Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-28
MOVING ITALIA CREWS CAMP
RELATED BY SWEDISH AVIATOR
Carrying Equipment 800 Meters Across Ice
Called Stupendous Feat by
Mobile Rescuer.

| took our regular turns, varying between
| two and four hours because of the
weather Troiani was at first exempt.
but he gradually recovered and replaced
Biagi, who was the next to become Ill.
The fog steadily increased. The
wind grew stronger and the temperature
remained below zero both night and
! day. The foe, therefore. became eX-
| tremely good for an airplane landing.
Our radio connection was good, as
rule. We received fine news that the
| Russian steamer KraSSin would collect
us in day or two. On receipt OF this
message we felt that life was still worth
| living. and Toasted on the extra rations
| of chocolate and the last drops OF my
| brandy
But our pleasure wasn't TO last long.
| The next day word came that the kras-
| sin would not reach us for seven or
eight days. We who little while back
| had considered ourselves saved now
awoke TO the reality that we were Just
| poor fellows drifting on lonely ice noe
| and left to our fate.
Gradually We understood that the first
report had been sent to encourage us.
| But what encouragement this last news
brought US! For while the promises
N','ch had been made of Swedish, Fin
nlsl. Junker and English planes con-
tributed TO keep up our courage. But
now and again fear and despair got
hold of us Everything seemed worse
! than ii really was. Behounek and /
couldn't sleep at night. We lay t,lli..g
each other our experiences in life and
| discussed the prospects OF the various
relief expeditions.
| Sometimes we felt certain rescue
would come quickly. But just as often
we gave up all hope and thought our
end would come soon.
Play Stock Exchange.
| In this dark mood we invented kind
of stock exchange game. l formed a
limited company, The Rescued From
| the Ice Sea" Then we made quotations
on the stock. The rate tiuctuated VIC
lently. according to our chances of the
moment and personal hopes. AS an
average figure, / remember 40 to so be-
| low par Yet the Czechoslovakian pro-
| lessor at times found himself able to
offer up TO 80 per cent OF their nominal
values on shares of my life. We spoke
lot about the missing Malmgren. He
and Behounek had been good friends.
| Malmgren and Zappi had been the
! first to propose walking TO land. Gen,
| Mobile had desired them TO wait. But
at last one evening they had set out.
| They took provisions for so days. double
| sets of reindeer shoes. compass, a
sextant, chronometer and mathemati-
cal tables. But as the camp possessed
only one weapon, a pistol with which
Malmgren had killed the Polar bear. as
/ mentioned in an earlier article, and
as there were only six shots left, they
| had gone unarmed
| Behounek had given them letters to
relatives and Malmgren was TO send
| them on If Behounek had not been res
cued within two months.
| Malmgren had a serious injury to his
| left shoulder, presumably complicated
| by a broken collarbone Malmgren,
/ Zappi and Mariana took heart-rending
| leave of those remaining and started
off Two days later. Behounek told me,
they could still be seen from the camp.
Studies Snore Tones.
| Now and again while We were talking
| Behounek fell asleep. Then / sat alone,
| thinking hard All the others were
lying like heaps OF clothes, snoring, on
| the tent floor / studied the various
| tunes of their snores.
| NV conversation with Behounek
buoyed me up considerably. AT times
| we talked about warm baths, clean
sheets, clean clothes, soap, and even
about music
We smoked a lot, and as my little tin
of tobacco had quickly been emptied, !
went in for cigarettes learned 10
appreciate them SO highly that / am
afraid my small grumblings to my wife
about her cigarette smoking cannot be
done hereafter with the same supe-
riority
| BY means of the cigarettes. which
Mai. Maddelena had dropped into the
water from his plane and which were
laid out drying now and then obtained
a fill for my pipe. But as matches be-
gan to run short / soon had TO say
| good by TO my dear pipe.
| (The last installment will appear at
an early date