EMPIRE HERO

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 16 June 1930, Page 5

EMPIRE HERO

TWO RECORD RUNS BEFORE SPEEDBOAT OVERTURNS THEORIES AS TO CAUSE OF DISASTER (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, 13th June. The world’s speed boat record of 98.75 miles per hour cost England the life of one of its most gallant sportsmen. The newspapers unitedly mourn the loss of Sograve and Ilalliwell, while paying tribute to their indomitable gallantry. Apparently, the step bolted to the bottom of the boat shifted slightly, admitting water between it and the boat’s true bottom, creating a terrific brake and making the vessel unmanageable. '

(British Official Wireless)

RUGBY, 13th June. Segrave took. Miss England 11. with her huge engines out on to the lake at 2 o'clock. Thousands of people lined the shores, while many were in small boats on tho lake. The speedboat started on her first trial. Fitted to her was the bronze propellor to replace the one broken yesterday. Within a few seconds the boat was travelling at a terrific speed. After covering the measured mile up the lake she turned, and there was another terrific burst of speed as she covered the mile down the lake. For the third time the boat turned and travelled at almost her maximum speed. The roar of her giant engines echoed from one shore to another.

Then she seemed to accelerate. Suddenly the great mass of machinery, enclosed in its slim, white shell, seemed to swerve violently and plunge beneath the water. People on either side screamed. A huge mass of white spray went up and it was several seconds before tlie graceful craft was seen again. Then the sight was worse than the greatest fears had anticipated. The boat emerged bottom upwards with a large hole in the hull. A dozen speed boats rushed to her. Willcocks was the first to be dragged from the water. He was badly injured over the eyes and had a thigh broken. 4 Segrave was picked up unconscious within a few seconds. Both were taken ashore and sent to hospital. Segrave was saved by Mr King, who was in one of the motor-boats first on the scene. King dived in fully clothed, and brought Segrave to the side of his boat. He helped to drag both men in. The body of Halliwell has not yet been recovered. There was no one else in the boat. Several theories are being advanced regarding the cause of the disaster. One eye-witness says that "the step" on the bottom of the boat suddenly seemed to burst, and the boat swerved terribly before capsizing. Another view is that the boat hit a piece of driftwood which would have been sufficient to cause the accident. After the disaster the time-keepers announced officially that Miss England beat the' world's speed record during her first two runs with a mean speed of 98.76 miles an hour against the previous best of 93.4 miles, set up by the American Mr Gar Wood. The speed on the first run was 96.41 miles an hour and on the second run 101.11 miles. The figures of the new record will be forwarded to the International Marine Yachting Union for official recognition as a new world record.