to smooth
over a landing place for plane
Otherwise all is we'll.
The radio was sent over the
emergency set rigged up at the No
bile camp. 1t was directed to Cen
eral Mobile, now aboard the supply
ship Citta Di Milano.
Amundsen's Leg Broken
Lieutenant Lundborg had rescued
in his Fokker seaplane-equipped
with skis for landing on ice-Gen
Umberto Mobile, commander of the
Italia, from the camp in which
Mobile and five of his crew had
been isolated since May Is.
Mobile was suffering a broken leg
received when he was struck by q
large piece of ice in the hustle OF
preparing for the planes landing.
On a second flight, in which he
intended to rescue Natalie Cecioni.
the Italia's chief engineer, also in
jured, Lundborg's plane capsized as
it landed.
Fear for Missing Men
While this drama was being en-
acted, fear grew that tragedy would
prove to have overtaken the sixteen
men whose fate was unknown.
Seven men of the Italias crew
had been carried away with the
wrecked Italia, and had not been
heard of for thirty-one days.
For four weeks there had been no
word of party of three of the
Italia's crew who started out from
Mobiles camp to reach land and
bring help. Four men had re-
manned in camp with Mobile.
Since last Monday nothing had
been reported of the French Far
man Seaplane that started out from
Tromsoe, Norway, with Roald
Amundsen, discoverer of the South
Pole, as passenger, and five other
men, to seek Mobile.
Mobile Is Worried
General Mobile shows signs of
having undergone terrible suffering
and hardship. He has grown a
beard. He is intensely worried re-
garding his companions fate.
The crash of Lundborg's air.
plane on its second flight added to
his anxiety, as he had said already
that the ice was breaking fast and
rescue must be effected soon.
The heroism of Lieut.. Lundborg
in trying to rescue other members
of the Mobile party after his first
flight was attested to by the fact
that he flew in fog.
Two Swedish 'airplanes started
from Spitzbergen today to try to
rescue the remaining members in
the Mobile camp off Foyn Island,
Northeastland.
First Report Two Rescued
First reports said that Mobile and
one aide, believed to be Cecioni,
were rescued by a Swedish airplane
Saturday night and that both were
transferred by airplane to the Citta
Di Milano
The latter ship now is near Dan
ish Island, unable to proceed farther
north owing to ice jams.
Later word declared that Lund-
borg had been unable to take Ceci-
oni aboard on the first trip and had
returned for him when he crashed.
Lieutenant Sarko, a Finnish
'naviator, arrived in Kings Bay Satur-
pGy aboard the steamer Aritta and
said that when the steamer passed
Charles Fore Land Saturday very
faint radio Signals had been heard.
The signals were believed to be- a
mercy call.
This gave hope that Amundsen
had been messaging, but that his
radio had been so badly damaged
that the signals could not be heard
generally in the north.