BURNED TO DEATH

Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1930, Page 3

BURNED TO DEATH

(United Press Association — By Electric

Telegraph —Copyright)

LONDON, L'bh. 10.

Two were killed and three were injured when the French Air Union ’plane made a, forced landing at Mar(ien, emergency ground in Kent, and burst inio 11. lines, the result of an explosion of spirit. The two dead ■ are: A. Dodges and his wife, who were married on February 5 in the Wesleyan Chimb, Kheerness. They went to Paris by air for their honeymoon, whence they wore returning. Roth belong Lo Khedrness. Hodge was formerly a. schoolmaster in the Royal Navy, and recently returned from New Zealand, where lie served two and a, half years’in the cruiser Dunedin’. Ho was appointed schoolmaster at Kin it ley on his wedding (lav.

LONDON, Feb. 11

Hugh Ourzon, a survivor of the aeroplane tragedy, said: “Alter our departure ’ from Le Bourget, the engine began misfiring. The plugs were changed, and tile journey was resumed. Then there was trouble duo to the tail of tho plane. Pilot Lesoiillior told us that this i* ecssitatcci our descending, ail’d that he hoped to get down safely. There was lio panic. When tho crash came, I. was standing up. 1 was thrown semi-conscious. .1 came round with a great effort ol will. I saw tho flames and climbed out.” Eye witnesses s'tale that the tail of the plane was Happing when flic, liner crashed.

The leach,ef iHbd,ge?< wus badi.V burned, and the woman s body was only identified by. her' bangle.-, ' She was only t wenty-one years of'age.' She was so thrilled by a loimi'i aii Hip ilia', slie determined to go .'on her lioneyino u hy air, so that hoi husband a iso should have the experience.

After Hying well from Paris, the plains s' ddeiily developed trouble over 'Kent. The pilot endeavoured to mak< a. him ding in Hie snow-covered fields, hut the plane dropped direct into a farmer’s paddock. Dim eye witness declares that lie saw the machine (lying low, it being apparently out of control, for its nose shot into the air. and its tail downward; b”t oven when it was fifty feet from the ground, ; Jt, appealed .. ns though it would lie 'righted. Then it seemed to collapse, and it bmst info flames as soon as it touched the

ground. Hugh Ciirzon, the survivor, reveals that the air liner h"d returned to Re ri-.-roM soon alter leaving Paris, as the engine was misfiring. Nevertheless, ln> does not lielieve that emdiu' trouble eaus-d the accident. 'Hie tail coni i"'l appeared to go wrong.

It is reported that, AT. lardiou (Frcimli Premier) y would ha ve been ••board, on Ids return to the Naval Coiif Tcnee. if he had not been delated l.v a Cabinet meeting.