FLIERS MEET BAD WEATHER

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 40, 25 September 1928, Page 5

FLIERS MEET BAD WEATHER

~ Press Association—Copyright BLENHEIM, This Day. The fliers assembled at the aerodrome at 6.30 ready to hop off ■ for, Christchurch and the ~ south, but a strong south-wester with almost gale force, sprang up machines were be-. Ing tuned up. The flight was therefore postponed till the wind moderates. The airmen will make every endeavour to reach ' Christchurch by to-night, and • will ; not lightly abandon their southern tour from Christchurch.

thei ph,'eap balcony seats were completely cut off from safety. Maddened, ,men tried to hack their way through the. living wall of bodies with, kniyea and other weapons. Then a terrific explosion behind the stage .added .to thej panic., The orchestra bravely kept qp playing until a see-' end ' explosion killed several of the musicians; then they were forced to *fiy.■" , ' * . ( : /*.. .MAD STRUGGLE FOR ESCAPE.. SEVERAL KILL THEMSELVES. {Received 10.40 a.m.) ' -:;•:;.,:,... [LOJJtfON, Sept 24. It Is thought dioubtful if the ' Madrid death roll will reach the first staggering- estimate, though the storyi of the horror is tlie" in Europe for years, 1 , v - The was due to a short circuit of one lamp amid the scenery. Twa minutes later the stage was an ■infeilno, belching black smoke into the auditorium where the audience .fmtuiiiately was only one third of the th'eatre's capacity, sat momentarily benumbed. ;..

A WILD PANIC. Then there was a wild painic. they jumped from 'the galleries, jammed the exits and fought with frenzy, the weaker going down,' instantly. Many were suffocated before, they were overtaken by the flames. The first rescuers entered the main door where a pile of bodies was inciaeraced including seven girls, two boys, twenty-eight men, twenty-two women and also seven of the rescuing policemen. There were horrible discoveries when the dead were louched. Somei had' revolver wounds suggo&ting that they had committed suicide in preference to a more awful death. Others had knife wound's testifying t 0 the; mad straggle for escape.—Australian P.A.. • ;