Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-08-06
4. P. Photo.

OCllOOl Oh AcTOIldUIlCS mere.
"A. P. Photo.
extended upward 5000 feet. ordered
the ship flown low, beneath the fog
as we battled our way against the
terrific headwinds. We were about
so miles from the coast of Spitz-
bergen when I felt the ship losing
altitude. Ice had formed on the big
dirigible and every attempt to gain
altitude failed. We were headed
for crash on the ice.
Dramatic Crash Comes Suddenly.
II shouted to stop all three en-
gines. 1t was all a matter of Sec
onds. The stern of the ship struck
first, crushing the rear engine and
killing the man in the nacelle.
The big ship bounced forward
and as the bow struck the control
cabin, in which seven others and
were riding, was smashed to bits on
the ice. We were scrambled and
injured pile of humans strewn on
the ice foe.
I'VE came to and saw the big
bag floating away in the severe
wind with seven men aboard. And
those men and the dirigible never
have been found
MY right leg and arm were
broken. My engineer, Natalie Coo
cicnl, suffered a broken leg and
DR.. Malmgren vas injured. We
were marooned on the ice and we
knew not where. Then one of the
men found the emergency radio
sending and receiving equipment,
which had been dumped out with us
when the cabin struck. But the
intricate little parts were broken
and bent and required many hours
OF work before it was back together
and we started sending messages
you know the sos messages.
Emergency Supplies Found.
Good fortune stroked us again
when one of the men found the
emergency bag I had planned to
take on the ice with me at the Pole.
There was the little red tent, medical
supplies, concentrated foodstuffs for
three men for a week.
After four days we had failed to
get our radio signals through and DR.
Malmgren, Capt. Alberto Mariana
and Capt. Fillippo zappi started to
walk for help"
Mobile wiped the perspiration
from his brow. He was touching
upon another sore spot as an after
math of the expedition. Charges
later developed, but were never
proved, that there were acts of
cannibalism by the two Italians after
the death of the Swedish meteorolo-
gist. The two Italians were later
rescued by the ice-breaker Krassin.
The allegations brought further
criticism against the commander of
the expedition.
The five remaining men at the
''red tent camp fought desperately
for their lives. Both Mobile and
Coccioni were incapacitated by their
injuries. The other three worked
desperately with the radio and
finally the camp was sighted by a
Swedish rescue ship. Supplies were
dropped.
In the meantime, the explorer
Amundsen, who had forgotten the
enmity with his former navigator on
the Norge, when Mobile got most of
the credit for the 1926 dirigible
flight, had set out with five others
in French seaplane to attempt
to find the stranded Italian ex-
plorer and his party. But the brave
Norwegian and his party died in the
attempted rescue.
Then one day out of the sky
appeared tiny plane equipped with
skis" Mobile continued. 1T landed
on the ice near us and the pilot
1t. Einar Paal Lundborg, a Swedish
Army flyer, never even turned of
the engine. He came to the tent"
Here Mobile displayed excitement
His eyes pierced his questioner and
he became dramatic.
Overruled by Rescuer.
HE said I was to 60 with him
I said no, he was to take the
others first; he should take Coo
cioni first. He argued he had orders
to take me and the injured first anc
that Coccioni, who weighed 20(
pounds, was too heavy for the light
plane. That I must 60 with him
alone. The others argued with me
to go. I was needed at the base tt
direct the rescue of the others who
had been carried away in the dirig.
ible.
Then I thought. I am no gooc
here My leg and arm are broken
could be Of no help at the camp
You see, my leg was broken bad.
(He stood up and showed how the
right leg had been left crooked by
the break) But here" (and he
tapped his forehead) II could be Of
assistance. I could direct then
from the hospital. So they took MT
away from the camp, and all woule
have been well except ="
He hesitated minute.
1.-THE little plane took me to Spitz'
bergen, and ell would have gone al
right except the pilot, on his return
to the camp, got little too confident
in landing under difficult circum.
stances. He overshot the place
marked for the landing. The plane
nosed over and was damaged beyone
repair. So Lundborg was maroonee
with the other four, including thu
injured Coccioni, and for more thar
} three weeks they waited the rescu,
which was finally accomplished by
the ice-breaker Krassin, which alst
luckily found the two Italians whit
had started out with DR.. Malngren
II did what was right. It wa
!, the only thing to do. Yet they salt