AIRSHIP DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1930, Page 5

AIRSHIP DISASTER

TOUCHING SCENES.

REMOVING THE DEAD.

FRENCH TRIBUTES.

(United 'Press Association—By Electric ' / Telegraph.—Copyright:)

(Received 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, October 7. Touching scenes at Beauvois niiirked ’the start of the last journey of the . airship/ victims;.': Tlie 'simple townsfolk were /poignantly overwhelmed with grief‘as the’ tweiity-four munition waggon's removed the coffins, to the rail-why'-station from the Town Hall.. Each /waggon,; drawn by four horses, and escOrtedvhy seven infantrymen, drew up at,ah' improvised chapel. The coffins were placed' 6n vehicles covered with . Übion Jacks and flowers.

• 7 :i Thfe solemn siltince was only broken ■ byftlie booming of the salute of 1.01 guns. '. Two thousand troops saluted and every head was bared as the waggons took the places’ in' the cortege, which- was led by a column of , Freiich ; cavolVyi : preceding Algerian Spahis ill picturesque .flowing robes and bizarre , tarbooshes, and a military band. Then followed the long pathetic procession of/Waggons -with their tragic blirdellS, Three of the survivors, Leech, Biliks arid still /swathed in bandage's fol- ; . • lo^d. Tlieil the" Anglo-French i'ejjre-. Bentatives, long procession of French inTfchtry,' gentiiirtherie and local eociOtV* [■'' .. j l .;j ThOusnnds stood hi the rain at the railivay.jtation.' as the coffins were pjkicr ed/oti.'floors of the vans and the doors' sealed, The train departed; for Boulogne , where a violent Channel gale is holding upYthe French’ ’ naval 1 escort. ' .‘/ ’ A ! ;;maj6rity of the victims’ relatives has assented to.the Air Ministry’s suggestion. for a common burial piace and a memorial at Cardingtoh, owing to the : impossibility of a complete identi-. fication. - ‘”-. i A MEMORIAL. (Received this day at 11.30 a.m.) "t , 'NEW YORK, October 7. ... 1 KingsMountain' ‘Splith' Carolina . state j:'/ the.; bonds ; of’ friendship of the \ United; States' , and Britain; a inemor-. ial vyas..dedicated here to-day to Colonel'Patrick . Ferguson, British Com-.' mauder,- who was slain in the revolutionary battle'here. . ; • f'. i FUNERAL ON FRIDAY. . • ■ RESULT OF EXADITNATION y. iq i<’ -i/i• . prpv ! this day at 1.5 p.m.) ‘' < ' -LjONDON, October 7. 'The victims of RlOl will be given aiPUblicyfdheraJv; After lying in state /'*“• Hall /thty: frJIUW placed oh a train for: I Cardingthny th« ticenrof the airship’s V construction,; where they; will be in. terred -in St, Mary’s Churchyard, ' A • message frora : Beauvois states; it isyfinderstood -that up to- the • present,. nothing has been found to show that the airship • had any structural defect.; . Itiis. furthei; learned,. om good authority, -'that pieces of wreckage brought;; in a ; few miles from, the scene, are souvenirs dropped by collectors, soon after,, the crashHl; :. ... : ..Various parts. of the wreckage, toff therewith viwo midship \ v which, remarkable to state, are practically intact, will be shipped to England; for detailed examination. A search of the debris is still .proceeding and it, is hoped that official documents, and even the log hook,, may be found. ,