THRILLING CHAPTER

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 11, 14 July 1928, Page 9

THRILLING CHAPTER

TRAGIC ARCTIC STORY , MALMGREN'S SACRIFICE Australian Press Association. LONDON, 13th July. ' The rescue by the Krassin adds another thrilling chapter to a tragic Arctic story, and accounts for all v the Italia's crew except those carriod away with tho envelope of the dirigible. It 'is'feared that'these perished through the",ship catching fire. Di\ Mairiigren's is the greatest act of heroism and self-sacrifice in the Polar regions since Captain Gates walked into a blizzard to die, is tho verdict of tho newspapers. Malmgren, weakened as the result of a broken hand when the Italia crashed, grew feebler, until came a morning when he found that both his legs were frozen. Mariano and. Zappi would have remained, but Malmgrcn implored them to leave him. Eeluctantly they consented, and he was left in the bitter loneliness of the Arctic, near Broch Island, to face the fate he had chosen in order that his friends' chance of safety might bo greater. Oates and Malingren both sacrificed their lives for their comrades, and faced death rather than be a burden. Mariano and Zappi clambered on an iceberg, which drifted with the wind, arid there they remained until rescued. They declared that during tho long ordeal they saw no fewer than eight airplanes, and nearly went mad because none noticed them. Another hero is Chukhnovsky, who sent a wireless message to the Krassin, after his forced landing: "Never mind me. Save my four companions." He added that he had rigged up wireless and found food caches.