THEORIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 236, 6 October 1930, Page 7

THEORIES.

CAUSE OF WRECK.

Rudder Fin Found About Mile

Away.

NO DEFINITE REASON.

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

(Received 12.30 p.m.)

LONDON, October 5

The first real clue to the probable cause of the disaster and .which gives credence to the stories of eyewitnesses that they had seen the airship twisting helplessly before the crash, is the discovery of the airship s rudder fin about a mile away from the hill. This is believed also to explain the reason for the nosedive. Several of the ground, staff at Carding" ton, who watched the departure of the RlOl, say they were very surprised at the small lifting power when released from the mast. Normally before release an airship rises and clears the mast by at least 200 ft. The RlOl rose only to a height of 50ft. In a mass of statements from those who witnessed the departure and the flight across the coast there is unanimity that the airship appeared to be flying unusually low and slow. Additional statements of villagers at the ecene of the disaster confirm the earlier evidence that there was no explosion until the airship hit the hill. Leech, the engineer, who, despite his injuries, is still at the soene of the accident to-day, repeats that he is convinced the airship hit the ground before the explosion. He said: "When over Beauvais I got the impression that the back of the airship was tangoing. We were then in communication with Le Bourget. Suddenly the ship seemed to drop from 1000 ft to 200 ft. _ The front dipped once or twice and hit, the hill. Then there was a ghastly explosion. Sir Dennistoun Burney, builder of the RlOl, dismisses smoking as_ the cause. He says it is grossly unfair to select any one theory at present. Many come instantly to the mind, but it is not yet certain whether the airship exploded before the crash or after it. Possibly something hitherto unknown in aircraft experience happened. One point which must be investigated, he says, is the load. "I do not infer she was carrying greater than she waa legitimately entitled to, but there are other factors such as climatic conditions. If she ran into a heavy squall it is possible that the weight of water had something to do with it. "It is too appalling to dwell on just now. My sorrow at the loss of the ship and its crew is too deep for description." Air Marshal Sir T. C. R. Higgins expresses the opinion that the crash was apparently due to bad weather, necessitating low flying. Probably a downward current came at a bad moment when the ship had Insufficient time to rise again. Isolated Storm. Details from Beauvais suggest that the machine ran into an isolated storm centre. Residents there relate that the RlOl was so low that the roar of the engines awoke the whole town. She was apparently not under proper control, drifting sideways and being unable to get her head into the wind. The forepart is twisted beyond recognition in an apple orchard, and the stern and about one-third of the length is standing up in the air, with a halfburned Union Jack fluttering from the stern. After the crash this was hauled down in the afternoon. Some of the bodies are so shrivelled that they would fit into a child's cofiin. Enormous crowds were arriving all day, and mounted police were keeping them at a distance to prevent pilfering of mementoes. The cause of the disaster cannot at the moment be definitely stated. Air Chief Marshal Sir John Salmond, chief of the air staff, with Air Commodore Holt, director of technical development, and other officials, flew over this morning to assist, at the invitation of the French authorities, in collecting information. Final Messages Sent. It appears, however, that although bad weather, with heavy storms, was encountered by the airship, all went well until shortly before the disaster. Apparently the last direct messages received in England from the airship were sent to Croydon aerodrome shortly after midnight. The airship said: "Thanks for valuable assistance, will not require you further to-night." Croydon replied: "Still remaining on watch." Two hours later came the inquiry for position, and Croydon worked out that the airship was then about one kilometre eouth of Beauyais. Within a very few minutes the disaster must have happened.

News that RlOl was afire was conveyed to Croydon by Le Bourget aerodrome. Progress reports received from the airship during the flight recorded that moderate rain was encountered over London at 9 p.m. and t;iat the course Was set via Paris, Tours, Toulouse and Narbonne. When Hastings was reached it was raining hard, and a strong south-west wind was encountered. Height had been increased and the cruising speed of 54 knots maintained. The ship was said to be behaving well generally. The French coast was crossed at St. Quentin, the wind then being 35 miles per hour, with the airship flying at 1500 ft. The Last Supper. The last report stated that after an excellent supper the passengers had smoked their final cigars, and, having looked at the French coast, had gone to bed while the crew had settled down to the watch-keeping routine, with the essential services functioning satisfactorily. Among the experts of the Royal airship works who perished in the RlOl disaster were Squadron-Leader Hope and Major Bishop. The survivors were: Leech, foreman engineer at the airship works, who was one_ of Colonel Richmond's technical assistants, and was only slightly injured; four engineers named Bell, Binks, Cook and Savory, none of fhein dangerously injured; the wireless telegraphist, Bisley, not dangerously injured, and two riggers, Badcliffe and Church, the first very seriously and the second fairly seriously injured. _ The few survivors were quickly hurried to hospital. This morning the bodies of the 46 victims, many unidentifiable, were collected. The clothes had been burnt off of them, but some bodies were identified by rings and watches, amon" them being that of Lord Thomson.