RlOl TRAGEDY.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18170, 7 November 1930, Page 8

RlOl TRAGEDY.

PROCEEDINGS AT INQUIRY. WERE THE TRIALS EFFICIENT ? WITNESSES CLOSELY EXAMINED. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received Nov. 7, 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 6. At the airship inquiry Sir John Simon and Lieutenant-Colonel Moore Drabazon pointedly cross-examined witnesses regarding the alleged lack of trials. The latter asked whether Air Marshall Higgins, if he had dismissed the late Lord Thomson’s urgent pressure • from his mind, would he have ordered a start for India after one trial, in view of the airship having practically a new arrangement of gasbags, including the change of one, and also in view of its running for the first time with five engines while it had not been fully tested with four? Air Marshall Higgins replied that if anyone had thought the trial unsatisfactory lie would have had no difficulty in telling Lord Thomson . - Air yice-Admiral Marshall - Donding denied that the cutting down of the trial flight was due to “ rush,” and nrlded that he had instructed WingCommander Colmore to carry out fullpower trials as soon as possible after leaving for India. If they were unsatisfactory the airship could return. He added that the fact that the engines were running at a cruising speed until the crash showed that instruction had not been followed. He did not know the reasons for that.

THE PROBABLE CAUSE.

DR. ECKENER’S SUGGESTION. BERLIN,. Nov. 5. Dr. Eckener, commander of the Graf Zeppelin, suggests that the cause of the RlOl’s descent was loss of buoyancy. The' result would .have been far less tragic had the airship not been filled., with hydrogen, which only needed a spark or' a piece, of hot nietal to ignite it, .said Dr Eckener, who emphatically reasserted, his' belief in airships. .. .../ .. . ....