Salt Lake Telegram | 1938-02-14 | Page 2 | Ship's Planes Poise for Dash to Rescue Four from Floe

Ships Ship's Planes Poise for Dash DashTo DashTo To Rescue Four From Floe MOSCOW Feb 14 UP The UP-The The icebreaker landed two airplanes on an improvised ice floe airfield today seeking to reach four Russian scientists isolated on the the ice a few miles off the Green Green- I I I 4 land coast The sought to blast its way yard by yard through the ice jam with dynamite So thick was the ice that yesterday only yards was made and then the master decided to try the planes Working throughout the night under under under un un- un- un der searchlights whose rays were visible to the scientists the Tai- Tai mir's mm's crew made ready for the takeoff and this morning they were out on the ice At 10 p. p m. m Saturday the was 20 miles from the floe At noon yesterday after 14 hours of constant constant constant con con- stant fighting the icebreaker had hac made five miles and was 15 miles from the floe For several days the four men on the ice floe had been able at moments moments moments mo mo- ments to see the Greenland coast to the west but when they saw the first white flash from the icebreakers icebreaker's ers er's searchlight they had their first real contact with the world since on May 22 last they were landed by airplane at the north pole to establish establish establish lish the first polar weather station The men on the floe are Professor sor son Ivan D. D leader Ernest T. T Krenkel wireless operator Pyotr and Eugene Fe- Fe Breakup Perils Peril Party They had volunteered to establish establish establish lish a weather station at the top of the world and remain for one year to study meteorological conditions in order to enrich knowledge of science science sd- sd ence not only as regards transpolar transpolar transpolar trans- trans polar airplane service between Russia and the United States but butas butas butas as regards weather conditions in a large part of ot the northern hemisphere hemi hemi- sphere They found within a few days that their hope of a permanent north pole station was vain The great ice floe on which they established their base began floating steadily south south- ward It pursued a course zigzagging zigzagging zigzagging zigzag zigzag- ging somewhat but always in a southerly direction of more than 1000 miles mUes Several weeks ago the floe began breaking At first there was no concern concern concern con con- cern breakage was to be expected But the floe broke more and more Hurricane winds whistled over th the area Ice floes a mile mUe or more in length broke up separated smashed together in ln a churning mass The danger became considerable Part of the equipment was lost then part of the food the silken tent in which the four scientists were staying had to be abandoned