AVIATION

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1928, Page 2

AVIATION

THE ITALIA’S STORY. MALMGREN A HERO. Australian Press Assn.—United Service LONDON, August 16. Professor Bohounek, the Czecho-Slo-vakiaii scientist who accompanied General Nobile on the “ Italia ’ to the North Pole, continues his story as follows : ivlalmgrcn was a gentleman in the full sense of the word, and he will—like Scott and Franklin—always he remembered by the world as a martyr in the cause of science. It was the irony of fate that he—the bravest of us all—should lie the only one of the nine survivors to die. L shall always remember him as he left us in the dim light of the white Polar night-—miser-able, crippled, and loaded down with a knapsack and provisions, his strength already failing, but still iff indomitable will. I shall not iorget his last words when saying that he believed that they could manage to reach tlie mainland over the ice. He. did not go to save himself, hilt as the only hope of rescue for the entire expedition. The whole world can be proud in these days of egotism, that there still are men able to give their lives for others deliberately, under such terrible conditions.

When the “ Italia ” crashed, Malmgren was standing near the steeringgear, and lie did not escape injury, 'l’lie cabin smashed, nose-dived downward, on ice, partly one-sidedly, with a three-fold velocity, namely, the continued momentum of the airship after the engines had stopped, the speed imparted by the wind, and the impetus ! resulting from the fall. Malmgren’s left side was painfully bruised, and his left arm or his collarbone was injured. It was difficult to reach his injured arm owing to his double suit, which was necessitated by the temperature, which was eleven degrees centigrade below zero. Zappi, when aboard the Krassin, told me that Mahngren had been unfit to march, because his arm was broken, and his legs were frozen. .Malmgren carried his arm lightly in a towel, which I brought for him as a sling. Although this arm was not usable, he chopped ice and lelt it to melt for a water supply for the camp. General Nobife told me, after our rescue, that Malmgren had wanted to commit suicide after the crash, but Nobile dissuaded him. He was the first to take a telescope and find several metal cases of food thrown from the airship. Malmgren was a descendant of the Nordic soldiers of the seventeenth century, who let themselves be shot for those whom they served, though their term of service was expiring in a few hours. He left all the bear meat with us, and did not even take the peinmican to make up for it, taking only his personal share of pemmican and chocolate. I asked him whether I should take any message to Sweden. He said: “If you were a Swede I would ask you to take several greetings. You can’t have quite the same feelings as a fellow Swede.” f knew that he did not want me to write to his mother, as it would only increase her sufferings.

PACIFIC FLIER SUED

NEW YORK, August 15

The Associated Press to-night carries the following dispatch from Parisliill, Maine: The Pacific flier, Captain Lyon, will return home here with the only money that he made from the trans-I’aeifie flight, namely, six thousand dollars given him by Oakland friends, attached in a civil suit. “ I could not dare to see my father’s name,(Admiral Lyon, on a billboard. Captain Lyon declared when explaining his refusal of a twenty-week vaudeville contract at 2500 dollars per week. Mr Ordway sent Captain Lyon, while on the Southern Cross in the flight, many messages proposing cinema and other contracts on his return. Captain Lyon wirelessed his assent.

Captain Lyon also accepted his passage money from Mr Ordway, because lie was penniless at the completion of the flight. He had refused to accept a share of the purse presented to the Australian members of the crew. Mr Ordway met Lyon and W arner at Honolulu, and he presented the former with an expense hill lor 1700 dollars and he also unsuccessfully endeavoured to persuade Lvon to accept a vaudeville contract.

AVIATOR’S DEATH

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 16,

Major Carlo Delprete. the Italy-to-Brazil flier, died to-day from injuries suffered in the crash of August 7tli. His right leg was amputated yesterday.