FURTHER REPORTS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 124, 28 May 1928, Page 9

FURTHER REPORTS

CALLS FOR HELP .SAID TO HAVE LANDED Australian Press Association. (Received 28th May, 11 a.m.) LONDON, 27th May. Suspense as to the fate of the Italia, with a crew of eighteen and a dogaboard, continues. The last fully authenticated wireloss message from thO' airship was timed 7 o'clock Friday evening, but early this morning two roundabout messages reached London, transmitted reservedly. One- from Berlin says that the Oslo Meteorological Institute intercepted a mutilated message from General Nobile, , saying that he landed and calling for help. Tho message does npt give any position. It is rather strange that this was not received direct from Oslo, from whence plenty of messages were received earlier. The second message is from Vadsoe, stating that it was reported thoro that the Italia had sent a wireless message for a supply ship at 10.5 o'clock on Saturday night. This is also unconfirmed from Oslo. Obviously, if one of the Italia's motors ceased running,' General Nobile would be unable- to make King's' Bay through a storm. It is feared that he must now being blown helplessly towards Siberia. > It is recalled that when the airship returned from a previous voyage in the direction of Franz Josef Land, it had an ice-coating weighing nearly a ton, therefore the possibility of being forced down cannot be ignored. An ice-cover-ed aerial would account for the cessation of messages. The Government has ordered the steamer Hobby, at present at Tromso, to proceed to Franz Josef Land. It is pointed out that if General Nobile manages to make a safe landing on firm ice, oi win Siberia, it may be several months beforo news is received. The party's only course would be to abandon the airship and journey on foot until contact was made with civilisation. The Italians are ill-pre-pared to endure the rigours of Arctic life for a prolonged period. A message from Vadsoe says that wireless, stations are trying all day long to get in touch with the Italia, but in vain..