GHASTLY ARCTIC STORY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 415, 25 July 1928, Page 9

GHASTLY ARCTIC STORY

Italian Commandants Alleged to Have Eaten Malmgren’s Body

A GRISLY MYSTERY (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (United Service) LONDON, Tuesday. GHASTLY stories are in circulation about the fate of the Swedish scientist, the late Professor Malmgren, who, with Commandants Zappi and Mariano, trekked across the ice in the Arctic after the disaster to the airship Italia.

A message from Copenhagen says a private telegram to a newspaper at Oslo, Norway, states that the utterances of Zappi when he was on board the Russian ice-breaker Krassin were of a most wandering character. His statement that he w T as without food for 16 days surprised the physician on the Krassin, who said he considered three days more probable, in view of Zappi’s physical and mental condition. The state of Commandant Mariano was such, however, that it was feared he would not survive. When the Russians landed on the Ice-floe from the Krassin they asked Zappi where Professor Malmgren was. Zappi pointed a few yards away, but there was no sign of Malmgren. Zappi then stated that Malmgren had been left on Broch’s Island. The Russians replied that they would seek him there. Zappi made the response: ‘‘That is not the way, either. He remained behind on the ice.” TERRIBLE RUMOURS The Copenhagen correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says the newspaper “Folkets Avis” has received a telegram from Oslo announcing that rumours are in circulation that Zappi and Mariano ate Malmgren’s body, which accounts for the mystery surrounding their trek across the ice. In Oslo it is also rumoured that Zappi became ill following upon serious charges in connection with Malmgren. The Krassin’s physician expressed the opinion that Zappi had been without food for three days when he was rescued and Mariano five days. The correspondent of a Moscow newspaper, who is on board the icebreaker Krassin at Spitsbergen, says that when Commandant Zappi was rescued he was wearing some of the late Professor Malmgren’s clothes. The crew of the Italia and the members of the Krassin expedition are greatly excited about the mystery of the professor’s end. AIRMAN’S STORY The Russian airman. Captain Chuknovsky, who sighted the Malmgren party before the Krassin rescued them, says :“I circled round the camp several times to fix its locality. I did not drop any of my small food supply because the ice-block on which the camp stood was so small that the food might not have reached its des- | tination. “My fellow travellers agree that I there were two men on the Ice-block.

One waved a handkerchief. A third figure in the form of a capital A lay on the ice a few yards distant. I then flew back to the Krassin.” Captain Chuknovsky’s mechanic corroborates the report that a third man was seen on the ice with outstretched arms. Reports from Rome deny that Commandant Mariano is dead. It had previously been stated that Professor Malmgren’s body had been recovered. A cablegram on July 12 said:— The members of the expedition on board the Russian ice-breaker Krassin have rescued the whole of the surviving members of General Nobile’s party from the ice-floe, where they had been marooned since the disaster to the airship Italia on May 24. A message from Moscow says the first to be picked up were Commandants Mariano and Zappi. The Swedish scientist, Professor Malmgren, had been dead a month. The three men left General Nobile’s camp soon after the disaster to walk across the ice in search of the steamer Hobby. . . . Mariano and Zappi were cheerful, although they said they had not eaten food for 13 days. They were placed on board the Krassin, which then proceeded to the rescue of the party under Commander Viglieri, who were on the ice 20 miles away. The two rescued men were half frozen and exhausted when they were found. They said they had abandoned hope. One of Mariano’s legs is useless. Professor Malmgren’s body was taken on board the ice-breaker. NOBILE’S FAILURE DUCE DEFENDS HIM COURAGE EXALTED Times Cable. LONDON , Monday. The Rome correspondent of “The Times” reports that the Italian Prime Minister, Signor Mussolini, in announcing an eventual inquiry into General Nobile's Arctic expedition, informed the Cabinet that before definitely forming a judgment it was necessary to wait until the drama had reached its epilogue. “We must protest against the wave of inhumanity and hostility against the leaders of the unfortunate enterprise. The members of the expedition have shown courage deserving of universal respject. Only when all possible human researches have been made to trace the other victims of the disaster will a regular inquiry into all its phases be instituted. “That inquiry will be held in Italy by Italians. Any other hypothesis is absurd and offensive, and will be immediately rejected.” Signor Mussolini thanked all who had assised in the rescue work, particularly the Russian expedition on the Krassin. He concluded by paying a tribute to the heroism of the late Professor Malmgren, who died on the icefloe.