R38 DISASTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1921, Page 3

R38 DISASTER.

STORY OF THE CRASH. VESSEL BREAKS IN TWO. EYE-WITNESSES’ ACCOUNTS, Lengthy accounts were received by cable of the disaster which befel the airship R3B, on August 24, over Hull, resulting in the loss of 44 lives, but further interesting details of the crash were received by mail last week. When the disaster occurred the streets were crowded with people, most of them on their way home from work, who were watching with upturned faces the evolutions of the giant airship. She had been manoeuvring, about 1000 feet overhead, for a little time, and thousands of pairs of eyes were admiring her graceful proportions, and the apparent ease with which she answered her helm. Then, in a moment, an interesting spectacle was turned to terrifying disaster, and what had been a moment ago a dainty, silvery bubble, gleaming and glancing in a sunlit ®ky, was suddenly a falling mass of flame and death

It was just 5.5 when the tragedy occurred.

While the crowds were still watching the ship, as her long graceful shape came cut of a light summer cloud that had half-hidden her for a few seconds, she kinked and buckled, and then broke into two pices.

At the same moment flames shot from her sides, with puffs of smoke that floated in the calm air. Just for so long as the watching crowds caught their breath, the forepart seemed to rise, while the other half began slowly to desccnd.

Tben, as a loud explosion burst over the city, while women screamed, and one heard the tinkle of breaking windows, the whole mass fell headlong into the river. Many of the spectators were in panic, for it seemed certain that some at least

of the blazing wreckage would fall into the busy streets; and people began to run in all directions for shelter.

As the two portions of the airship fell, a heavy mass —apparently an engine and one of the gondolas (or cars for the crew) —detached itself, and pitched down with terrific speed. A second terrific explosion rang out as the wreckage reached the water, and again one‘heard, in the awed hush that followed, the crash of broken glass in shops and business premises in the heart of the city and around the piers.

At first the onlookers could see only smoko and flames in mid-river. Presently these cleared a little, and the two halves were seen just off Corporation Pier, half-way across the Humber in a dirtit line with New Holland. The tide wap out, and Middle Shoal, a well-known sandbank, was almost entirely uncovered. Here lay the stem of the vessel, still snouting flame.

R3B’s forepart struck the water about half a mile away. Ail around both portions were pieces of floating wreckage, still burning.

Only for a few moments did the floating masses of flame and the crumpled wreckage, from which the stern stood up like a huge balloon, hold the centre of the river alone. Tugs and small boats shot out from quays and bank, and made best speed to the spot. But they found’only five survivors.

In the meantime motor ambulances had been rushed to the pier, and the dense crowds parted in silent awe to make a clear lane as the rescuing boats came back. THE SURVIVORS. One of the survivors thus brought in was Commander Wann, who had been in charge of the airship. He was terribly wounded about the face. The other, a scientist named Bateman, was able to walk unaided to the waiting ambulance, aud for a moment the onlookers broke silence to cheer him. Both were at once rushed oft* to Hull Infirmary.

Still the hushed crowd stood along the nuays and piers, for though there seemed little hope of picking up other survivor s ?, the boats cruised gently or hung on their oars around the wreckage. ro pick up any bodies the water might give up. They were not able to get alongside

the larg- si portion of the wreckage, which stood up high and dry on the shoal. Presently the boats began to return, and hope revived when the whisper wont round that there was yet life in some of the bodies. The living were hurried off to the infirmary, and the dead taken to the city mortuary.

There were only five survivors. They are:—Flight-Lieutenant A. H. Wann, R.A.F. (badly burned); Mr. H. Bateman (junior assistant, Department of Aerodynamics. uninjured) : Chief Boatswain's Mate T. O. Walker, U.S.N. (uninjured); Corporal W. P. Potter (uninjured); Leading Aircraftsman E. W. Davis, R.A.F. (injured).