SIX EXPLOSIONS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 190, 8 May 1937, Page 11

SIX EXPLOSIONS

Dirigible Enveloped in Flames MANY FATAL INJURIES (Received May 7, 11 p.m.) New York, May 7. Many of the survivors were burned or injured, or both. They were taken to hospitals iu Lakehurst and nearby communities. It is believed that at least half are fatally injured. Clothing was burned completely from several of them. The three children on board all escaped. The flames wore extinguished at midnight last night, but the embers were so hot that it was impossible to complete the search for the bodies. The company explained that the three ranking officers were saved because they were in the control car for-

ward and farthest away from the first explosion, which was followed by five others. Tims the stern struck the ground first. The flames wore slower in reaching the bow, providing an opportunity for the officers and more than half the passengers to escape. If tlie dirigible's slow fall had been any slower probably all would have perished, since the flames enveloped the entire ship almost at the moment it came to rest on the ground. It is believed that most of the survivors either leaped out or were thrown out by tlie impact with the ground, and uot by the explosions. When tlie explosion occurred there were shrieks and screams from the large crowd which had gathered to witness the landing. BERLIN EXPLANATION Lightning Caused Disaster (Received May 7, 7.10 p.m.) Berlin, May 6. The Ministry of Propaganda states that the cause of the Hindenburg disaster was lightning. The official German news agency announces that the disaster will not affect further German Zeppelin building, or German Zeppelin trans-Atlantic traffic, which will continue unabated. The new airship nearing completion at Friedrichshafen will take the Hindenburg’s place.