COMMANDER'S STORY

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 49, 26 August 1921, Page 7

COMMANDER'S STORY

STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS

PROBABLE

*A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.

'(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION,—COPTRIOHT.}

(MJSTRIUAN - NEW ZBALAKD O»I1LE ASSOCIATION.)

(Received August 26, 10 a.m.)

LONDON, 25th August

Lieutenan,t Warm, commander of the airship R3B, which broke in halves and fell burning into fclie Humber at Hull, with the loss of 44 lives, was interviewed in hospital. He is suffering from injuries to the head and eyes, and severe burns and bruises on the body, and said he was in sole control of the vessel, and was in the fore-car. The airship had just passed over Hull when there was a violent crack, and he felt the fore-car falling. Then it rose' at a high angle. He pulled over the water ballast lever to level the keel. Then there was a terrific explosion, which must have killed many of the crew. He did not notice any fire preceding the explosion. The airship had done her full trial run, arid had slowed down from 60 to 50 knots before the explosion. The 4 break was apparently due to softie structural weakness. ' The whole thing happened in five seconds.

Lieutenant Warm denied turning the ship over the river in order to avoid the city. She was running perfectly over the city, and the accident happened over the river.,. He went down with the ship until she was close to the water, and then jumped; but he was caught in the wreckage and pinned down there for fifteen minutes. He did not know how he was rescued, as he was unconscious, and woke to find himself in the hospital.