Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-27
Three Others Missing Since
Starting Afoot Over
Ice for Land.
PLUNGE OF POLE SHIP
DESCRIBED BY MOBILE
Column of Smoke Seen Rising
From Aircraft-Amundsen
Reported Found.
BY the Associated Press.

KINGS BAY, Spitzbergen. June 27.-
Fear that six men who drifted away
in the balloon part of the Italia after
its crash on the Polar ice cap were
dead prevailed today when it was
learned that the airship had caught
fire
OF sixteen men who left aboard the
dirigible for the North Pole on May %
only six were known to be alive today.
One man was killed. Three have been
missing since they started afoot for
land.
Gen. Umberto Mobile said that soon
after the dirigible crashed on May 25
the balloon part drifted to the east and
q small column of smoke was seen ris-
ing from it after it had gone about 10
kilometers (about six miles,. The bal
loon then crashed. Nothing has been
heard of the six men aboard.
Returning from the North Pole on
May "a, the Italia ran into fog. stormy
weather and adverse winds. Fighting
her way toward Kings Bay, the dirleible
at times was making speed of less than
20 miles an hour.
Plunged to Ice Cap.
Suddenly, Mobile advised, on the
morning of May IS the airsnip was
down, apparently by snow and
ice forming on the bag. The craft
plunged rapidly 10 the Polar ice cap
north of Northeast Land. Mobile found
1t impossible to halt the rapid descent
of the ship and it crashed.
Vincenzo Pomella, motor attendant,
was in the stern gondola. 1t was ripped
of in striking the ice, crushing Pomella.
During the ensuing commotion he died.
The cabin and part of the upper
bracing also we're torn away. All those
in the cabin were hurled to the ice.
and his back injured. One of the legs
of Natalie Ceccioni, motor chief, was
broken below the knee. DR.. Finn
Malmgren, Swedish meteorologiSt, re-
ceived bad contusions of the arm. The
others hurled to the ice were Lieut..
Alfredo Viglieri. Italian navy navigator;
Prof. F. Behounek, meteorologiSt,
Giuseppe Biogi; radio operator; Flippo
Troiani. engineer; Capt. Alberto
Mariana, pilot. and Capt. Filippo zappi.
Italian navy navigator.
A minute after the plunge Mobile and
his companions cried viva Italia"
Body Of Pomella Found.
Among the debris on the ice they
found all the instruments in the cabin
Later the body of Pomella was found
and buried IN the ice.
In the meantime the balloon part
of the Italia was drifting 10 the east.
having been freed OF the weight OF the
gondolaS and part of the braclng. When
it had gone about 10 kilometers small
column Of smoke was seen rising from
it. Mobile thought that either gasoline
or an oil tank had caught fire. The
balloon crashed on the ice With its SIX
occupants.
These were Lieut.. Ettore Arduino,
Italian navy navigator: Prot Aldo Pom
tremoli, Italian scientist: DR.. ugo Lago.
correspondent of the Milan newspaper
Popolo DItalia; Renato A1eSandrI
envelope attendant: Attileo Carattl.
motor attendant, and CaliSto Ciocca,
motor attendant.
The radio apparatus was rescued
from the debris by the Mobile party.
Its receiving set ftlncticned, but the
sending apparatus was damaged. For
five days the caStaways struggled u
repair it. Finally three members G.
the party. DR., Malmgren and CapgS
Mariana and Zappi, started afoot TO-
land on May so. They were 70 diTeC!
hind on the ice. They had food enough
Tor more than 40 days and also pcs.
seSSed instruments ana maps 10 help
them make their way over the Arctl@
wastes. They also had Winter outfits
from the cabin. but no tent or arms.
Disappeared From View.
The Malmgren party calculated they
would be able TO make q march of ten
kiiometers daily toward Foyn Island.
Those who remained behind watched
them make their way over the ice and
found that they only made five miles
on the first day. As they continued
their march they disappeared from
view and have not been seen since.
In the meantime Mobile and his
party painted the silk tent they had
with them red TO aid SearcherS, They
labored at repairing the radio appara-
tus, but feared that they would never
be able TO send over 1t again. Finally.
however. they got 1t in working order
and started 10 send out calls for help.
The base ship Citta di Milano at KiugS
Bay. which had been ON the alert for
signals, caught the first message on
june .. Soon the Mobile party were
able 10 send directions for their rescue.
Three times alplaneS attempted to
tind them and failed. although the No
bile party saw them each time. Then
On June 20 Mai. Maddalena. flying an
Italian Seaplane and guided by radio
messages from the eaStawayS, located
them and dropped them supplies. On
the night of June 2S q Swedish Aver,
Lieut. Enar-Pall Lundborg, with a
plane equipped with skis. landed ON the
Ice noe near the Mobile party. He
took of Mobile. and the general was
to the base ship. which had
some TO Virgo Bay. When Lieut.. Lund-
borg tried To rescue the others. his ma
chine overturned, leaving him stranded
IN the ice with the Ave other members
II the Mobile group,
Fog Prevents Search.
Fog and snow at Spitshergen con-
Iinued today and prevented any at
tempt 70 search for the missing crew
of the Italia or TO save the six men
IN the Ice II also held up search for
Roald AmundSen and i've men who set
put with him nom Norway Last Mon
day TO join In the rescue operations.
The italian naval attache at stock
holm today informed the rescue work
ers that the Swedish government had
ordered q Fokker plane and a De HAvil-
land sport model plane TO Join IN the
relief operations, They are expected
10 arrive at Spitshergen next SUNDAY.
Two italian seaplaneS and a swedish
nyink boat were waiting at Virgo Bay
for The tog TO lift 50 thar they could
continue operations. The icehreaker
Rragansa. which has the Norwegian
isssrs. CAPT, kilser~larsen and Lieut..