CAUSE OF DISASTER

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 82, 7 April 1933, Page 7

CAUSE OF DISASTER

SUDDEN, SHARP GUST

SURVIVOR'S OPINION

United Presa Association—By Electric Tel* graph—Copyrieht. (Eeceived April 7, noon.) WASHINGTON, April 6. A sudden and very sharp gust of wind, more severe than any he had ever experienced, was given by Lieut.Commandor Wiley, of tho Akron, on Thursday, in his official report to the Navy, as the apparent' cause of the disaster. In a statement to the Secretary of the Navy (Mr. Swanson), in which two other survivors collaborated, Commander AViley said: "The gust struck the ship as it was fighting the storm ofi the New Jersey coast at 12.30 a.m. on Tuesday. I noted immediately that the | lower rudder control' rope had carried away, and reported it to the captain, "j The boatswain's mate, Bichard Deal, reported that, as he lay in his bunk on the right side of tho ship, he saw two girders above the corridor of the ship bend and buckle, and noted, as he ran forward, .that the control lines in that vicinity appeared slack, but not broken. It is difficult to synchronise accurately these observations in tho control car, but apparently the damage to the girders occurred after the severe gust struck the airship and after the airship had begun, its last descent, practically out of control. This descent terminated in the airship striking the water, with consequent major structural damage.