FROM BEYOND

The claim niado by tho National Laboratory for Physical Research in London, that the questions in the investigation of Sir John Simon into the tragedy of the dirigible ElOl, particularly the questions asked expert witnesses, were principally based on an alleged posthumous report by MightLieutenant H. C. Irwiu, received at the laboratory on 7th October, 1930, two. days after his death at Beauvais, Prance, says the "New York Times."

The report is said to have been received by Mrs. Eileen Garrett, the wellknown medium, who had never sat in the laboratory before, and who imparted the. report in the presence of Harry Price, the director of the laboratory, who made the announcement on 20th May; lan D. Coster (a New Zealauder) and Miss Ethel Beenham,, all of whom had had no previous communication with.the medium except to arrange for the sitting.

A copy of Captain Irwin's alleged message was sent to the Air Ministry, and why it had not been made public ■ before, Mr. Price explained, was because they wished to have its technicalities checked up .by experts, its revelations compared with the questions put at the Attorney-General's investigation, and, more particularly, to discover what one sentence in the mes-i gage meant: "Wo almost scraped the roofs at Achy." Achy could be found inino French guide-book."

Mr. Price said that experts within and without the Air Ministry had told him that only one familiar with the details of the.airship could have made the report, that many of the questions put at the investigation had undoubedly been based on tho Irwin spirit message, and that as for Achy, a member,of the laboratory had visited France and had. found it .to be a hamlet on tho line between Amiens and Beauvais.

At the seance held on 7th October, Mrs. Garrett, in a trance had received other confused spirit messages through her "control," the Arab Uvani, when the latter announced the Captain of the ElOl, who, according to Mr. Price, spoke in great agitation. His full message, as transcribed from the stenor

SPIRITS GIVE -AIRSHIP. DATA

graphic copy made by Miss Ethel Beenham, was read out by Mr. Price as follows: —

"Never mind about me, but do, for Heaven's sake, give this to them. Tho wholo bulk of the derigible was entirely and absolutely too much for her engine capacity. Engines too heavy.

"Explosion caused by friction in electric storm. Flying too low altitude and could never rise. Disposable lift could not be utilised. Load too great for long flight. Same witn SLB [Schutte Lanz, an obsolete type of .German airship]—tell Eckener. ' Cruising speed bad and ship badly swinging. Severe tension on the fabric which is chafing. Starboard strakes (9) started.

"Engines wrong—too heavy—cannot rise. Never reached cruising altitude —same in trials. Too short trials. No one knew the ship properly. Air screws too small. Fuel injection bad and air pump failed. Coo-ling system bad. .. . "Five occasions I have had to scuttle back; three times before starting not satisfied with feed. Already a meeting but feel desirous to put off and set our course and overhaul completely against this. Weather . bad for long flight. Fabric; all waterlogged, and ship's nose is down. Impossible to rise. Cannot trim.

"You will understand that I had to tell you. There were five occasions I have,had distinct trouble—new type of feed entirely and absolutely wrong. Two • hours, tried to rise but elevator jammed. . Almost scraped the roofs. at Achy.! Kept to railway. , .

, "At inquiry, to be held later.it will, be found that the super-structure of the envelope contained no resilience, and had far too much weight in envelope. This was not so until March of this year, when no security was made by adding of super-steel structure. I knew then that this was not a,dream but a nightmare.

• "The added-middlo section was entirely .wrong—-it made strong, but took resilience away and entirely impossible; too heavy and too much over-weighted for the capacity of engines. From beginning' of trouble I knew wehad not a chance—knew it to bo the feed, and ■we could never rise."'