Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-24
italian Flies Half Way to
Norway on 500-MiIe
Reconnaissance.
RADIO MESSAGES
NOW HELD FALSE
Mobile Rescue Delayed for Time al
Many Nations Rush Aid
to Lost Rescuers.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
KINGS BAY, Spitzbergen, June 23.-.
Waters and coasts Of the archipelago
were combed by aviators today IN
search for Roald Amundsen and the
five men with him in the French sea-
plane, but without success. The party
who started in search Of missing menu
bers of the Mobile expedition seemed
to have disappeared more completely
than those they sought to rescue.
A notable effort was made by Maj.
Penzo in the big hydroairplane which
he few here from Italy. The major
flew nearly 500 miles today. going as
far as Bear Island, almost halfway TO
the coast of Norway. He saw nothing
Of the missing plane.
Weather Clear.
Mai. Penzo few most Of the way ~
an altitude Of $500 meters (about
Z ,00O feet. The weather was fine and
clear. and at that height he had op-
portunity to sweep wide stretches OF ice
and water. He covered practically al
of the open sea in which the Amund-
sen plane may have come down.
The negative result OF this night
coupled with failure OF other planes 70
find trace of Amundsen, has about con-
vinced experts here that faint raolo
signals heard last night BY at least Two
vessels did not come from the missing
plane. They pointed out that the ex-
plorations had gone far beyond the
boundaries OF the space in which the
machines radio might have penetrated.
Turn to Coast.
There is a theory now that the rescue
expedition may have been forced down
on the ice in some ford or other deep
Of the coast. This 3
coupled with q belief that his radio
has been damaged so that he Is unable
to communicate with his agent, Capt.
Visiting, at Kings Bay.
The radio signals which had spurred
searchers were heard by the coaling
steamer Martha which came into port
today. She said she picked Up faint
S o S at IL O'Clock last night. Amund-
sens plane was equipped with wireless
but the apparatus could be heard only
so miles If the machine were at nest
on the water. The Marta saw noth-
ing Of the missing men.
Another gleam of hope arose from .
report that the icehreaker Maligin also
heard indiStinct signals. However, shs
was not at all sure that these came from
the Amundsen plane. 1t requested fur
ther information on the subject.
Amundsen Is GeaI
Definite plans toward searching the
coast OF the archipelago were put into
operation today BY ayiatorS who turned
their attention toward Amundsen and
away from Gen. Umberto Mobile. The
latter now is In a situation that only
requires patient waiting.
The Swedish plane Upland. big tri-
Junker, under the pilotage OF
Capt. Tornberg, explored the west coast
Of Spitzbergen, but found no trace OF
the AmundSen party. Maj. Pen1o.
flying an Italian Dornier-Wal hydro
airplane, covered nearly 500 miles today
from Kings Bay. going almost halfway
to the coast OF Norway and flying in
the vicinity of South Cape and up along
the east shore of this island.
Capt. RiiSsr-Larsen and Lieut.. Iut1ow
Holm. countrymen Of Amundsen. asked
that they be released from further work
on the Mobile rescue In order to devote
their time 70 search for the missing
flying boat. They made their reQueSE
TO Capt. Ranlagno OF the Citta ID
AIilano. base ship of the Mobile expedi-
ton. Their plan called for the use OF
the ice-breaker Braganza ON their new
to attempt to reach Mobile.
Drift Aids Party.
Gen. Mobiles party now is only
miles from Foyn Island. the Ice having
arifted him rather rapidly toward that
piece of land, Some u the experts
here suggested that he might try max
lng his way 10 the island. They rec
ogniEe that the party would be handi-
one of the men and the fact that No
bile himself is stil suffering from in
iuries incurred when the Itaha was
wrecked,
One of the arguments advanced IN
favor of this course was that Mobile
could exist for months on land with
the supplies he now possesses, he also
Is fully equipped for such 8 journey.
even though il be slow and painful
IN fact. he probably has more equip
ment and supplies than his little group
could possibly transport, There were
$50 pounds in the first batch or goods
dropped to him by Hal. Maddaiena ana
ne has had additional provisions. arms.
albbsrs boats and radio batteries since
hen.
Finnish Plane On Way.
The Marta carried Lieut., Sarko ana
Finnish plane. Lieut.. Sarko plans To
tart Tor Virgo Bay tomorrow and
hence 10 fly to Mobiles party, which
,e is convinced he can rescue because
lis plane needs only about 200 yarctN
q land and so yards to take OF. much
eSs than any Of the planes now here.
rhe plane carries a radio and has .
O-hour cruising radius.