A DESPERATE ADVENTURE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 143, 20 June 1925, Page 7

A DESPERATE ADVENTURE

AMUNDSEN'S THRILLING STORY

ONE AEROPLANE RESCUED FROM THE ICE,

'(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION COPYRIGHT.)'

(AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, 18fch June.

A copyright message from Captain Amundsen, on board tho Heimdal at Spitzbergen, says :—

"The aeroplanes left King's Bay on 21st May, with a load approximating three tons. On the way to Amsterdam Island tests were carried out on both aeroplanes, and were concluded satisfactorily, and hence, according to plans, the flight proceeded. Wo encountored fog at Sydgat, and so TOae to 3100 feet in order to navigate by the aid of our solar compasses. For the next two hours we flew continuously over fog, which we did not leave behind until 8 o'clock iv the evening. For the remainder of the journey the visibility was excellent.

"Observations at 10 o'clock showed that we were too far west, probably duo to north-east winds above the fog, but we could not possibly observe the deviation. ' Our course was then laid further east until 1 o'clock of the morning of 22nd May, when half our petrol Wa3 consumed. We therefore decided to attempt to descend in order to secure dciinite bearings, with a view to continuing the flight. We were then above a large lane in the ice, which was tho first of this size to be encountered. We llew lower, observing the sm-rouridin" ice and the danger of a sudden block in the ice lane. Ncl oneu during the trip had we seen a suitable place to land. Neither was there one here, a» we descended on the water in the ice lane.