FURTHER BAD LUCK.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 191, 13 August 1931, Page 1

FURTHER BAD LUCK.

Nautilus Adrift Again in Arctic Seas. TROUBLE WITH ENGINES. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received August 13, 11.5 a.m.) TROMSOE, August 12. Sir Hubert Wilkins’s submarine Nautilus has experienced further bad luck. The pilv t who returned from taking the vessel to sea says that when she left Tromsoe, the Nautilus charged her accumulators, taking eight hours to do so. Then an oil valve on the port motor burst, causing more delay.

Yesterday the Nautilus was reported to be adrift in the Arctic. The engines suddenly stopped shortly after leaving Tromsoe. The crew worked all night in an attempt to effect repairs, and a later message said that the voyage had been resumed.

The unreliability of the engines of the Nautilus has given rise to fear as to the success of the attempt to cross the North Pole under water. It has already been announced, but not officially, that Sir Hubert Wilkins will not attempt the feat this year, but will carry out exploration work in the vicinity of Spitzbergen. When a steamer from Tromsoe bearing the Reception Committee and scores of fishing boats went out to escort Sir Hubert Wilkins’s submarine Nautilus to harbour, the vessel was found to be drifting owing to damage to her electric steering gear. After receiving assistance the Nautilus reached the quayside. The Nautilus broke down in midAtlantic on June 14 while on her way to begin her great adventure under the Polar ice. She was towed into Cork Harbour on June 23 with her bridge swept away and with many of her crew in a state of exhaustion.