The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-07-12
Of icepacked sea, they felt that they
were safe.

OF lcepacked sea, they felt that theJ
were safe.
| Although the two Italians had hat
virtually nothing to eat for thirteer
days. living on the meagerest Of fare
they were in good spirits and full 81
courage when rescued and were able
to express their warmest thanks ia
the crew of the Krassin.
| The position Of the party when
the krassin reached the men was at
point some miles north Of Prince
Oscar Land and about 20 miles from
Foyn Island.
Rescued Tell Story
The full story Of DR.. Malmgren's
death and their own bitter suffering
was told today aboard the Krassin
by the two men who had been mirac-
ulously saved. For 13 days they had
not eaten. for 80 days they cared for
the body Of Malmgren in the vagus
hope Of taking it to civilization.
Setting out from the Mobile group
on May ID to bring help, the prog
rcss of the three men toward land
had been impeded by an injury to
Dr.. Malmgren's leg which he suf-
fered when the gondola Of the Italia
crashed to the ground
Unable to move further, the heroic
scientist, who had given most Of his
years to study of the secrets Of the
north, begged them to march on to
save their own lives and leave him
to his inevitable end, but they would
not go. They felt bound to him by
the closest bonds Of comradeship in
the desolate frozen waste which
surrounded them, and they minis
tered to him until he died.
Guard Body
Even in death they would not de-
sert his body, and for 80 days they
jealousy guarded it.
Day after day they spent in silent
horror, their food supplies slowly but
steadily diminishing, until 13 days
ago there was virtually nothing left.
In the desolate region where they
were, off Northeastland, they had
just one hope, and that was that
somehow out of the murky skies
might come a rescung airplane.
This dream, the men said today,
born in infinite pain. was finally full
filled when Chukhnovsky on Tuesday
evening emerged fro~ the heavy,
low hanging clouds like rescuing
angel.
Starving as they were, and dying
inch by inch, the plane bore prom
Use of life. but for the moment this
promise was not destined for fulfill
ment, and &c hours of further suffer-
ing was still before them. The plane
could not land. Chukhnovsky. disre-
garding his own peril from forced
landing on Northeastland, directed
the krassin by wireless to the spot
where the two men were huddled.
Ship Battles Ice
All last night the krassin plunged
again and again through the thick
mass Of ice flces through the 20
miles of sea that separated it from
the dying men. At 5 O'Clock this
morning the captain on the bridge
saw a human figure on an ice floe.
Two hours later the icebreaker
drew alongside The tiny group on
the floe. One of the men stood wav-
ing family a tattered flag. The Sec
ond lay exhausted on the ice, and
beside him was the body Of DR..
Malmgren.
The doctor. althc Ugh widely ex-
perienced in Arctic life, had been
harder hit by the accident to him
when the gondola crashed than he
knew, and was not equal to the long
and difficult journey before him.
He died a month ago, from cold and
exhaustion, near Brock island.
Eager as the Russians were to
minister to the needs of the living
men. they did not forget the dead.
While all stood at, salute the body
was carried aboard the vessel and
laid in state. 1t was moving scene
and many of the hardened men par
ticipating in it were not ashamed to
show their tear-st .ined faces.
Captains Zappi and Mariana,
given up fer dead many weeks ago,
were taken below, where they were
bathed, given food and fresh clothes.