Imperial Valley press., 1930-10-06
BY RICHARD D. MCMILLAN
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent }

tSHi'eu IAeoS oIdll Correspondents
ALLONE, France, Oct. &. U.P)--
The British dirigiblc R-l01 was
wrecked on Il hillside near here
early Sunday due to breakagc OF It's
structure, Air Commodore Fclton
Fesscy Holt of the British air min
istry told the United Press todar.
Holt said the crash OF the great
ship, which resulted in death of II
meabcrs of the crew and passcn-
gers and dealt severe blow t. Brit
ish airship development, was not
due to the oil burning Diesel mo-
tors.
We have found parts as far rs
five miles from the scene OF the
wreck, y said the air ministry off
cial just before the opening of the
official inquiry into the disaster.
4 cannot make any further def
nitc statements regarding the crash
AT present." Holt continued, "}ut
the scattered wreckage indicated
something happened at least five
minutes before the crash. These
parts will be gathered up and stud
led and after the inquiry is closed
the experts will report to the air
ministry.'
The dirigiblc. which was caught
III n severe storm shortly bctor, il
was wrecked, left Cardiugton, Eng
land. Saturday evening for Karachi,
India. 1t made steady progress un-
Til il was forced to battle storm
i'm thiS rpriop co,no IN ,,il,, rrn,,,
Paris. where it fell to earth and
burned. Only seven men, four of
them seriously injured, survived.
Among the dead were Lord Thorn
son. the British air minister, and
some of the outstanding airShip OK
perts Of England.
The fatal flight, which started at
Cardington and WIS to have cndcd
at karachi. was the first long trip
on which the giant craft nad cm.
barked since it was cut in half re-
Gently and enlarged.
Noted Airmen Die
p Among those who died immediatc-
" were Lord Thomson. Air Vice
Marshall Sir Seton BranckeY, di-
rector of civil aviation; Wing Com
mander r. b. Colmorc, director Of
airship development, who was pas
senger on the recent flight Of the
R-10l from England TO Canada. and
Major &. IL. Scott, veteran British
airman. who commanded the R-100
OF the transatlantic flight.
The bodies of the victims were
burned beyond recognition. Work
of Identification was postponed
pending the arrival of relatives.
Meanwhile the remains were put in
to bare wooden coffinS and placed
in the tiny school room of Allouc.
Each bore the scribbled word, Gun
recognizable
French peasants brought white
curtains to be hung on the school
room walls and picked wild flowers
TO be placed on the rough cas[otS
All available coffins in the village
were rcquisitioncd and even one
child'S coffin WAS offered to au-
thoritieS.
The positions in which Somc Of
the charred bodies were found, with
clinchcd fists, testified to the fear
full struggle against death that tho
victims made, 1t appeared manv Of
them were awakened by the lurching
of the ship and fought desperately
to escape the flames.
\ subscription was started "mong
the villages OF Allonc and BCauvais
to raise a memorial on the spo,
whore the ship crashed. Cpon il.
were to be inscribed the words of
the French air minister, Laurent
Eynac: "To the hcroism of the men
who risked their lives for the Glan-
dcur of their country.
Twelve rem were on duty at the
time of the accident. T&cy were
Commander Irwin, one engineer in
each of the five engine gondoiaS, n
pilot and navigator, two wireless
operators, and two riggcrs. The re-
maindcr of the men aboard, inciul-
inc all the civilians, were asleep.
Several of the passengers who warc
asphyXiatcd or trapped in ;hc flames
had retired early due to air sickness.