Evening star., 1938-02-08
RESCUE D|R|G|BLE
CRASHFATALTO13 IS
Soviet Ship Hits Mountain
in Preparing to Seek
Ice Campers.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
-Four Russian scientists have lived
since last May on, ice, first at North
Pole. taking ,oeother observations,
and later on ice foe, Dhtch has
drttted more than 100 miles to its
present spot of coast Of Greenland.
Reports that ice toas cracking and
tanning, tDtth consequent grave
peril to scientists spurred Moscow
government to rescue.
BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Feb. 8.-The hope OF
rescuing KuSsias four Polar scientists
from their drifting ice foe cost IL
lives in the crash Of the Soviet drigible
V6, 1t was disclosed today.
The v6 crashed into q mountain
during snowstorm Sunday in the
Kandalaksha region near the White
Sea while on trial flight from Mos
cow to Murmansk and return.
The trip was preparatory to Joining
the rescue expeditions to aid the four
scientists whose imperiled foe now i,
about SO miles of the east coast o1
Greenland.
Three Ships Steam to Hunt.
Three ice-breaker ships were con-
verglng today on the Greenland Ses
area where the Polar scientists are
stranded, and fourth was about tc
join in the search. The ships had
aboard eight planes, variously equipped
for open water or with skis for ice
landing.
The dirigible crew had asked the
governments permission to fly to the
rescue of the ice-fioe explorers II the
test flight was successful.
Only three Of the crew Of 19 es.
capped unharmed and Capt. Guido
vantsef7, commander, was among the
dead.
First Flight Last Year.
The semi-rigid dirigible had 4 ca.
pacity Of approximately 335. 900 cubic
feet, was equipped with three $50.
horsepower motors and made its FIRST
trial flight from Moscow to Sverdlovsk
IN September last year.
The dirigible's flight was unevent.
ful between Moscow and LeninRrad
and the commander had reported hi.
position at regular intervals until
o:56 pm. Sunday, when radio COM
munication ceased suddenly.
unable to get its bearings by radio
the dirigible approached KEN at low
altitude. then disappeared in the
darkness. Inhabitants of the bleak
sparsely settled region heard the louc
whir Of the motors. y ceased sud.
denly, and rescue parties at once be.
gan a search which ended nearly a
hours later when natives on skis, trav.
cling with reindeer, found the wreck.
age.
State Funeral Planned.
A state funeral is to be accorded thu
victims in Moscow. and the govern.
ment decided to give their familie.
pensions and lump payments Of abou,
$4,000 each.
The crash was the first ma ior dirie.
iole disaster since the German Hin.
denoure exploded while moorins a,
Lakehurst, N. j., May s, 1897. with q
loss, OF 36 lives. In other dirigible
crashes since 1912 three hundred ane
forty-eisht persons have died. Tn,
Italian dirigible Italia crashed. in tn,
Arctic in 1928 with loss of six lives
Ice Breaker Departs.
The continuing rescue efforts fo,
the scientists included departure O.
the ice breaker Murman from Muir.
mansk yesterday.
The l5o-ton photographic steamel
Murmanets radioed she was caueh
in gale along the edge of the ic.
field, 300 miles from the campers. ant
that ice was pressing against her.
The ice breaker Taimyr, $50 mile
due east of the foe, likewise wa
hampered by the storm. Two plane.
were aboard the Taimyr, and thre.
more were to be taken by the Yer
max, which would be the fourth res
cue ship.
The dirigible disaster was attribute.
tentatively to low flying in poor visi
bility. Stories Of the six men WHIT
escaped death in the crash could no
be obtained. but they apparently owee
their lives to the use Of helium to in.
fate the ship instead Of inflammabl<
gas.