Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-06-27

AlNGS BAL SpAbADcLSeIp June 80.
@P1-Fear that six men, who drift
ed 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 air
ship had caught fire.
OF sixteen men who left aboard
the dirigible for the North Pole on
May % only six were known 10 be
alive today. One man was killed.
Three have been missing since they
started afoot for land.
General Umberto Mobile said that
soon after the dirigible crashed on
May 25 the balloon part drifted to
the east and a small column of
smoke WAS seen rising from it after
il had eone about six miles. The
balloon then crashed. Nothing has
been heard Of the six men aboard.
Returning from the North Pole on
May p the Italia ran into fog,
stormy weather and adverse winds.
Fighting her way toward Kings Bay
the dirigikle at times was making a
speed of Jess than 20 miles an hour.
MeT Thrown From Craft
Suddenly, Mobile advised, on the
fnosnnng Of May 25 the airship was
weighted down, apparently by snow
and ice forming on the bag. The
craft plunged rapidly to the polar
ice cap north of North East Land.
Mobile found it impossible "a halt
the rapid descent Of the ship, and It
crashed.
Vincenzo PomeIla, motor attend
ant, was in the stern gondola. It
was ripped off in striking the ice,
crushing Pomella. During the ensu-
ing commotion he died.
The cabin and part Of the upper
bracing were also torn away. All
those in the cabin were hurled to
the ice. One of General Mobiles
legs was fractured and his back in
jured. One Of the legs Of Natalie
Ceccioni, meteor chief, was broken
below the knee. DR.. Finn Malmgren,
Swedish meteorological, received bad
contusions Of the arm. The others
hurled to the ice were Lieutenant
Alfredo Viglieri, Italian navy navi-
gator; Prof. F. Behounek meteor
ologist; Giuseppe Biogi, radio OPP
orator; Filippo Troiani, engineer;
Captain Alberto Mariana, pilot, and
Captain Filippo Zappi, Italian navy
navigator.
Bury Body in Ice
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.
Meantime the balloon part Of the
Italia was drifting to the east, hav-
ing been freed of the weight of the
gondolas and part Of the bracing.
When il had gone about six miles
q small column Of smoke was seen
rising from it. Mobile thought that
either a gasoline or an oil tank had
caught fire. The balloon crashed
on the ice with its six occupants.
These were Lieutenant Ettore Ar
duino, italian navy navigator: Pro-
fessor Aldo Pontremoli, Italian sci
enlist: DR.. Ugo Lago, correspondent
of the Milan newspaper Popolo
D'Itaiia; Renato Allesandri. enveiope
attendant; Attileo Caratti. motor at
tendant, and Calisto Ciocca, motor
attendant.
The radio apparatus was rescued
from the debris By the Mobile party.
Its receiving set functioned, but the
sending apparatus was damaged, for
1--WE days the castaways struggled TO
it. Finally three members OF
the party, DR.. MaMlmgren and Can
tains Mariana and Zappi started
afoot Tor land on May 80. Those
that remained behind watched them
make their way over the ice and
found that they only made five miles
the first day. As they contin-
red their march they disappeared
from view and have not been seen
Repair Radio
Mobile and his party painted the
silk tent they had with them red. 10
aid searchers. They labored at re-
the radio apparatus. but fear
ed that they would never BE- able "a /,
send over ii again. Finally. how
ever, they got II in working order
and started 70 send out calls for +.
help. The base ship Citta Di Nilano +.
Kings Bay. which had been on the /,
alert for signals, caught the first
message on June 9. Soon the No ,
bile party were able 10 send dira,- J
for their rescue. :
Three times airplanes attern.ad !
70 find them and failed. althourh /.
the Mobile party saw them Then :
N June 70, Major Maddalena, flying
IN Italian seaplane and guided BY :
ado messages from the castaways. 4
ocated them and dropped them sup :
,lies. On the night of June % a y
flier, Lieut.. Einar-Paall Z
.undborg, with q plane equipped =
nth skis landed on the ice foe near
he Mobile party. he took off No
lie and the general was removed to