NO SIGN OF DIRIGIBLE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 149, 5 April 1933, Page 5

NO SIGN OF DIRIGIBLE.

ONLY WRECKAGE FLOATING. THE SEARCH FOR- SURVIVORS. (Received This-Day, 10.45 a.m.) NEW YORK, April 4. The Akron was on a test Tight, which was to have taken her along the New England coast. She was to have ietuxned to-morrow. She returned a fortnight ago from an extended cruise to Panama, and. had ridden out many worse storms. A message from Lieutenant-Com-mander Wiley said that the Akron ran into an electrical storm at 12.30 a.m., while it was blowing strong and raining hard. The message did not make clear just ■what happened. * ;; A message intercepted said that the Phoebus and coastguard cutters Mojave and McDougal were standing by, searching floating wreckage for possible survivors. None except the four originally picked up had been found. The message indicated that the rescue ships did not find the dirigible when they arrived at the scene and there were only small pieces of wreckage floating about. Earlier reports from the Phoebus said that a wind of a velocity of 45 miles' an hour was driving the hulk or the dirigible offshore at the estimated rate of 12 miles an hour, making rescue doubly difficulty. It is believed the Akron has gone to the bottom. The' Akron left Lakehurst at 7.20 p.m. yesterday, commanded by F. C. McCord. The cutter McDougal reported at 10.45 a.m. that she Fad picked up fragments of wreckage, consisting of light tubular pipes covered with knpoc. THE EARLIER REPORTS. NO MESSAGES FROM AKRON. NF/W YORK, April 4. An hour after the Akron was forced down wireless messages received from the German oil-tanker Phoebus, which was standing by, said: “Have saved four men, including Lieutenant Wiley. All are suffering from submersion and shock. We cannot save all.” The

Phoebus gave her position as 10 to 15 miles off the Barnegat lighthouse, and about 45 miles from New York'harbour. The weather was blustery, with rain-squalls. At 3.30 a.m. observers at Shipbottom, near Barnegat, reported to coastguardsmen that they saw flames shooting skyward at sea, It was not known whether they were flares from boats searching for the Akron or from the tanker standing by the dirigible. Headquarters here said that the private opinion of officials at Lakehurst was that the Akron had been struck by lightning. Commander Cunningham, in charge of the Third Naval District, in reply to a question as to whether he thought there had been heavy loss of life, answered: "Very heavy. I guess it's very heavy." Coastguard boats are expected to reach the Akron at 5 a.m. Though the air was choked with wireless messages, details of the Akron disaster were not available until two hours after the first word was received. The Akron was equipped with every modem means of communication, but sent no message, so far as can be learned, after reporting "All well" at 8 p.m. The weather has prevented the dispatch of aeroplanes until daybreak. A BODY RECOVERED. (Received This Day, 9.35' a.m.) NEW YORK, April 4. A message received here said that the body of Lieut.-Commander Harold MacLellan was picked up by the coastguard.