R101 Tragedy

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 128, 3 November 1930, Page 8

R101 Tragedy

OFFICIAL INQUIRY CONTINUED' SURVIVORS’ EVIDENCE TENDERED By Telegraph—Copyright— Press Assn.. RUG'BY, October 31. Professor Bairstow, his evidence before the RlOl inquiry, stared that the airworthiness of airships panel had reached the conclusion that the RlOl, with the mew bay ancl taking into account changes in weights from the original design, satisfied the factors for safety us laid down by the panel. Cook, engineer on the airship at the time of the crash, said that after midnight the gasbags seemed to be surging about more than he hitherto had noticed. He entered the engine car at 2 o ’clock and everything was O.K. Five minutes later the ship took up a, diving attitude and the telegraph rang for reducing speed. As he went to turn the engine to slow the ship took a §teep diving attitude. After he slowed the engine he looked out of the door and became apprehensive that something serious was happening v hen the ship struck the ground. He stopped the engines immediately and a second crash came, followed by an explosion. The ship seemed to rebound after the first bump. The second impact and the explosion were simultaneous. No Violent Explosion •Henry Leech, foreman enginerc, another survivor, attributed the rolling and pitching to the weather. He was sitting on a setee in the smoke room when the ship took a steep angle, 30 to 35 degrees. He slid up against the forward bulkhead. For about threequarters of a minute she continued to dive and then straightened again. He replaced glasses which fell off the table, when she dived again at a slightly less angle than before. Simultaneously with the impact the lights went out and within, perhaps a second, there was a flash of flame. There was not a violent explosion, just a “wooff, ” rather like petrol bursting into flames. Another survivor, Engineer Savory, who was in charge Of the starboard midship car, describing the crash, said everything seemed to occur at once.. Cook’s Escape. « Cook, who appeared with his hands bandaged said: “I tried to get out of the car doorway towards the ship, but there was a mas of flames in front of me and the heat was terrific. I turned to. the sliding doors on the exterior side, but found a girder had fallen. I thought I was completely trapped and became desperate. I thrust up the girder and pumped out landing on the grass. I tore off my burning overalls, by hands hurting terribly while I was doing so. I heard minor explosions.” Lqech, another surviving engineer, said the flames seemed to originate in the control tower. The smoking room was filled with choking smoke. Leech added that the smoking room fell in. He tore part of a settee from the bulkhead and scrambled out. Wireless Officer’s Story. The wireless officer, Bisley, said he turned in at 9 p.m., and got up at 9.45. Owing to the lights being “tripped” the ship was in darkness. He attended to the lights and then went to the control tower at 10 p.m. and saw Athcrstone take the elevator wheel from the coxswain. The altimeter was then recording 900 feet and Athcrstone pulled it up to 1000. He told the coxswain not to let her get below 1000. Bisley added that the airchip’s first dip reawakened him. The chief coxswain came to the switchboard and said: “We are down.” He did not seem to bo excited but gave the impression that he was warning them to leave immediately < Hovtavqr, /there came the final dive and the explosion occurred. Ho hoard a number of explosions but the first was the worst.