FEVER STRICKEN

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 162, 11 July 1928, Page 7

FEVER STRICKEN

LOST EXPLORERS.

PITIFUL STORY.

Dire Hardships Of Italians

Crew.

ENGINEER'S AWFUL DEATH.

(Australian and N.Z. Press Association.)

(Received 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, Julv 10.

A British United Press message from Virgo Bay says that Captain Lundborg states that all of Signor Viglieri's party are fever stricken. There is also, he said, a great scarcity of food, as a large part of the supplies that were dropped to the castaways from aeroplanes fell in the sea or out of their reach.

Signor Cecioni's death was pitiful. After Captain Lundborg had rescued Cecioni's five companions he carried hiin to an iceflow in order that he might be the first rescued when Lundborg returned.

Unfortunately, Captain Lundborg crashed, and Signor Cecioni was tco heavy to be carried back to the camp, mid so was left in the open all night. His wounds froze, and death followed.

The search for Professor Malmgrem's party, which set out to trek across the ice, and Captain Sora, the missing Swedish aviator, has been definitely abandoned.

The original disaster, in which the Italia was wrecked, was due to the fabric of the dirigible being lacerated at the stern, and thus the airship lost her steerage. When the rudder would nut act the motors were stopped because of the fear of fire.

When the crash came all the Italians on the ice thought it best to die, and ■o crept into their sleeping bags. However, this mood changed on the third day, when a polar bear approached?

Professor Ma lin pre m, who had the solitary revolver the party possessed, shot the beast at a distance of fifteen feet, using five cartridges. The meat was cut off with sci&sors, and cooked by means of solidified alcohol. For many nights bears came up and sniffed at the sleeping bags.

DESPAIRING.

Rescue So Near And Ye? So Far. PITIFUL PLIGHT. (Australian Press Assn.—United Service.) LONDON, July 10. A message from Oslo, Norway, says the sealer Braganza has left there for the north to search for Signor Viglieri and his party on the ice. It is hoped that she will reach the three men before the end of the month. The correspondent of the British United Press Association at Virgo Bay. Spitzbergen, says despair is forcing Signor Vigiieri and his companions into a black, suicidal mood. Atmospheric disturbances have made wireless communications with them impossible for two days.

The last message from Sergeant Biaggi, the wireless operator, said: "We ■re losing courage and becoming increasingly despondent. We urge you to rush help to us. Our discourage, ment is due to the fact that rescue is go near and yet so far. This is causing us to become embittered.

"We are haggard and unkempt. Our canvas tent affords us very poor protection."

Captain Lundborg says there is a constant fight by the castaways against the temptation to leave their camp and try to reach the coast, which .can be seen by them clearly silhouetted in a tantalising manner against the southern sky. Such a march, however, would be tantamount to suicide.

SILENCE NOT OMINOUS.

MUTINY HUMOURS FLOUTED.

(By Telegraph—F rets Association.)

GISBORNE, this day.

In a wireless broadcast from the "New York Times," received by Mr. Ivan O'Meara, it was stated that official communications from Rome intimate that the silence of the Italia's stranded cicw is not regarded as ominous. The reforted death of Signor Cessioni, the talia's engineer, is denied, and although it is admitted that the men are greatly distressed and in need of encouragement the rumours of mutiny and attempts at suicide are strenuously discredited.