LAST SEARCH PLANNED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 402, 10 July 1928, Page 1

LAST SEARCH PLANNED

Forlorn Hope for Amundsen KRASSIN BREAKS PROPELLER Ice-Breaker Drifting Eastward (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian P.A.— United Service) Reed. 10.15 a.m. LONDON, Monday. A MESSAGE from King's Bay, Spitzbergen, states that a conference of the commanders of the Citta Di Milano and the French and Swedish cruisers has planned a concerted search, which will be abandoned if there is no trace of Captain Roald Amundsen in a fortnight.

The big Russian ice-breaker Krassin has broken her propeller and damaged ber rudder, and is drifting eastward. The Central News Stockholm correspondent states that Lieutenant Tornberg, leader of the Swedish expedition, has reported to the Ministry that it is impossible that anything further could be done for the airship Italia’s missing men. He thinks those carried off in the airship have now perished, as well as Professor Malmgren’s trekking trio, nor is it possible to reach General Nobile’s party by air. The only hope for them is from the Krassin. An earlier message from Virgo Bay. Spitzbergen, says Signor Ceccioni, engineer of the Italia, was dead when the Swedish airman, Captain Lundborg, was taken off the ice-floe on Thursday. All the marooned men were weakened when the latter landed and could not chew their pieces of pemmican. They looked

like skeletons. Later they became strong enough to assist Lundborg to prepare a runway for his airplane. The men with Professor Malmgren are Commandants Mariano and Zappi. The Italia had 17 men aboard, including General Nobile. The gondola, containing Nobile and nine others, broke away, and they were cast away on the ice. Two had broken legs. The remaining seven, scientists, journalists, enginemen and a fitter, were carried away on the airship’s envelope. The party broke up, three men (Professor Malmgren, Commandant Mariano and Commandant Zappi) trekking away over the ice, toward the steamer Hobby. That left Nobile and six others. Death removed one of the six, Signor Ceceioni, an engineer, and Nobile himself was rescued. The main hope of those left behind, under the command of Signor Viglieri, was the ice-breaker Krassin, but now she is crippled. Of the rescuers, it seems that four are dead. It is surmised that Captain Sora was devoured by polar bears. Captain Roald Amundsen, Major Guilband and Lieutenant Dietrichson are missing, and hope for them has almost been abandoned. Thus a score of livesS are still despaired