THE R101 DISASTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4526, 4 November 1930, Page 1

THE RlOl DISASTER.

FURTHER DETAILS

SURVIVORS’ STORIES AT INQUIRY.

Rugby, Nov. 1

It whs announced in the iC'omiiions that all the widows and most of the children of the HIOI victims would be entitled to pensions. The secretary of the Air stated that the matter had received most sympathetic consideration and the regulations would not be interpreted in any narrow or grudging spirit. Professor Bairstow, continuing his evidence before the ItlOl inquiry, stated that the airworthiness airships panel, reached the conclusion that Rl'ol with the new bay, and taking into account the changes in the weights from the original design, satisfied the factors for safety as laid down by the panel. Engineer Cook said after midnight the gasbags seemed to be surging about more than he had hitherto noticed. He entered the engine ear at 2 o’clock. Everything was then O.K. Five minutes later the ship took up a diving attitude and the telegraph rang for reducing speed. As he went to turn the engine to slow the ship took a steep diving attitude. After he slowed up the engine lie looked out of the door and had become apprehensive that something serious was happening when the ship struck the ground. lie stopped the engines immediately and a second crash came followed by an explosion. Some seconds occurred betweeu the lirsl; and second striking of the ground. The ship seemed to rebound after the. first bump. The second impact and explosion were suniultaiicous.

Henry Leech, foreman engineer and a not her survivor, attributed the rolling and pitching to the weather. lie. was sitting on a settee in the smoke room when the ship look a sleep angle lit) to degrees. He slid up against the forward bulkhead for about; t lireo-quarters of a minute. She continued to dive and then straightened again. He replaced the glasses which fell off the table when she dived again at a slightly less angle than before. Just before the ship started the second dive lie heard the telegraph hell. About two seconds before .-die struck and sumultaneously with the. impact the lights went out and within perhaps a second there was a Hash of (lame. There was not a violent; explosion, just a “wno.lt” rather like petrol bursting info llames.

Another survivor, Engineer Savory, wilo was in charge of the starboard midship car, describing I lie crash, sa id everything seemed to occur at once. There was a rumbling and a crushing and he was tossed about inside the ear. His engine was still running at cruising speed and he had no telegraph asking him to switch off. lie heard no explosion. There was a vivid Hash which penetrated the door of the car scorching his face and practically dazing him. He got out by climbing over the girders.

-Dislev said he turned in at 9 pan. and got up again -at 9.45 owing to the lights having “tripped.” The ship was in darkness. He attended to the lights and then went to the control tower. At 10 p.nt. he saw Atherstone take the elevator wheel from the coxswain. The altimeter was then recording 900 feet and Atherstone pulled it up to 1000 ft. He told the coxswain not to let her -get below 1000 ft. Disley added that the airship’s first dip awakened him. The chief coxswain came to the switchboard and said: “We are down.” -He did not seem to he excited, but gave the impression that he was warning them to leave. Immediately, however, there came the linal dive and llie explosion occurred. He heard a number of explosions, but the lirst was the worst.

Sir Joliu Simon remarked that Lhe coxswain’s remark suggested that the people in the control room knew that the airship was doomed even before the linal clip occurred. The inquiry resumes on Monday.