THE DIXMUDE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 31 December 1923, Page 5

THE DIXMUDE.

MYSTERY NOT CLEARED UP.

BY CABLE-PBEBB ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, Dec. 28!. The mystery <6f the Dixmude has not been cleared up. The Paris telegram, declaring the loss of the airship at sea to have been officially announced,, now appears to have been premature. A Paris correspondent transmits the text of the communique issued by the Ministry of Marine, which does not mention the loss of the! airship, though it confirms the news of the finding of the body of Lieut. Duplessis de Grenadan by fishermen six miles off the shore, near Girgenti. A thorough search has proved fruitless. Some newspapers report that the airship sent out S.O.S. calls in the midst of a heavy,storm on Sunday. The commander's body was identified by documents in the pockets. The Dixmude carried several distinguished passengers, including M. Yvon, Director of Aviation. LONDON, Dec\ 29. It seems now generally and regretfully assumed that the Dixmude was lost at sea, and the report that the airship was seen by natives over the Sahara is erroneous. French warships have been ordered to search the neighbourhood where the body of the commander was found. PARIS, Dec. 29. Verisimilitude is lent to the theory that the Dixmude exploded over the Mediterranean by the fact that Grenadan's watch stopped at 2.50, at which time the_ stationrnaster at Sciacco and other railwavmen stated they saw a light over the sea like two balloons afire falling into the sea. ' . Fishermen at Sciacco state that before discovering the body of the commander of the Dixmude "they found two wires in their nets, presumably belonging to the structure of the airship. They also declared that on the night of December 12 the inhabitants saw rockets fired southward of San Marco. Other fishermen found wirs in their nets, part of the wireless headpiece.