Two Ice-Breakers Reach Marooned Explorers Moscow, Feb. 19.
All Russia to-day Is celebrating the rescue of the four intrepid Soviet scientists who, since February 1, have been precariously marooned Joe-floe in the Arctic region.
For almost a week the two Ice breakers, Murman and Taimyr, have been struggling desperately to' break through thick pack ice to take the expedition off their narrow drifting ledge.
To-day details of the rescue of the explorers show how the Taimyr and the Murman approached the Polar camp.
At 530 this afternoon the rescuers cast dice to decide which ship would have the honour of bringing the solentists back. 'The Murman " won for the expedition's leader, Df, Ivan 'Papanin, and the next in' rank, M. Krenkel, while MIN. Shirshov ' and Federov' were sent aboard the Taimyr.
The wireless message, which gave news of the rescue. did not mention the dog Vessely, and it was feared that he had perished in the gale three weeks ago, which forced the ice-field on which the expedition was camped to crack, thus severing them from their two bases and the storehouse, "The process of taking the campe off the floe occupied an hour and a half. Both ico-breakers then sailed for Murmansk, "Thousands in Moscow to-night] stened to special broadcasts. which enthusiastically rected the rescued Expedition.
Despite their acute discomfort and the imminent danger to their lives, the four solentists maneyed to save all their equipment and (o continue their meteorological observations dur~ ing their eighteen days of helpless
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