R101 INQUIRY

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4527, 6 November 1930, Page 4

RlOl INQUIRY

London, Nov. 4

At the continuation of the inquiry into the Rl'ol disaster the evidence of several French eyewitnesses from Beauvais was taken. The witnesses generally agreed that the airship was flying Vow, horizontally rolling and dipping slightly. It nose-dived twice mid the lights went out after each dive and came on before the lire. Alfred Rabouille, who was rab-bit-poaching in the wood at the lime of the or ash, stated that the airship was Hying about GOO feet at a slight angle towards the earth. |<Yom there it dived more steeply, hut ti only dived once, and when it struck the ground it did not rebound. It flattened out and exploded. He added that it came down 275 yards from him. There was no breakage in mid-air before (lie fall.

Sir John Simon expressed the ,'pinion that the witnesses’ statements that the lights went out was probably due to the disappearance from view as the vessel turned its ;>ose into the wind.

The survivor, A. F. (Bell, gave evidence that he was in the aft car with M. Binks at 2.5 a.m. The ship made a dive lasting about 2'5 or 30 seconds, then got on an even keel for about live seconds, then dived again for about 20 seconds. He immediately received a telegraph message from the control car to go slow. He, had time to put the engine to slow before the airship struck the ground. When the vessel hit, there was a jerk, which was not violent. Then there was an explosion, and in a few seconds everything was surrounded by flames. The tanks burst, and the water came pouring over the passengers.