THE POLE AND DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20071, 8 October 1928, Page 12

THE POLE AND DEATH.

AIRMEN TO THE RESCUE. LARSEN'S GALLANT FLIGHTS. UNEXPECTED LANDING GROUND. NOBILE'S DEPARTURE'S BY Tltt. FRANCIS BEHOTJNEK. (All Rights Reserved.) No. VIII. The first fliers came in the second half of June. They were lliiser Larsen and Lutzow Holm. We saw them on June 14 for tho first time, in the night hours and far off. Later they started again several times, and we saw them every time. I,arson even started twice alone with his little plane with its modest radius of action—a fact that by itself speaks the highest praise for an airman, especially for one knowing the dangers of the polar ice and of landing on it so well as Larsen, who in 1925 piloted Amundsen's Dornier-Wal aeroplane on its flight to the North Pole, and, with his comrades, cheated dentil only by a narrow margin. The icefield which Trojnni arid Biagi found on one of their searches for provisions that might possibly not yet have been used up, about 300 yards away from our camp, rnado Lundborg's landing possible. It was nothing short of wonderful to find, in tho chaos of upheaved ico cakes and tho tremendously rugged surface of this polar field, such a level stretch of ice. It was elliptical in form, about 350 yards long, and 200 yards wide in tho middle. Wo telegraphed the news immediately fo the Cilt.a di Milano, but the only aeroplane equipped with skis at that moment available on Spilzbergen was Lundborg's Fokker. The Fokkor Overhead. ft was 11 o'clock in tho evening on Juno 24 when, for the first time after our month's stay on the ico we had an opportunity of speaking again with a human being from Ihe out side world. L am sure that this was for us all the most thrilling moment of our lives since the destruction of tho Italia. Certainly none of us will ever forget the sight of Lundborg's Fokker as it circled above our camp like a giant bird. Its motor sang a song of liberation from our polar imprisonment. Involuntarily tho thought came, how easily, how quickly, how simply one could now be carried away from' this lonesome region back lo our fellow men. And then Lnndborg started with our general, the first man to be freed from this icy imprisonment, never imagining how dearly he would have to pay for it. And not one of us imagined it. Otherwise wo should not have urged the general to go; but tho severely injured man whom wo all 'loved wanted to stay. This is not, however, tho lime to go into the controversies about Nobile's departure. Justice lor Nobile. But there is one matter to which attention should here be drawn. An airship of the same typo as the Italia, with the same technical equipment, but less well equipped scientifically, made in 1924, under the name Norge, a trip of 14,000 kilometres without an accident, and if that airship had found a hangar at the end of its flight in Alaska it would still be flying to-day. At that time the whole world praised it, and its constructor — Nobile. This time the same type of airship, under the name Italia, had bad luck. It was wrecked after two polar flights in which 8000 kilometres were flown entirely in polar regions, and 2000 of these kilometres over hitherto unexplored territory. The scientific material, of great value, was for the greater part saved, but none the lesj widespread criticism has been levelled at its commander, whose unhappiness at losing half of his crew was already great enough. Jt is true, of course, that our rescue came from tho outside world, and that the ice-breaker Krassin on which we had from the beginning pinned our unspoken and almost unconscious hopes, was more favoured by good fortune than the others who set out to rescue us. At great speed, it left the harbour of Leningrad, where ii was lying after having completed its winter's work, with a picked crow taken from the crews of all the 25 Russian icebreakers. It stopped in Bergen only long enough to coal, and started with the greafc-st vigour on its enterprise of charity and glory. Krassin's Wonderful Voyage. And here I want to diverge for a moment. At the time when (ho powerful Italian hydroplanes came to King's Bay, and eight aeroplanes were assembled ii; for our assistance, the general had a prophetic idea. It occurred to him I hat his fellow countrymen might place too great faith in the aircraft, and hence reject the help of the Russians with (hanks, llenco he sent a special telegram to the Cilia di Milano, warning them against dispensing with tho help of tho Krassin. This is not the place to describe in detail the Krassin's wonderful voyage—there will bo oportunity for that in another place—but I should like now to express again my thanks to the leader of tho expedition, ■ Professor Samoilovitcli, to his representative, Captain Cras, to Captain Oggi, and to the whole crew of the Krassin. All risked their lives in a manner demanding tho highest admiration. For the Krassin had to overcome very serious ice-obstacles in waters whose depth was not known, and, even with damaged screws and rudder, forged steadily ahead And all those who came to our rescue knew perfectly well that if anything happened to thenr there would bo no salvation, for where the Krassin failed no other ice-breaker in tho world could hope to succeed. Tho Saddest Chaptor. Amundsen, Guilbaud, Ditrichson, do Cuborvillc, Valetlo, Brasy, tho six heroes who disapearod with tho hydroplane Latham when they hastened to our aid—theirs is perhaps tho saddest chapter in tho wholo story of Nobilo's polar expedition. In tho red tent their names were constantly in our mouths; in them, in Amundsen's lucky star, wo again and again • affirmed our hope; and timo and again wo railed at tho injustico of fato to those who are willing to do most for others I gladly concludo this record of gratitude for our rcscuo with a reference to one of my comrades in the "red tent," who, although I name him last, is by no means tho last of my memories or tho last, in the list of our rescuers. I refer to our telegraphist Biagi, the non-commis-sioned officer, a simple, friendly soul, a true comrade, and a splendid worker. There was a moment when ho despaired of the value of his efforts. Foi five days after the crash the wireless brought us no word of hopo, and when Mariano and Zappi left us Biagi wanted to go too. But he remained and worked magnificently, nor ever regretted his decision. He was a fine comrade, tireless, and always of good will. I am proud that ho should bo one that calls 1110 by my name. (Concluded.)