NOBILE RESCUED

Southland Times, Issue 20522, 26 June 1928, Page 7

NOBILE RESCUED

Swedish Plane Lands

Wonderful Aviation Feat

Explorer Badly Injured

Rushed to Relief Ship

(United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, June 24. A message from King’s Bay states that the landing of the Swedish aeroplane Upland was a masterpiece of aeronautical skill owing to shifting ice which was splitting rapidly, icefloes weighing many tons being tossed about like corks. During the excitement of the Upland’s landing, General Nobile was struck by ice, bones in his leg being shockingly broken. His condition made it essential for him to be rushed to the Quest, though his companions had to be left behind.—Australian Press Association.

OFFICIAL REPORT SECOND LANDING ATTEMPTED. MACHINE OVERTURNS. (Rec. 9 p.m.) Rome, June 25. Official: During the night of the 23rd and 24th a Swedish plane fitted with runners made a bold landing near General Nobile, who was taken to Hinpolen Straits, whence another Swedish plane took him to Virgo Bay. where he was placed on board the Citta di Milano. The Swedish aeroplane again approached General Nobile's party in the daytime, but overturned in making a difficult landing. The pilot was uninjured. —Australian Press Association. ANOTHER MEMBER RESCUED. (Rec. 9 p.m.) Rome, June 25. A Swedish aeroplane rescued a second member of the Italia’s crew, who is now on board the Citta di Milano.—Australian Press Association. NOBILE’S CONDITION SERIOUS. London, June 24. A message from King's Bay reports that General Nobile broke his leg when the Swedish aeroplane landed. He is now on board the Quest and his condition is believed to be serious.—Australian Press Association. RESCUE WORK PROCEEDING. Stockholm, June 24. The Defence Ministry says that Tornberg, head of the Swedish expedition, wirelessed: ‘‘Nobile saved. Rescue work continues.”— Australian Press Association. CO OPERATIVE EFFORTS. Rome, June 24. An official announcement states that the Citta di Milano is going northward 60 miles in order to be in closer touch with the Swedish rescuers. New flights are being made in conjunction with the Swedish and Finnish airmen to cover a wider field in the search for the portion of the Italia’s crew who remained with the airship. There is no further news of the missing marchers.— Australian Press Association.

WHAT OF AMUNDSEN? FAINT SIGNALS HEARD. King’s Bay, June 24. The ice-breaker Malygin reports that it picked up weak wireless signals which it is suggested may be from Captain Amundsen. If so, Captain Amundsen must be within 60 miles, as neither he nor the ice-breaker are able to speak more than that distance.— Australian Press Association. General Nobile first came into the public eye when, as Commander of the airship Norge, he cruised with Captain Raold Amundsen and Lincoln Ellsworth in a flight from Spitzbergen to Alaska across the North Pole, there being 17 people all told on the airship. The total distance travelled on that occasion was 2700 miles, the voyage occupying 71 hours. The journey was quite successful, but on their return to civilization there was a disagreement between General Nobile and Captain Amundsen over the responsibility for the successful conclusion of the flight, and since then the two have worked entirely apart. The Nobile-Amund-sen party, however, were really forestalled in their flight, as Captain Wilkins, since knighted by the King, flew from Spitzbergen across the North Pole and back just previously. Captain Amundsen and General Nobile continued their flight, maintaining that the airship would allow them to make scientific observations under conditions which would not be possible in an airplane. General Nobile’s praise for Captain Wilkins at the time was not entirely whole-hearted, as was to be expected under the circumstances, and he hinted that the fact that the Australian did not notice land was no proof that there is no large island or continent between Alaska and Spitzbergen. General Nobile’s present venture, in which he sought to prove his contention, has ended with disaster, a happening which was forecasted by those cognisant with Polar conditions, on the ground that he was leaving too late in the summer for long distance flights in the vicinity of the North Pole. General Nobile started from Rome, and during his journey to Spitzbergen passed through Friedrichshaven, Leningrad, and Vadso. He proposed to do a number of systematic explorations over the Polar regions, particularly along the coast of Siberia, for which he had obtained special permission from the Soviet Government.