Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-30

Hnediately They had not set foot on
land since the Graf stopped at Len1n-
grad on the way to the North.
NEW DISCOVERIES MADE.
Hitherto Unknown Lands Mapped on
Crafts Arctic Tour.
BY ARTHUR KOESTLER.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
ABOARD GRAF ZEPPELIN. July 80
(NANA).-This great ship OF the air
and those it is carrying over the Arctic
wilderness of ice were virtually Isolated
from the world for nearly 40 hours by
the failure of our radio to function.
It went out of commission, due to the
extraordinary atmospheric conditions
which are prevailing IN these high altl-
tudes The continuous daylight appears
to have a disastrous effect on radio
transmission.
We are not going to the North Pole.
We are now shaping our course back to
Leningrad and we should arrive there
Thursday, some time.
Last night we few over Dickinson
Radio Station, and there We dropped
food and newspapers. And we can well
guess how welcome these must nave
been to the remote and isolated little
group posted there.
BaLeT We puSSeu over rldliD oOSCA
Land and Cape Nortlland and skirted
Cape Chelyuskin and Tayimir PENN
sula Then today we picked up the
coast of Nova zembla.
The ordinary map cannot give clear
idea of our course. We determined the
northland boundaries, and were IN
tsrested to find this territory Is much
larger than originally thought. 1t is
considerably greater than Nova Zembla
We made another discovery, too. On
Tayjmih Peninsula we picked up q
mountain range which heretofore has
BEN unknown. The height of these
mountains range from 5000 to 4,500
feet.
Many Accomplishments.
After the conclusion of his scientific
tasks, Prof Rodolfe SamoilowitSch said:
we've accomplished UNNECESSARILY
more than we expected. The weather
conditions compelled us-contrary to
our original plan-to visit Franz Joseph
Land first. The results there showed
the value of intensive exploration work
in the Arctic through an airship.
may say without exaggeration that we
accomplished more in a few hours than
could have been accomplished other
wise with a whole years work.
Despite the difficult Arctic condi-
lions, we made landing in drifting ice
which constitutes the acid test in an
airship's Arctic utility.
The following important geograph-
ical discoveries have been made: Hant
Ort Land and Albert Edward Land are
non-existant. Ermitage is peninsula
Alexander Land is entirely different
from all of its geographical preSenta-
tons. In the northeast of Franz Joseph
Land the White Islands and Nansen
Island have been photographed topo-
graphically.
Makes PeriIous Flight.
Despite repeated warnings against
direct flight from Franz Joseph Land to
Northern Land. because these places in
July are the most dangerous in the entire
Arctic, owing to fog and ice formations,
we covered this stretch in four hours.
UNI rtunately, owing to the fog and bad
vision, landing on Kamen Jew Island
was omitted. We didn't return there,
because we wanted to save time and
fuel.
ON the way valuable ice observations
were made over Taymir Peninsula and
Nova Zembla We established that ice
conditions were favorable for Summer
shipping. -Four shakespeare balloons
were sent up whereby many temperature
measurements were carried out.
AT 1920 am, on the 29th. We passed
Archangel. We expect to land at Lenln-
grad at dawn Thursday. Dr. Eckener
day at 8 pm"
This morning, after restless sleep,
we saw through the cabin window an
unearthly moonscape. Gigantic glaciers
lowered threateningly ttwird the clouds,
miles high, alternating with glacier
basins furrowed in red oasalt.
This was the unknown archipelago of
NnHfhAVSA sNkH L.,
human eyes.
Quotes From Diary.
No better account Of our adventures
In the Arctic can be written than that
set down in our ships diary, from
which I quote again:
Monday, July 27-Today we began q
tediously slow journey through Slight
but persistent fog. For hours we have
been swimming through a murky milk,
sighting nothing. then flying higher,
With the fog beneath resembling a
frozen earth crust wherein the shadow
OF the Zeppelin is visible The front
part OF the shadow is crowned by a
ratnbow-colored circle
Throughout this part Of the flight
we experienced the strangest mirages,
with the fog making it impossible to
distinguish between water and sky.
There were bewildering, many colored
globuleS in the air. The temperature
fuctuated abruptly. according to the
height, from to degree Celsius Then
we encountered a powerful head wind,
blowing Is meters per second, which de-
layed our progress
AT $3.50 pm, 70 degrees latitude, the
misty veil lifted and we got our first
glimpse Of the ice below At first we
saw only fragments Of pack ice, which
Is contemptuously termed artificial ice,
but soon thereafter We saw genuine
pack Ice, getting ever denser and leav-
ing ever sparssr water channels.
Enchanting Beauty.
"At 5 pm we sighted Franz Joseph
Land. At pm. we few ever Cape
Flora. Here. in the glacier and basalt
world OF Franz Joseph Land, we be-
held such An Overwhelmingly enchant-
ing panorama Of colors that even DR..
Eckener, usually phlegmatic, became
enthusiastic and wished We had q
water-color artist on board Below, on
. drifting ice, noe, we saw a travelling
ice bear family and the father and
mother bear and their progeny shook
their heads disapprovingfy at the Yep
pelin's intrusion. 1t was upon q foe
like this that the lost Amundsen must
have drifted. according to the report
OF the Fiala, 5000 kilometers from the
ia Franz Joseph Land-wnich Prof.
Satnoilowitsch holds to be an absurdity
"Dr. Eckener, before his departure
for the Arctic. received letter from
clAirvoyant, wherein certain bay in
Franz Joseph Land was indicated as
the spot where Amundsen was to be
found. This bay and all other likely