TO THE POLE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 221, 16 August 1928, Page 7

TO THE POLE

ITALIA’S FATEFUL FLIGHT.

OBSERVATION IN ICY WASTES,

PROFESSOR’S STORY. (United Press Association.—By Electria Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Times Cables.) LONDON, Aug. 14. In a copyright message to the. Times, describing the final disastrous flight o'f the Italia, Professor Francis Behounek, tho Czecho-Slovakian scientist who participated in it, states: “Within a quarter of an hour of the start of our tragic voyage we were oyer tho sea flying in a north-west direction on tlio north-eastern coast of Greenland, which ..hitherto had been unexplored. General Nobile supervised the steering, in which Mariano, Zappi, Yiglieri and Ceccioni took turns. The cabin was crowded with technical equipment. “I pitied Lago, the Italian journalist. Lago was scarcely allowed to move for fear that lie might knock something over of interfere with observations. It must have been very monotonous for anyone not concentrating on navigation or scientific observation. “For ten hours wo were sailing along with the blue sky of the unceasing polar day above us. There was nothing to break the monotony. “About five p.m. on May 23 wo approached tho coast of Greenland. The prevailing fog thinned and disappeared. Before us rose the coastal icebergs of Greenland. “We flew along the Greenland coast for about half an hour, photographing and observing. Shortly before six o’clock, Greenwich time, we started toward the Pole.

“At nine o’clock fog showed, but wd rose above it and at 11.30 p.m. wo reached tlio Pole, where we descended below the fog to obtain a clearer view.

“SAD, ENDLESS EXPANSE.” “Below us spread a grey, sad, endless expanse ol polar ice cleft by long, winding channels appearing from above like dark coloured bands on the monotonous surface. The spot where all meridians meet, which has claimed the sacrifice of so many inquiring adventurous men, presented a melancholy, depressing scene. “But we had no time for meditation and dreaming. We had to concentrate on our instruments while others prepared to drop the Italian flag and the Pope’s cross. It was originally intended to drop men on tho ice in a small pneumatic boat suspended from the cabin door. The boat would hold ono at a time. It was intended that Mariana, Malmgren and Pontremoli should descend, taking instruments for oceanographic observations. A tent, sleeping bags, food and other necessaries were prepared in readiness, but the wind, although not dangerous to the airship, made descent impossible. “We therefore had to confine ourselves to observations from the ship. Pontremoli observing the earth’s magnetic field and I the atmospheric electricity. Pontremoli handed notes to General Nobile and these have been preserved. But all the rest of liis work was lost, when ho was killed in the crash.

“We circled the Pole for two hours. The gramophone played the Fascist Hymn. The crew shouted : Viva Italia 1 and cheered. General Nobile emptied a bottle of brandy before leaving.”