ARCTIC EXPLORERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19346, 27 June 1925, Page 5

ARCTIC EXPLORERS

AMUNDSEN PARTY HONOURED BY NORAVAY.

Received June 26, 1G.45 p.m. OSLO, June, 25.

The King has conferred on Amundsen the Gold Medal for Good Citizenship. The order has only been conferred three times. Ellsworth has been created a Commander of Saint Olav and the others Knights of Saint Olav. PILOT’S DIARY. LONDON, June 25. Copyright. A wireless message from the Heimdal at Spitzbergen states that extracts from the diary of Dietrichsen, pilot of the second plane, complete Amundsen’s story of the Polar dash. They relate: “We were astonished at the extent and size of the pack ice when we began to descend, as everything had seemed better from above. Immediately we saw it would be exceedingly difficult to return, as the ice i was continually moving. AVe saw i where N 25 had landed, so we waited to see if it rose again, as we dared not leave our own plane, which was leaking seriously, and Omdal was repairing a jammed exhaust pipe. Throughout the night, Ellsworth and I were kept pumping, but at noon on May 23 we saw a flag flying two miles away which raised our-spirits. In the evening we communicated by means of flags and learnt that N 25 was frozen in 20 metres from the icc lane. AVe then tried to raise N 24 on to the ice flocs in order to avoid the tiring task of pumping as the, leakage was increasing. AVe succeeded in raising the plane on May 25, when Ellsworth and I tried to reach N 25, but wc turned back after seven hours’ march, realising that it was impossible. AVe were very exhausted. Finally wc reached N 25 on May 26. During the crossing Omdal and I were saved from drowning by the prompt rescue of Ellsworth. He is a sport. N 25 is now moored in a small bay at Spitzbergen, and is quite capable of future flights.”