BLAZING WRECKAGE

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 428, 8 May 1937, Page 5

BLAZING WRECKAGE

FLIGHT’S TRAGIC ENDING I Miraculous Escapes Press Association—Copyright. New York, May 6. The Hindenburg fell in a blazing mass of wreckage which it was 1 impossible immediately to penetrate. Nurses and doctors summoned from many New York hospitals stood by helplessly while the hot debris 1 was being searched. The ship only a few moments before had triumphantly circled the city escorted by many aeroplanes, honouring the first of the season’s trans-Atlantic flights. Many of the survivors were burned or injured or both. They were taken to hospitals at Lakehurst or nearby communities. It is believed at least half are critically injured. The clothing was burned completely from several of them. The three children aboard all escaped. The flames were extinguished at midnight but the embers were so hot that it was impossible to complete the search of the bodies. Captain Lehmann is critically burnad and other officers were burned less seriously. The company explained that three ranking officers were saved because they were in the control car forward, farthest away from the first explosion, which was followed by five others. Thus the stern struck the ground first and the flames were slower reaching the bow, providing an opportunity for the officers and more (than hlalf of the passengers to escape. If the dirigible’s slow fall had been any slower probably all would have perished since the frames.’ enveloped the entire ship almost at ’the moment it rested on the ground;. The passenger list is not immediately available but it is indicated hat it included many .notable per. sone, including Captain Lehmann, for. mer master of the craft. He and Captain Preuss, the present command'er, apparently escaped alive. Rescue Operations. Rescue work is believed to be greatly aided by a United Slates Army detachment which was detailed io the field in view of the possibility of (an emergency. The men went promptly to work, scurrying about in motor trucks and seeking the injured while the skin of the airship was still blazing. Captain Stampf, second: in command, apparently was also reached alive but like Captain Lehmann and Captain Preuss, he was seriously injured. Several .persons leaped Sroin tlhe windows of the ship while it was falling, Foreign passefigerjs numbered 21. The ages of all the passengers varied from six months to 93 years. The infant wlis a son of a journalist on the Berlin staff of the Australian Associated Press. The dirigible was 13 hours late in landing, having been delayed by ad. verse weather at sea. The shiji wtas only 200 feet aloft and the passengers could be seen at the windows, laughing and waving to the ground crew. When the explosion occurred many occupants were blown through the windows by t*i e back draft. The survivors included 20 members of the crew, but tall were badly burned’. The g-rouud crew miraculously escaped by running for their lives. The fate of only .three women passengers is undetermined. One of the survivors said: “I only know there was a flash and an explosion. You on the ground should khow what happened. . We were un_ able to see. “I was s’l Hiding at a window watching the landing,” said auo’her survivor. "Without warning some, thing hit me and I lost consciousness ’ rhe next thing I knew [ was lying 0 „ the ground with rain pouring on my face. I must have been blown out of th© window'.” United States Army experts blamed static und the use of inflammable gases in combustion with hydrogen flue gas. A heavy electrical storm coincided with the arrival of the ship Inquiry why helium was not used was answered with the information ‘’at the limited quantity of this gas resulted in its prohibition other tlLn for American army uses. Investigations have either begun or vill start during the day. The German Ambassador, He’rr Luther arriv >=d to represent the German Govern ment. iv, T ? G , Navy Department announced ■W it was convening a board of in quiry. Mr Roper, Secretary for Air is reported to be en route for the by plane to supervise the Bureau of , T el ’ ee inqUiry - Sta,e ofr ’ eia ls have ordered an inquest. Most experts are toon.v’j ped ithat tne explosion was due to static but some advanced the theory that sparks,

resulted from the throttling down of the engines l while the gas was being valved. President Roosevelt cabled a message of condolence to Herr Hitler. New Airship Nearing Completion. The German Propaganda Ministry states the cause of the disaster was lightning, says a Berlin message The official German news agency announces that the disaster will not affect further German Zeppelin building or German Zeppelin tl Ln.A-Atlantic traffic, which will continue A new airship nearly completed at Friedrichshafen will take the Hindenburg’s place. Sir Hubert Wilkins says he spen' a month in the Hindenburg during and after the trie Is and got to know intimately most of he crew, says a London cable. He was terribly shocked at the disaster and was glad Cap. 1 ain Preuss jind Captain Lehmnnn were saved. They would have been a. great loss to 4he science of airship construction when experts could ill be spared. His. faith in airships was unshaken, but he thought experience ought to have been developed wi> h smaller types, as in th e clase of aeroplanes, before there could be confidence and safety in larger dirigibles. Commander Sir Dennistoun Burney, a British airship designer, said: “Unless- we can get away from hydrogen I find it difficult to retain my confidence in the future of airships. S-ze of Dirigibles. Mr E. F. Spanner, who predicted disaster for the RlOl, is of the opinion that the greater the size of airships the greater the structural risks. Seventy-five per cent, of iihe insurance on the Hindenburg was. 1 placed at London but it was well spread. Dr. Hugo Eckener, designer of the Hindenburg, hastening from Vienna, said one thing was clear—the necessl'y for using helium, Which he hud always advocated. Interviewed on the train, Dr. Eckener ruled out the lightning theory as the ship was equipped with proven live devices, it was very likely, he ■said;, that the disaster was due to sabotage. He had repeatedly receiv ad I nonymous threatening i 0;, ers warning him not to land the Hindenburg at Lakehurst. It is recalled that much of the RlOl scrap metal was embodied in the Hindenburg’s frame. A commission of inquiry is to go to America immediately. The whole of Germany ■ s deeply shocked, especially as Cap■frfn Preuss i>reviirtis'i7 'wirelessed that lho voyage had ended.