Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1231916
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"ITALIA" MISSING
WIDESPREAD ANXIETY
MESSAGES CEASE DURING STORM
Widespread anxiety is entertained in all quarters regarding the airship Italia, . from which no direct mess- ages have been received since Friday.
Messages from other sources say that the Italia has landed and is calling for help, but the whereabouts of Nobile are not known.
A steamer has been ordered out to conduct a search arid an aerial search is under consideration.
> It is also feared that the ship may be still in the air and drifting towards Siberia.
LONDON, Sunday.
Suspense as lo the fate of the Italia with a crew ol' IS men and a dos aboard continues.
The last tully authenticated wire- less from the airship' was received at T o'clock on Friday evening, but oar1« this morning two roundabout mes- sages reached London, transmitted reservedly.
One from Berlin states that the Oslo Meteorological Institute Intercepted a
Col. Nobile,
mutilated message lrom Nobile saying he had lapdod and was calling for help. The message dors not give Hie position, j It is rather strange that ""It
A second message comes front Vad earlUM-.__,_ , " ;"^w.^^¿^,.
w.here 'there ,woro plenty- of'.messages was not received direct from Oslo soo. that it is reported there that the Italia has sent a wireless for the sup- ply ship at 10.5 ion Saturday night. This was also unconfirmed.
It is clear that Nobile has met with hard luck for-tho journey to the pole was without incident. The storm was encountered on the return.
A message received at London throughout the day indicated the growing anxiety. A,wireless was setn from King's Pay seal hunting ship ofC North Spitzbergen, asking trap- pers wintering in the Roede Bay and Hanlopen Strait ' whether they have
seen the Italia, because Mossen Island, from which Nobile's last message was received, was only Vi miles away. Tim trappers replied that they had not neon anything because,- of the dense fog, nor heard anything because of
gale which would have drowned ti e noise tot' the motors.
A message from Oslo states that obviously if one of the Jtalia's motors» ceased, Nobile would bo unable to make King's Bay through the storm. It,is feared that he must now be be- ing blown helplessly towards Siberia. It is recalled that when Nobile ru i.urned fnom a previous voyage in the direction of Kran» Josef Land, the Italia had an ice coating weighing nearly a ton on it. Therefore, tlu possibility of its being forced down cannot bo ignore«, leo on the aerial
would account for the cessation of
messages.
.STIiAMKit OIUM3IÏED OUT.
The Amundsen airship Norgc mel a similar experience on the polar flight last year. The government has ordered the steamer Hobby, at present at Tanso, to proceed to Franz Josef Land. It is pointed out that if No- bile manages tio make a safe landing on firm ice, or Siberia, it may be seve- ral months before news is received.
. The party's only course will be to abandon the airship and make the journey afoot until they come in con-
tact with civilisation. The Italians are ill prepared to endure the rigors of Arctic life for prolonged periods.
The Vladsoo wireless station vainly endeavoured to get in touch willi the Italia'during tlie day.
A message from Copenhagen states that the crew of the Citta di Milanos worked foverishlyloading J50 tons of coal. ' The rael that the Italiu's pe- trol -is exhausted will not necessarily mcaii that' it will come down. On
the "other hand it could remain;"in Hu.
air. for, a week-possibly a fortnight.