Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-11

KINGS BAY, Spitzbergen, July II
Indications increased today that a
tragedy Of modern polar explorations
had claimed the lives of I6 men.
Grave fears we're entertained for 5
others. Those believed dead were
Seven members Of Gen. Umberto No
biles party of l6 which were aboard the
dirigible Italia when 1t crashed May
25 returning from the North Pole.
Roald Amundsen, Lieut.. Lief Diet
richsen, Capt Rene Giibaud and crew
of three of a French seaplane which
tried to find Mobiles party.
The italian Alpine chasseur, Capt.
Sora. and two Norwegians, Warming
and Vandongen, guides, who also start
ed search
Comdr. Mobile Is the only one of his
party rescued. One man was killed in
the crash.
Fear for MarOoned Men.
Fear grew today for the safety Of
five fever-stricken and partially insane
men marooned on the ice by the crash
of the airship. There appeared TO be
no immediate prospect of their rescue.
For four days attempts TO communicate
with them by radio have failed
This silence was attributed to either
weakness of Radio Operator GuiSeppi
Bioggi or atmospheric conditions. Lieut..
Einarpaal Lundborg Swedish airman
who was rescued from among the ma
rooned men off Foyn Island, said that
Bioggi was weak from fever, but man
aged twice daily to send out radio re-
ports. Aboard the base ship Cita di
Milano it was asserted that atmospheric
conditions prevented short-wave radio
communication.
The foe upon which they are drift
ing was growing soft, preventing planes
from landing TO take them off. Their
hope of rescue appeared to rest upon
the ability of the ice breakers Krassin
and Braganza forcing their way through
the pack ice to them. The Krassir re-
ported no progress yesterday. being
held in the Ice about 30 miles away
from the survivors.
Dog Team Disappears.
A dog team expedition OF Capt. Sora,
with the Norwegians Warming and
Vandongen, started across the ice sew
eral weeks ago to rescue the marooned
men, although warned that such an
attempt was fraught with great peril.
They were swallowed up by the Arctic.
Lieut.. Lundborg said that on landing
on the Ice on June % he was met by
Lieut.. Alfredo Viglieri, now In command
OF the group. and Biogi. With great
difficulty they struggled over the ice
to the silk tent, which had been paint
ed red TO guide resCuers.
Bearded and dirty. Gen. umberto
Mobile fell into Lundborg's arms In the
tent. He wept from mingled Joy and
distress as he embraced and kissed the
! swedish airman. Lundhorg said the
| rnnHfttnn 1n
| ton. All Of the Italians we're more or
less physically and mentally Ill from
strain, exposure and lack of proper
| food
Lundborg and Lieut., Shyberg, who
| accompanied him. carried and dragged
| Mobile To the plane, They took him To
Hinlopen Strait and from there he was
transferred to the Citta di Milano
Flyer Returned Alone.
Then Lundborg returned To the Ice
foe alone. hoping TO bring out two
men In his plane The skis of his
craft cut through the soft snow. The
machine turned over and was wrecked
! Lundborg was marooned among the
men he had hoped TO rescue.
Painfully and with great difficulty the
| five able~hodied refugees had carried
Natalie Ceccioni, motor chief whose leg
was broken la the crash OF the airship,
TO the plane where the plane was ex-
pected to land, Apparently they were
too weak TO carry him back. since when
the plane was wrecked he was placed
on wing OF the machine and left ex-
posed To the rigors OF the Arctic until
the next day. Then the tent and the
entire camp were moved TO the plane.
The shelter was spread over Ceccionis
couch ON the wing OF the machine,
Days Of despair followed, Fog pre-
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