GRIM ARCTIC TRAGEDY.

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 18986, 1 July 1933, Page 20 (Supplement)

GRIM ARCTIC TRAGEDY.

AGONISING SUFFERINGS. SHIPWRECKED MEN’S PLIGHT. Grim details of a tragedy in the Arctic Ocean were revealed when a Norwegian scaling vessel, the Ringsael, readied TTomsoe with three shipwrecked men in a pitiable condition.

They were the sole survivors of the crew, numbering about 33, of the Rouslan, a Russian ship, lost about April 26 in a storm of Svalbard. The men were found, frozen almost stiff and nearly dead, in one of the Rouslan’s lifeboats, which was sighted on May 1. some distance off South Cape Svanlbard. Two were unconscious, but the third was just capable of waving his hand. Tliore was also tiie dead body ol’ a fourth man. Careful nursing gradually brought

the throe baok to life, but then it was feared It would be necessary to amputate both legs of two of tho men. Protected by a Corpse. The condition of tho third was less serious as he was able to obtain a little protection from the body of his dead companion. One of the survivors, the Rouslan’s first officer, said that when their ship was wrecked five men, including the captain and the engineer, entered tlie lifeboat. High seas swept over them and necessitated constant baling as they drifted before Ih e storm with the thermometer showing 20 degrees of frost. Uu the second day the engineer

died, but they were too weak to throw him overboard. Feeling that there was no hope, the captain distributed cartridges and suggested that they should commit suicide, but they refused to do so. The captain, however, shot himself through the head and fell overboard. Gradually the others lost consciousness and they knew nothing more until they found themselves aboard the Ringsael.